Theodore Francis Leo is an American singer and musician. He is the frontman and lead guitarist of the rock group

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists Ted Leo and the Pharmacists (sometimes written Ted Leo/Pharmacists, Ted Leo + Pharmacists, or TL/Rx) are an American rock band formed in 1999 in Washington, D.C. They have released six full-length studio albums and have toured internationally. ...

, and in 2013, he and

Aimee Mann Aimee Elizabeth Mann (born September 8, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter. Over the course of four decades, she has released more than a dozen albums as a solo artist and with other musicians. She is noted for her sardonic and literate lyr ...

formed the

indie rock Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the music they produ ...

duo The Both.

Early life

Born in

South Bend, Indiana South Bend is a city in and the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total of 103,453 residents and is the fourt ...

, Leo grew up in

Bloomfield, New Jersey Bloomfield is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the township's population was 53,105. It surrounds the Bloomfield Green Historic District. History The initial patent for the land that w ...

, where his family was from and spent many formative years in the

hardcore punk Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier p ...

scene of New York City during the 1980s and early 1990s. He graduated from Seton Hall Preparatory School in West Orange in 1988 and the

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin founded the school in 1842. The main c ...

in the fall of 1993 with a degree in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

Career

Leo was a founding member of the New York punk band Citizens Arrest in 1989. In the 1990s, Leo played in bands that included

Chisel A chisel is a tool with a characteristically shaped cutting edge (such that wood chisels have lent part of their name to a particular grind) of blade on its end, for carving or cutting a hard material such as wood, stone, or metal by hand, s ...

, Puzzlehead, and the Sin-Eaters.

was formed in 1999 in Washington, D.C. The group recorded six studio albums between 1999 and 2010. Leo has also maintained a consistent presence as a solo performer since the 1990s. In early 2013, Leo and

formed a duo called The Both, after Leo had toured with Mann for several months as her supporting act. He and Mann began writing songs together, and in March 2013, the duo performed their first show together as the Both (originally formatted as the

hashtag A hashtag is a metadata tag that is prefaced by the hash (also known as pound or octothorpe) sign, ''#''. On social media, hashtags are used on microblogging and photo-sharing services such as Twitter or Instagram as a form of user-generated ...

#BOTH). Their self-titled debut album, '' The Both'', was released in April 2014. Leo released his debut solo album ''The Hanged Man'' on September 8, 2017. The album was inspired by several years of career and personal hardships, including the loss of a daughter in 2011 due to a late-term miscarriage in which Leo's wife was forced to go into premature labor. For the 2019 animated television film '' Steven Universe: The Movie'', Leo collaborated with

Rebecca Sugar Rebecca Rea Sugar (born July 9, 1987) is an American animator and screenwriter. She is best known for being the creator of the Cartoon Network series '' Steven Universe'', making her the first non-binary person to independently create a series f ...

and Stemage to write the song "Independent Together". In the film, Leo voiced the role of Steg, a fusion of

Steven Universe ''Steven Universe'' is an American animated television series created by Rebecca Sugar for Cartoon Network. It tells the coming-of-age story of a young boy, Steven Universe ( Zach Callison), who lives with the Crystal Gems—magical, mineral ...

and Greg Universe. As Steg, Leo performed "Independent Together" alongside

(who reprised her role as Opal from the ''

'' television series) and voice actress

Deedee Magno Hall Deedee Magno Hall is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her work in the pop group The Party, and as the voice of Pearl in the animated series ''Steven Universe'' and its epilogue series '' Steven Universe Future''. Early lif ...

(as

Pearl A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is composed of calcium carb ...

Family and personal life

Leo grew up in New Jersey before moving to South Bend to attend Notre Dame, where he formed Chisel. He then moved to D.C., and briefly moved to

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

thereafter. Leo has lived in Rhode Island since 2005, and he also maintained an apartment in New York City until 2016. Leo met his wife, musician, and visual artist Jodi Buonanno, in the late 1990s when both were touring in bands. She is credited with clapping, whistle, and background vocals on the '' Hearts of Oak'' album. His brothers, Chris and Danny Leo, are also singer-songwriters and have been members of bands such as

Native Nod Native Nod was an American emo band formed in the early 1990s and based in the New York metropolitan area. During their short stint as a group, they released nine songs, divided amongst three seven-inch EPs, ''Bread'', ''Answers'', and ''Lower GI ...

the Lapse The Lapse was an American indie band formed in late 1997. The band was first signed to Gern Blandsten, then Southern Records. A larger deal with Matador Records fell through in 2001. The Lapse was the duo of then boyfriend/girlfriend Chris Leo (ex ...

the Van Pelt The Van Pelt is an American indie rock band from New York City that were active from 1993 to 1997, and have reformed briefly several times since then. The band formed in 1993 at New York University, with Chris Leo (formerly of Native Nod and b ...

, Vague Angels, and Holy Childhood. Leo is a vegan, and has served as a spokesman for

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA; , stylized as PeTA) is an American animal rights nonprofit organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president. PETA reports that PETA entities hav ...

. He has made frequent radio appearances as a contributor to programs on

WFMU WFMU is a listener-supported, independent community radio station, licensed to East Orange, New Jersey. Since 1998 its studios and operating facilities have been headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey. It broadcasts locally at 91.1 Mhz FM, i ...

, such as ''

The Best Show with Tom Scharpling ''The Best Show with Tom Scharpling'' (formerly ''The Best Show on WFMU'') is a combination music, call-in, and comedy Internet radio show/podcast hosted independently by Tom Scharpling since 2014, which previously aired on New Jersey-based rad ...

''.

Discography

Citizens Arrest

*''Citizens Arrest'' cassette EP (1989, Lifetime Records) *''Soaked in Others Blood'' 7-inch EP (2012, Painkiller Records)

Puzzlehead

*''See Thru'' 7-inch EP (1991, Next Generation Records)

Animal Crackers

*''Animal Crackers/Whipped'' split 7-inch EP with Whipped (1991, Sound Pollution Records) *''Animal Crackers'' 7-inch EP (1993, Thrashing Mad Records)

Chisel

* ''Chisel'' 7-inch single (1991, Assembly Records) * ''Sunburn'' 7-inch EP (1994,

Gern Blandsten Gern Blandsten Records is an independent record label based in Paramus, New Jersey. The label's acts have included The World/Inferno Friendship Society, Canyon, Chisel, the Van Pelt, Radio 4, The Flesh, Weston, Native Nod and Rye Coalition. Gern ...

) * ''Nothing New'' 12-inch EP (1995, Gern Blandsten) * ''8 A.M. All Day'' (1996, Gern Blandsten) * ''Set You Free'' (1997, Gern Blandsten)

Hell No

*''Hell No'' 7-inch EP (1991, Wardance) *''Skin Job'' (1992, Wardance)

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists

*'' Guitar for Jodi'' 7-inch EP (1999, Persona Records) *'' tej leo(?), Rx / pharmacists'' (1999, Gern Blandsten) *'' Treble in Trouble'' (September 2000, Ace Fu Records) *'' The Tyranny of Distance'' (June 2001,

Lookout! Records Lookout Records (stylized as Lookout! Records) was an independent record label, initially based in Laytonville, California and later in Berkeley, California, Berkeley, focusing on punk rock. Established in 1987, the label is best known for having ...

) *'' Hearts of Oak'' (February 2003, Lookout! Records) *''

Tell Balgeary, Balgury Is Dead ''Tell Balgeary, Balgury Is Dead'' is an EP released in 2003 by Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, although it mostly comprises Ted Leo's solo work. The title track is carried over from the band's previous album, Hearts of Oak, as is "The High Part ...

'' EP (October 2003, Lookout! Records) *'' Shake the Sheets'' (October 2004, Lookout! Records) *''

Sharkbite Sessions ''Sharkbite Sessions'' is an EP released in 2005 by Ted Leo and the Pharmacists. During their late 2004 tour promoting the ''Shake the Sheets'' album, the band stopped over at Sharkbite Studios in Oakland, California, Oakland, CA. There, the band ...

'' EP (February 2005, Lookout! Records) *'' Living with the Living'' (March 2007,

Touch & Go Records Touch and Go Records is an American independent record label based in Chicago, Illinois. After its genesis as a handmade fanzine in 1979, it grew into one of the key record labels in the American 1980s underground and alternative rock scenes. Tou ...

) *'' Mo' Living'' EP (March 2007, Touch & Go Records) *'' Rapid Response'' EP (September 2008, Touch & Go Records) *'' The Brutalist Bricks'' (March 2010,

Matador Records Matador Records is an independent record label, with a roster of mainly indie rock, but also punk rock, experimental rock, alternative rock, and electronic acts. History Matador was created in 1989 by Chris Lombardi in his New York City apar ...

) U.S. No. 114

The Both

*'' The Both'' (April 2014, SuperEgo Records)

Ted Leo

*''The Hanged Man'' (September 2017, self-released)

Collaborations

*"Oh, Death" (co-written with Scott Miller) on the

Game Theory Game theory is the study of mathematical models of strategic interactions among rational agents. Myerson, Roger B. (1991). ''Game Theory: Analysis of Conflict,'' Harvard University Press, p.&nbs1 Chapter-preview links, ppvii–xi It has appli ...

album '' Supercalifragile'' (2017) *"Independent Together" (performed with

and

) in '' Steven Universe: The Movie'' (2019)

Compilation appearances

I'm Looking Through You "I'm Looking Through You" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1965 album ''Rubber Soul''. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. McCartney wrote the song about English actress Jane Asher, his ...

" on '' This Bird Has Flown – A 40th Anniversary Tribute to the Beatles' Rubber Soul'' (2005,

Razor & Tie Razor & Tie was an American entertainment company that consisted of a record label and a music publishing company. It was established in 1990 by Craig Balsam and Cliff Chenfeld. Based in New York City (with additional offices in Los Angeles a ...

) *" Heroes" on ''Let All the Children Boogie: A Tribute to

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

'' (2016, Spare the Rock Records) *"In the Mean Times" as part of

Kickstarter Kickstarter is an American public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative projects to life". As of July 2021, ...

's "Election Issues" project

References

External links

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leo, Ted 1970 births Living people Musicians from South Bend, Indiana Singers from Rhode Island People from Narragansett, Rhode Island Rhythm guitarists American indie rock musicians Singers from New Jersey People from Bloomfield, New Jersey Writers from South Bend, Indiana Seton Hall Preparatory School alumni University of Notre Dame alumni American punk rock singers American punk rock guitarists Ted Leo and the Pharmacists members The Both members Guitarists from Indiana Guitarists from Rhode Island Guitarists from New Jersey American male guitarists 21st-century American singers 21st-century American guitarists 21st-century American male singers