Britt Daniel - Biography

Biography

Britt Daniel was born in Galveston, Texas, and grew up in Temple, Texas, in a household of five children. His father, a neurologist, was an aficionado of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones and a collector of classic guitars; Daniel has stated he had "a well-rounded musical upbringing." Daniel himself reportedly picked up the guitar in high school after his college-bound girlfriend ended their relationship.

Britt Daniel's musical career began in 1988 when he formed his first band The Zygotes. In 1990 Daniel formed his second band, Skellington, while a student at the University of Texas. Skellington included Daniel, Cannon, Mac Stringfellow (bass and vox), and Mike Hurewitz (guitar and vox). After self-releasing two cassette EPs and a cassette LP, the band dissolved in 1992. The following year, Daniel joined a three-piece rockabilly band named The Alien Beats with Brad Shenfeld. During a 1993 Alien Beats recording session, computer-chip designer and percussionist Jim Eno was brought in as a substitute drummer, but he was later added as the permanent drummer. From these recording sessions came the album Cavin' In; however, The Alien Beats disbanded soon after its release.

In the years that followed, Daniel wrote and recorded solo material under the pseudonym Drake Tungsten (Daniel has since abandoned this name and plays solo shows under his own name). In 1993, he teamed back up with ex-Alien Beats drummer Eno, as well as guitarist Greg Wilson and bassist Andy McGuire, to form Spoon. Spoon has served as Daniel's primary musical focus, though his resume also includes the following side projects:

• In 1999, Daniel played bass in the glam rock supergroup Golden Millennium, composed of fellow Peek-A-Boo Records labelmates.
• In 2002, Daniel worked with Bright Eyes on the fourth volume of Post-Parlo's Home Series.
• Daniel has produced songs for the bands I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness and Interpol.
• In 2004, Daniel remixed Interpol's "Slow Hands," which appears on the "Slow Hands" single.
• He previously worked as a sound designer and composer for the computer game company Origin Systems.
• In 2006, Daniel teamed up with Brian Reitzell and helped create some of the original music for the film Stranger Than Fiction.
• He also appeared in the Veronica Mars episode "Rashard and Wallace Go to White Castle", air date February 1, 2006, in which he sang a karaoke version of Elvis Costello's "Veronica."
• In 2009, he produced the White Rabbits album It's Frightening.

Daniel has not recorded a solo album since self-releasing 1994's Clocking Out is for Suckers under the name Drake Tungsten. However, he has begun setting aside songs for a possible solo album, including "New York Kiss" and "Telephone My Heart," which he has been performing at solo shows since at least early 2006.

Recently, Daniel has been involved in a new band called Divine Fits, consisting of members from Spoon, Wolf Parade and New Bomb Turks. The group's debut, A Thing Called Divine Fits, was released on August 28, 2012 through Merge Records. The first single from the album, "My Love Is Real", was released on July 10, 2012.