Andrew Wyatt

Andrew Wyatt
Wyatt performs with Miike Snow at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, California
Background information
Birth name	Andrew Wyatt Blakemore[1]
Origin	New York City, U.S.
Genres	Alternative rock electronica indie pop
Occupation(s)	Musician songwriter record producer
Instruments	Bass keyboard vocals
Years active	2003–present
Labels	Downtown Columbia MapleMusic
Associated acts	Miike Snow The A.M. Funkraphiliacs Mark Ronson Carl Barat A-Trak Bruno Mars Flume
Notable instruments
Vocals

Andrew Wyatt Blakemore, known simply as Andrew Wyatt, is an American musician, songwriter and record producer. Born and raised in Manhattan, New York, he has played in New York bands such as The A.M.^[2] and Black Beetle. He is currently the vocalist in the Swedish electronic pop band Miike Snow.^[3][4] Wyatt has worked extensively with other artists, writing and/or producing songs with Carl Barat, Bruno Mars, Mark Ronson, Flume, Dragons of Zynth, Coco Sumner and others.^[5] Andrew Wyatt's songs are represented by Downtown Music Publishing.

Early life and education

Wyatt grew up on Perry Street in Manhattan^[5] in the 1980s.^[6] At 18, he and musician Greg Kurstin formed the short-lived experimental pop band Funkraphiliacs, whereupon he was signed to Capitol Records as a solo artist. He worked on the album in Bath, UK, at Peter Gabriel's Real World studios for about a year, with the Pet Shop Boys and Siouxsie Sioux producer Stephen Hague,^[7] until chemical dependency and psychological issues forced him into hospitalization at New York's Payne Whitney Psychiatric Clinic. Surmising that a major label release with its incumbent pressures was not realistic, it was decided that a period of respite was needed. Wyatt moved to a small mountain town in Boulder, Colorado for several years, where he briefly attended the University of Colorado.^[8]

Career

After briefly studying at classical conservatory, he returned to New York City and shortly thereafter formed the group The A.M. with Michael Tighe and Parker Kindred, formerly of Jeff Buckley's band. The group released one album on Universal UK before disbanding in 2005.^[9][10]

He is currently the lead singer and co-songwriter for the Swedish band Miike Snow^[3][11][12]

Outside of his own band projects, Wyatt has worked extensively with other artists, writing and/or producing songs with Carl Barat,^[13][14] Mark Ronson,^[15][16][17] Tiggers, Dragons of Zynth, Coco Sumner, and many others. In 2011 he co-wrote "Grenade" with Bruno Mars. The song went to number one in several countries including the U.S, and earned a Grammy Nomination for Song of the Year. He has also in recent years begun doing sound installations for galleries and video art, and debuted Waves, a collaboration with photographer / video artist Sebastian Mlynarski, at The New Museum in New York.^[1] He co-created the music for the 2012 one-act ballet "Carbon Life" along with Mark Ronson and Wayne McGregor.^[18]

Wyatt released his debut solo album Descender on April 16, 2013 on INGRID/Downtown Records and the only live performance of the album to date was at Capitale in New York City on May 10, 2013 as part of the Downtown Festival.^[19] The album features the 75-piece Prague Philharmonic Orchestra with additional appearances by The Libertines' Anthony Rossomando, Spiritualized's bassist Brad Truax, Amen Dunes' Damon McMahon, and Tortoise's John Herndon.^[20] A short documentary directed by Sebastian Mlynarski, entitled "The Making of Descender," ^[21] was made in collaboration with The Creator's Project on March 19, 2013. In the documentary Wyatt discussed the challenges of completing the album in only a month, as that was the only time he had between Miike Snow tours and it gave a behind the scenes look at the recording process.^[22] The first single from the project, "And Septimus...", was made available for streaming on February 19, 2013 and a music video for the single that was filmed in Buenos Aires and directed by Sebastian Mlynarski, premiered on Rolling Stone.com on May 7, 2013.^[19]

Late in 2014, he performed a duet, "Shake Your Hands," with Greek singer Monika on her album, Secret in the Dark (Archangel Music).

In May 2015, he collaborated with Flume on his track "Some Minds", featuring vocals and lyrics.^[23]

Production and Songwriting Credits

Institutional Works

Discography

Wyatt performs with Miike Snow in New York City on March 20, 2012

Studio albums (selected)

• 2004: The A.M.
• 2007: Coronation Thieves by Dragons of Zynth (co-production of "Get Off")^[5]
• 2009: Miike Snow
• 2010: Carl Barât (writer, co-production of "Ode To a Girl", "The Magnus", "Je Regrette, Je Regrette", "What Have I Done?")
• 2010: Record Collection by Mark Ronson (writer and vocals of "Somebody to Love Me", "You Gave Me Nothing")
• 2012: Happy to You
• 2013: Descender

Sound installations

• 2010: Waves at The New Museum: Initiation w/Sebastian Mlynarski^[1]

Ballet Scores

• 2012: The Royal Ballet of London: Carbon Life with Mark Ronson^[18]

References

Further reading

• Wyatt performing song "Somebody to Love Me" on YouTube

External links

• Andrew Wyatt on Myspace
• Andrew Wyatt on Last.fm