Damien Jurado


Damien Jurado is an American singer-songwriter from Seattle, Washington, United States. Over the years, he has released albums on Sub Pop, Secretly Canadian and currently on Mama Bird Recording Co. and Loose.

Personal history and influences

Jurado's mother's family were devout Mormons; at the age of 8 or 9, Jurado denounced and renounced the religion. Jurado spent part of his childhood in Arizona, and during this period his mother "was really heavily into, she was in UFO committees" and would attend New Age meetings, to which she would bring her son. During those years he was engrossed in television series such as The Twilight Zone; Elvira, Mistress of the Dark; Kung Fu; and The Outer Limits. Those influences, along with listening to conspiracy theory and paranormal phenomena broadcaster Art Bell and listening to recordings of Buckminster Fuller and Jesus Movement figure Lonnie Frisbee, influenced his later music.

Music career

Jurado's solo career began during the mid-1990s, releasing lo-fi folk based recordings on his own cassette-only label, Casa Recordings. Gaining a local cult following in Seattle, he was brought to the attention of Sub Pop Records by Sunny Day Real Estate singer Jeremy Enigk. After two 7-inch releases Sub Pop issued his first full album, Waters Ave S. in 1997. His second album Rehearsals for Departure, was released in 1999, produced by Ken Stringfellow.
He often makes use of found sound and field recording techniques, and has experimented with different forms of tape recordings. In 2000 he released Postcards and Audio Letters, a collection of found audio letters and fragments that he had found from sources such as thrift store tape players and answering machines. Also released in 2000 was Ghost of David, Jurado's bleakest and most personal sounding record to date. I Break Chairs was produced by long-time friend, Pedro the Lion's David Bazan. It was his last album for Sub Pop, and was a much rockier, electric affair.
After signing for the Indiana-based label Secretly Canadian, Jurado reverted to his trademark folk ballad-based style, releasing four more albums: Where Shall You Take Me?, On My Way to Absence, And Now That I'm in Your Shadow and the rockier Caught in the Trees.
in 2009
In 2009, Jurado teamed with his brother Drake to issue an LP under the moniker Hoquiam, released on February 23, 2010. The album preceded Damien's next solo release, dubbed Saint Bartlett, which was released May 25, 2010 and was produced by label mate Richard Swift. After touring the album with Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground, Jurado began work on his next album. On February 21, 2012 he released his 10th studio album, Maraqopa, his sixth for Secretly Canadian. In January 2014 Jurado released Brothers and Sisters of the Eternal Son an album which marked the third straight collaboration with producer Richard Swift. In March 2016, Jurado released Visions of Us on the Land, and in December of the same year he and Swift released a collection of covers from 2010, Other People's Songs, Volume 1. In September 2016 he was forced to cancel an Australian tour due to health issues.

Collaborations and contributions

Jurado appears on the tracks Almost Home and The Dogs on Moby's album Innocents.
He is also featured in an episode of the BYUtv music documentary series Audio-Files.
Jurado's song "Everything Trying" appeared in the NBC series The Blacklist, in the 2013 Best Foreign Film Oscar film The Great Beauty, in the Fox series "House M.D.", and in the 2011 film "The Dillema".
In the 2014 Joe Carnahan directed crime thriller "Stretch", Jurado's song "Let Us All In" plays during the end last scene at Corky's Diner and into the credits.
In the 2015 romantic comedy, Tumbledown, Jurado contributes to many songs on the soundtrack.
He duets with Lotte Kestner on her song "Turn the Wolves" on the 2013 album The Bluebird of Happiness.
He has collaborated extensively with Richard Swift.
Jurado's track "A.M. AM" from his "Visions of Us on the Land" is prominently featured in Episode 3 as well as "Cloudy Shoes" from "Saint Bartlett" in Episode 6 of the 2018 Netflix documentary series Wild Wild Country.

Discography

Albums

Badlands - Wages Of Sin w. Rosie Thomas
″Tooth and Nail″ Rock Sampler Vol 1 -= Frustration 1997
″'78 Ltd″ - Thirty 6
″Songs From The Big Top″ - Ashes
″The Unaccompanied Voice″ - An Accapella Compilation - Dance Hall Places
″It Goes Without Saying″ - aka Maremont - Kicking Steve Risley
Like Others Need Oxygen - Mr Brown
For the Kids Three - Small as Me
SC100 - Upstate
Unearthed - The Heron and The Fox
Live at KEXP Vol 8 - Working Titles
The Walking Dead Songs of Survival - I Will Still Be Dead
It Happened Here - Kansas City
Guest Appearances
Lotte Kestner The Bluebird of Happiness - duet on Turn The Wolves.
Rosie Thomas These Friends of Mine
Lampshade Lets Away
Thomas Johnsson Denver First In Line EP - harmonica
Kate Tucker and the Sons of Sweden - vocals on In The End
Bosque Brown Plays Mara Lee Miller - backing vocals
Husbands Love Your Wives - Tender Stories in Song Between Tender Friends / Live At The Triple Door - vocals and guitar.
Producer on Other Artists Albums
Naomi Wachira S/T 2013
Shelby Earl Swift Arrows 2013
Joel Walter Nowhere In Fiction EP 2011
Joel Walter Bitter Lake Reservoir 2015
Ben Fisher Does The Land Remember Me 2018