Jack Conte (; born July 12, 1984) is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and entrepreneur. He is one half of the band Pomplamoose,[2] along with his wife Nataly Dawn, and CEO and co-founder of Patreon.[3]
Conte has recorded two EPs—Sleep in Color and Nightmares and Daydreams—and released them along with the compilation VideoSongs Volume I.[4]
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add advertising hereCareer[edit]
In 2007, Conte created his YouTube channel to upload music videos inspired by the Dogme 95 movement.[5] He gained widespread attention when his video Yeah Yeah Yeah was featured on YouTube’s main page.[6] The video, animated in stop motion, has over one million views as of August 2020.[7] The majority of his new music is released as singles posted to YouTube. These mostly take the form of “VideoSongs”, a medium he defines with two rules:[8][9]
- What you see is what you hear. (No lip-syncing for instruments or voice)
- If you hear it, at some point you see it. (No hidden sounds)
In 2008, Conte formed the band Pomplamoose with Nataly Dawn.[10] The band’s presence is primarily online,[11] having only performed a handful of live shows. Nevertheless, the collaboration has garnered significant fan support.[12]
On May 7, 2013, Conte announced the launch of Patreon, a crowdfunding venture, together with co-founder Samuel Yam. According to Conte, the startup is “like a kickstarter for people who release stuff on a regular basis.”[13][14]
In 2020, Conte was identified as a “Young Global Leader” by World Economic Forum.[15]
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add advertising hereReception[edit]
Much of Conte’s work has been met with positive reviews, citing evocative lyrics in Sleep in Color[6] and creative delivery of his VideoSongs.[16] However, Conte’s music was reviewed less favorably by Amplifier: “Hints of Conor Oberst, Radiohead, Patrick Watson, contemporary punk rock (screamo), radio power pop, and incalculable other singer songwriters are more than borrowed, making for a short mishmash of electro rock.”[17]
Personal life[edit]
Conte was born in San Francisco although he grew up in Marin County, California.[18] He studied music and composition at Stanford University, graduating in 2006.[19] Conte and Nataly Dawn became engaged in January 2016[20] and married in May 2016.[21]
Discography[edit]
| Jack Conte discography | |
|---|---|
| Studio albums | 3 |
| Compilation albums | 1 |
| Music videos | 3 |
| EPs | 4 |
| Singles | 6 |
Albums[edit]
Studio albums[edit]
Compilation albums[edit]
Extended plays[edit]
Singles[edit]
Music videos[edit]
| Year | Title | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | “Operation” | N/A |
| “Yeah Yeah Yeah” | ||
| 2013 | “Pedals” |
References[edit]
- ^ a b “About Jack Conte”. YouTube.
- ^ Laporte, Leo (May 5, 2014). “Pomplamoose”. TWiT.tv. Triangulation.
- ^ Chaykowski, Kathleen (February 13, 2018). “How This Musician-Turned-Entrepreneur Plans To Save Creators From Advertising”. Forbes. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
- ^ “Jack Conte – Sleep in Color EP”. DOA. October 13, 2008. Retrieved July 25, 2009.
- ^ Lin, Sara (December 3, 2009). “VideoSong Pioneers Pomplamoose Take on Beyonce’s “Single Ladies,” Michael Jackson’s “Beat It”“. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
- ^ a b Post, Rachel (October 13, 2008). “Jack Conte gets emotional in new album”. The Maneater. Archived from the original on March 9, 2009. Retrieved July 25, 2009.
- ^
Conte, Jack (April 12, 2008). “Jack Conte – Yeah Yeah Yeah”. YouTube. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2015. - ^ “Electro-Harmonix Bass MicroSynth Makes Some Amazing Low End For Jack Conte of Pomplamoose”. Gearwire. June 24, 2009. Archived from the original on November 23, 2012. Retrieved March 2, 2014.
- ^ “Pomplamoose: Making A Living On YouTube”. NPR. All Things Considered. April 9, 2010. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
- ^
“Pomplamoose: your new favourite band”. The Brock Press. Archived from the original on January 2, 2011. Retrieved March 2, 2014. - ^ Keen, Andrew (February 17, 2020). “Keen On… Pomplamoose: How Nataly And Jack Are Reinventing The Music Business (TCTV)”. TechCrunch. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
- ^ Savage, Mark (February 16, 2011). “How unsigned bands make money online”. BBC. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
- ^ Conte, Jack (May 7, 2013). “Pedals Music Video (featuring REAL robots) – Conte”. YouTube. Event occurs at 4:10. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
- ^ Tate, Ryan (October 22, 2013). “The Next Big Thing You Missed: ‘Eternal Kickstarter’ Reinvents Indie Art”. WIRED. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
- ^ Levin, Mariah (March 11, 2020). “Meet our Young Global Leaders for 2020”. World Economic Forum. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
- ^ Firecloud, Johnny (August 4, 2008). “Breaking Ground With Jack Conte”. Antiquiet. Archived from the original on May 25, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
- ^ Ferron, David (January 12, 2009). “Jack Conte – Sleep in Color EP”. Amplifier. Archived from the original on November 11, 2011. Retrieved March 2, 2014.
- ^ Chaykowski, Kathleen (February 13, 2018). “How This Musician-Turned-Entrepreneur Plans To Save Creators From Advertising”. Forbes. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
- ^ Weiner, Jonah (September 19, 2019). “Jack Conte, Patreon, and the Plight of the Creative Class”. WIRED. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
- ^ Mornings with Pomplamoose (January 11, 2016). “We Got Engaged!”. YouTube. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
- ^
- ^ Conte, Jack (March 15, 2012). “My Big Package”. Bandcamp. Archived from the original on May 24, 2012. Retrieved August 9, 2020.