Nick Zinner

Nick Zinner
Nick Zinner at Virgin Festival 2007
Nick Zinner at Virgin Festival 2007
Background information
Birth nameNicholas Joseph Zinner
Born (1974-12-08) December 8, 1974 (age 50)
OriginSharon, Massachusetts[1]
GenresAlternative rock, new wave, art punk, indie rock, garage rock, hardcore punk, thrashcore
Occupation(s)Guitarist
Songwriter
Producer
Photographer
Instrument(s)Guitar
Keyboard
Bass
Drum machine
Piano
Years active1990s–present
LabelsInterscope
Shifty (formerly)
Three One G
Member ofYeah Yeah Yeahs
The Rentals
Head Wound City
Websitewww.yeahyeahyeahs.com

Nicholas Joseph Zinner (born December 8, 1974) is the guitarist and record producer for the New York rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs.[2][3] Zinner is also a photographer.[4]

Musical career

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Before forming the Yeah Yeahs Yeahs with Karen O and Brian Chase in 2000,[5] Zinner attended Bard College where he played in the Boba Fett Experience, who later changed their name to Challenge of the Future because of concerns about being sued by George Lucas. The band moved to Williamsburg, Brooklyn in the late 1990s and broke up in 2001.[6]

Since 2001, Zinner has many collaborative efforts with such acts as TV on the Radio, Har Mar Superstar, Ronnie Spector,[7] The Horrors, and Scarlett Johansson. He contributed guitar and keyboard to several tracks on Bright Eyes' 2005 album Digital Ash in a Digital Urn and went on tour with the band as part of the rotating roster.

In 2005, Zinner formed a band Head Wound City along with members from The Locust and The Blood Brothers.[8]

Zinner produced the re-mix of the track 'Compliments' on British group Bloc Party's 2005 album Silent Alarm Remixed, and has remixed The Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower's song, "INRI," on their INRI ep. Zinner has also remixed Single Frame's song, "People are Germs," in addition to appearing in the music video.

In 2007, he also re-mixed The Hives's song, "Tick Tick Boom", which was used as a B-side for the release of their single "T.H.E.H.I.V.E.S".[9]

In August 2009, Zinner was included at number 16 in NME magazine's future 50 list.[10]

In early 2011, Zinner contributed guitar to the song "Go" by Santigold.[11]

In May 2011, Zinner was commissioned to curate, compose and lead a performance 41 Strings in NYC to celebrate the 41st Earth Day. The performance, in which he collaborated with musicians Hisham Bharoocha and Ben Vida, involved 41 players of various stringed instruments, plus additional percussion and synthesiser parts. 41 Strings was performed at Sydney Opera House in Australia as part of Sydney Festival 2012, and Royal Festival Hall in London UK as part of James Lavelle's Meltdown in 2014 with guest guitarists from The XX, Savages, Deap Vally, Damon Albarn band, Magic Numbers and The Verve.[11][12][13]

In 2013, Zinner reformed his college band Challenge of the Future in order to play a benefit show at Union Pool in Brooklyn to raise money for the daughter of a friend who died.[14] Challenge of the Future then released the single "You Can't Call Off the Dog," which was recorded at Adrian Grenier's Wreckroom studio in New York.[15]

In 2013, Zinner produced and recorded Santigold's contribution to the Hunger Games: Catching Fire soundtrack, "Shooting Arrows at the Sky." The 2015 album “Music in Exile” by Malian band Songhoy Blues was produced by him. In 2016 he produced the album Femejism by Deap Vally and "Sports" by Fufanu.[3]

In 2018, Zinner was announced as the new guitarist of the alternative rock band The Rentals, and made his debut in their 2020 album Q36.[16]

Photography

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Zinner studied photography at Bard College and also in Lacoste, France. He has released four separate collections of his work: No Seats on the Party Car (2001), Slept in Beds (2003), I hope you are all happy now (2004) which features an introduction written by director Jim Jarmusch, and Please Take Me Off the Guest List (2010).

An exhibit – 1001 Images – of Zinner's photographs was mounted in NYC in October 2010[17] and in San Francisco in February 2011.[18]

In January 2011, Zinner was commissioned by Lee Jeans to shoot their Winter ’11 advertising campaign.[19]

In May 2011 A further exhibit of his photographs was mounted at the Anastasia Photo Gallery in New York City, featuring shots of the crowds at his concerts.[11]

Personal life

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Zinner is a vegan and a supporter of PETA.[20]

Album appearances

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References

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  1. ^ "Festival draws crowds". Boston.com. August 2007.
  2. ^ "Lazy-i Interview with Nick Zinner". Timmcmahan.com. April 2006.
  3. ^ a b Collini, Eleonora (2016-08-17). "Deap Vally // Interview | LONDON IN STEREO". LONDON IN STEREO. Retrieved 2017-01-16.
  4. ^ "41 Strings by Nick Zinner | Nick Zinner | the Creators Project". Archived from the original on 2013-08-17. Retrieved 2013-06-15.
  5. ^ "Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Biography, Albums, Streaming Links - AllMusic". AllMusic.
  6. ^ "Boba Fett - Bard Makes Noise". www.bard.edu.
  7. ^ "Pitchfork Record Review: Ronnie Spector: The Last of the Rock Stars". www.pitchforkmedia.com. 6 June 2006. Archived 2007-10-24 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ "auralminority Interview with Nick Zinner". www.auralminority.com. 7 September 2005. Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ "Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Arctic Monkeys mix The Hives - NME". NME. 17 December 2007.
  10. ^ "The Future 50 – The Innovators Pushing Music Forward". NME. 2009-08-05. Archived from the original on 2009-08-14. Retrieved 2011-03-26.
  11. ^ a b c "Nick Zinner co-leading '41 Strings' (RSVP), played guitar on the new Santigold/Karen O song, has his photos in a gallery". Brooklyn Vegan. May 5, 2011. Retrieved 2011-05-15.
  12. ^ Jay Belin (May 5, 2011). "Nick Zinner Curates 41 Strings Earth Day Event". NONSTOP SOUND. NBC New York. Retrieved 2011-05-15.
  13. ^ "Nick Zinner presents 41 Strings - Meltdown at Royal Festival Hall, London 20/06/14". Thelineofbestfit.com. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  14. ^ "Nick Zinner's old band Challenge of the Future reuniting for benefit show at NYC's Union Pool". Brooklyn Vegan. February 8, 2013.
  15. ^ "Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Nick Zinner Reunites Old Band Challenge of the Future for Benefit Single". Pitchfork Media. June 18, 2013.
  16. ^ "mattsharp". twitter.com. [dead link‍]
  17. ^ Punkcast (20 October 2010). "Nick Zinner - 1,001 Images". Archived from the original on 2021-12-21 – via YouTube.
  18. ^ "Public Works SF". publicsf.com. Archived from the original on 2013-04-13. Retrieved 2011-03-26.
  19. ^ "Nick Zinner On Shooting for Lee". Lee Jeans. Archived from the original on 2011-04-29. Retrieved 2011-03-26.
  20. ^ "Nick Zinner: I wanted to make people cry"". thelineofbestfit.com. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
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