Damian Kulash
Encyclopedia
Damian Joseph Kulash Jr. (born October 7, 1975) is the lead singer and guitarist for Chicago
-based rock band OK Go
.
in 1994, and later Brown University
in 1998 with a concentration in Art-Semiotics
. The family name was originally "Kulas" when Kulash's great-grandparents lived in Poland
. In a podcast, Kulash states that one of his grandfathers invented the modern day fish stick, and the other found a species of beetle.
While in college at Brown, Kulash played in at least three bands - A La Playa, Calixto Chinchile, and Square. He released three CDs in his senior year: an album of experimental Elvis
covers (for his senior project), an eponymously-titled 5 song EP from his electronic pop band Square, and Appendices, a collection of more than a dozen miscellaneous recordings from his time in college, including solo songs, collaborations with friends, class projects, studio experiments, and recordings from previous bands.
Included on the Appendices record are the original recordings of "Bye Bye Baby," which was later re-recorded for OK Go's debut record, and 4 songs from a never-finished EP for his punk band A La Playa.
In May 1998, Kulash won Brown University's Weston Prize in music composition.
, OK Go signed to Capitol Records
. They have released three albums: OK Go
, Oh No
, and Of the Blue Colour of the Sky
.
Prior to this, in 1996, he was in a band named Calixto Chinchile in which he played an early version of the OK Go song, ″Hello My Treacherous Friends.″
He was greatly influenced by many bands from the Washington D.C. area, such as Fugazi
, Q and Not U
, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists
, Lungfish
, and The Dismemberment Plan
. He is also a fan of post-hardcore
and indie rock
. He was also one half of the Washington, D.C. based independent record label Level Records (1994–1996). Level Records released various 7"s, compilations, and CDs for bands such as Branch Manager
and Frodus
.
On March 9, 2010, Kulash announced OK Go's departure from EMI
via their YouTube channel. Their new label is called Paracadute.
instead of going through the normal corporate video-making process. OK Go made another appearance in April 2010, and performed "This Too Shall Pass."
In early 2008, Kulash wrote a passage in Ben Karlin's book "Things I've Learnt from Women Who've Dumped Me". Kulash describes one of his previous, unsuccessful relationships, involving a dog which he shared with his partner.
On February 19, 2010, The New York Times
printed his op-ed piece entitled "WhoseTube?", which discussed the relationship between musicians, record labels, and the internet. Kulash had previously written two other op-eds in the New York Times: One in 2008 about Net Neutrality and another in 2005 about the Sony BMG CD copy protection scandal. He has also testified in Congress
in favor of Net Neutrality.
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
-based rock band OK Go
OK Go
OK Go is a rock band originally from Chicago, Illinois, USA, now residing in Los Angeles, California, USA. The band is composed of Damian Kulash , Tim Nordwind , Dan Konopka and Andy Ross , who joined them in 2005, replacing Andy Duncan...
.
Early life
Born in Washington D.C., USA, Kulash graduated from St. Albans SchoolSt. Albans School (Washington, D.C.)
St. Albans School is an independent college preparatory school for boys in grades 4–12, located in Washington, D.C. The school is named after Saint Alban, traditionally regarded as the first British martyr. Within the St...
in 1994, and later Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
in 1998 with a concentration in Art-Semiotics
Semiotics
Semiotics, also called semiotic studies or semiology, is the study of signs and sign processes , indication, designation, likeness, analogy, metaphor, symbolism, signification, and communication...
. The family name was originally "Kulas" when Kulash's great-grandparents lived in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. In a podcast, Kulash states that one of his grandfathers invented the modern day fish stick, and the other found a species of beetle.
While in college at Brown, Kulash played in at least three bands - A La Playa, Calixto Chinchile, and Square. He released three CDs in his senior year: an album of experimental Elvis
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
covers (for his senior project), an eponymously-titled 5 song EP from his electronic pop band Square, and Appendices, a collection of more than a dozen miscellaneous recordings from his time in college, including solo songs, collaborations with friends, class projects, studio experiments, and recordings from previous bands.
Included on the Appendices record are the original recordings of "Bye Bye Baby," which was later re-recorded for OK Go's debut record, and 4 songs from a never-finished EP for his punk band A La Playa.
In May 1998, Kulash won Brown University's Weston Prize in music composition.
Musical career
As a result of courses he took in electronic music, Kulash became interested in more highly produced, carefully crafted music. After graduation from Brown, Kulash moved to Chicago, and it was not until 1998 that OK Go officially formed. After playing in Chicago and appearances on NPR's This American LifeThis American Life
This American Life is a weekly hour-long radio program produced by WBEZ and hosted by Ira Glass. It is distributed by Public Radio International on PRI affiliate stations and is also available as a free weekly podcast. Primarily a journalistic non-fiction program, it has also featured essays,...
, OK Go signed to Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
. They have released three albums: OK Go
OK Go (album)
OK Go is the debut album by the Chicago rock band OK Go. It was released in September 2002. The cover was created by the well known designer Stefan Sagmeister.-Track listing:-Appearances in other media:...
, Oh No
Oh No
-Miscellaneous:* The band's cheaply-produced yet elaborately choreographed videos for "Here It Goes Again" and "A Million Ways" have become YouTube staples - particularly the video for the former song, featuring the band dancing on treadmills - and have done much to propel the songs, the album, and...
, and Of the Blue Colour of the Sky
Of the Blue Colour of the Sky
Of the Blue Colour of the Sky is the third studio album by American rock band OK Go. It was released on January 12, 2010 on Capitol Records in the USA and EMI in the UK, and re-released on the band's independent label Paracadute Records on April 1. After the band's split with EMI and Capitol,...
.
Prior to this, in 1996, he was in a band named Calixto Chinchile in which he played an early version of the OK Go song, ″Hello My Treacherous Friends.″
He was greatly influenced by many bands from the Washington D.C. area, such as Fugazi
Fugazi (band)
Fugazi is an American post-hardcore band that formed in Washington, D.C. in 1987. The band's continual members are guitarists and vocalists Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto, bassist Joe Lally and drummer Brendan Canty....
, Q and Not U
Q and Not U
Q and Not U was a post-hardcore band from Washington, D.C., signed to Dischord Records. Members John Davis, Harris Klahr, Christopher Richards, and Matt Borlik formed the band in 1998...
, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists are an American rock band formed in 1999 in Washington, D.C. and currently recording for Matador Records. They have released six full-length studio albums and have toured internationally...
, Lungfish
Lungfish (band)
Lungfish is a post-hardcore band formed in 1987 in Baltimore, Maryland. All of their music has been released by the Washington, D.C. punk label Dischord except for their first LP, Necklace of Heads which was released by Simple Machines .Their line-up as of 2005 consists of Daniel Higgs , Asa...
, and The Dismemberment Plan
The Dismemberment Plan
The Dismemberment Plan is a Washington D.C. based indie rock band formed on January 1, 1993. Also known as D-Plan or The Plan, the name comes from a stray phrase uttered by insurance salesman Ned Ryerson in the popular comedy Groundhog Day. The band members included Eric Axelson , Jason Caddell ,...
. He is also a fan of post-hardcore
Post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a genre of music that developed from hardcore punk, itself an offshoot of the broader punk rock movement. Like post-punk, post-hardcore is a term for a broad constellation of groups...
and indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
. He was also one half of the Washington, D.C. based independent record label Level Records (1994–1996). Level Records released various 7"s, compilations, and CDs for bands such as Branch Manager
Branch manager
A branch manager oversees a division or office of a large business or organization, operating locally or with a particular function. Their responsibility is to ensure that payments to employees are correct, their vacation pay arrives on time and they receive proper care if they are injured while...
and Frodus
Frodus
Frodus was a 1990s Washington, D.C.-based post-hardcore band, described by critics as a mixture of math rock, hardcore punk, and alternative rock. Their songs were frequently dark and dissonant...
.
On March 9, 2010, Kulash announced OK Go's departure from EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
via their YouTube channel. Their new label is called Paracadute.
Personal life
In August 2006, Kulash appeared on an episode of The Colbert Report to discuss the band putting their music videos on YouTubeYouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
instead of going through the normal corporate video-making process. OK Go made another appearance in April 2010, and performed "This Too Shall Pass."
This Too Shall Pass (song)
"This Too Shall Pass" is an alternative rock song by OK Go from the album Of the Blue Colour of the Sky. The single was released in January 2010. The band took the unorthodox route of creating two official music videos for the song, both of which premiered on YouTube. The first features a live...
In early 2008, Kulash wrote a passage in Ben Karlin's book "Things I've Learnt from Women Who've Dumped Me". Kulash describes one of his previous, unsuccessful relationships, involving a dog which he shared with his partner.
On February 19, 2010, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
printed his op-ed piece entitled "WhoseTube?", which discussed the relationship between musicians, record labels, and the internet. Kulash had previously written two other op-eds in the New York Times: One in 2008 about Net Neutrality and another in 2005 about the Sony BMG CD copy protection scandal. He has also testified in Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
in favor of Net Neutrality.