Jack Johnson
Before Jack Johnson perfected his rock star ways, he was a champion surfer on the professional route, with a sponsorship with Quiksilver. It was a life that was second nature for the Hawaiian native, for he began chasing waves as a toddler, and by the time he was 17, he was an outstanding athlete on the pipeline. However, Johnson was also...
Eddie Vedder
Along with Kurt Cobain, Eddie Vedder reluctantly became a celebrity and an alt-rock spokesman when his band, Pearl Jam, hit the big time in the early-90's. But things didn't come easy for Vedder, with a tumultuous homelife as a youngster, he turned to surfing and rock music as a teenager - most notably such classic rockers as the Who, Neil...
Matt Costa
Born in Huntington Beach, CA, in 1982, Matt Costa received his first guitar at age 12. While he was always interested in music, even playing in a band in high school, Costa's first love was skateboarding. His dreams of going pro came crashing to an end, however, when he seriously injured his leg in a skateboarding accident at 18. During his...
The Kings of Convenience
Bergen, Norway-based indie-pop duo Kings of Convenience teamed singer/guitarist Erik Glambek Bøe and guitarist Erlend Øye. After first earning notice thanks to a series of acclaimed European festival appearances during the summer of 1999, the twosome signed to American label Kindercore to issue their lovely eponymous debut the following spring....
Built to Spill
Built to Spill were one of the most popular indie rock acts of the '90s, finding the middle ground between postmodern, Pavement-style pop and the loose, spacious jamming of Neil Young. From the outset, the band was a vehicle for singer/songwriter/guitarist Doug Martsch, who revived the concept of the indie guitar hero just as Dinosaur Jr.'s J...
The Beta Band
Their sound veering from post-grunge balladry to funk and ambient breakbeat to Madchester acid house, the Beta Band emerged on the British scene as (nominally) a pop group with few similarities to any other act going. Formed around three friends originally from Edinburgh -- vocalist Stephen Mason, drummer Robin Jones, and DJ/sampler John Maclean...
M. Ward
After a six-year stint with the trio Rodriguez, M. Ward began sketching out songs deeply rooted in the classic traditions of American country-folk. Rodriguez's home was in San Luis Obispo, CA, and they eventually recorded Swing Like a Metronome with Granddaddy's Jason Lytle. Ward's first solo effort came in the form of Duet for Guitars #2, which...