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Jenn Wasner

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Jenn Wasner
Background information
Birth nameJennifer Lynn Wasner
Also known asFlock of Dimes
Born (1986-04-16) April 16, 1986 (age 38)
Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Genres
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter, musician
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • bass
  • keyboard
Years active2003–present
Labels

Jennifer Lynn Wasner (born April 16, 1986)[1] is an American musician from Baltimore. Wasner is best known as one of the founding members of the band Wye Oak, along with Andy Stack. They have performed on tour with notable bands such as Bon Iver, The National and The Decemberists.[2] Wasner has completed numerous other music projects as well, including a solo project entitled Flock of Dimes, and a collaboration called Dungeonesse with Jon Ehrens of White Life and Art Department.

Early life

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Wasner was born on April 16, 1986, in Baltimore.[3] She began singing at an early age with her mother and started taking classical piano lessons at about the age of five.[4] At the age of twelve her mother taught her how to play guitar, which led to the beginning of her songwriting career.[4] Throughout her childhood, her parents struggled with mental illness, addiction, and financial troubles.[5] By high school, Wasner had met Andy Stack, and begun playing music with him. She continued to write music while away at college.[6]

Music career

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Wasner performing in Wye Oak.

After college Wasner moved to the Hampden neighborhood of Baltimore.[7] She and Stack formed a band with the name "Monarch", which was soon changed to Wye Oak after the state tree of Maryland.[2] After the release of their highly regarded album Civilian in 2011, the group toured in the United States and Europe. Civilian was named the best album of 2011 by The A.V. Club and was featured on television in the popular series The Walking Dead and in the film Safety Not Guaranteed. She also appeared on Titus Andronicus's 2010 album The Monitor, lending her vocals to the track "To Old Friends and New".

After touring with Dirty Projectors, Wasner began work on her solo project Flock of Dimes, which experimented with electronic beats and synthesizers. She worked with Jon Ehrens of the Baltimore-pop group White Life on a new project, Dungeonesse, which released its eponymous album in 2016.[8] Wasner moved from Baltimore to Durham, North Carolina and continues to reside there.[9]

Stack and Wasner reunited to create the fifth major album Shriek, released in April 2014. The band released its sixth studio album, The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs, in 2018, and a compilation of singles, Every Day Like the Last, in 2023.[10]

Wasner has released two albums, If You See Me, Say Yes in 2016 and Head of Roses in 2022, under her solo project Flock of Dimes.[11][12] North Carolina-based guitar maker Reverend released a Jenn Wasner signature guitar in 2016 to accompany the first Flock of Dimes album.[13] Wasner has supported Sylvan Esso on tour as Flock of Dimes.[14] In 2016, Wasner was featured in a concert series taking place at the Baltimore–Washington International Airport, where she performed at the baggage claim area of the terminal.[15]

In 2019, Wasner joined Bon Iver as a guitarist.[16] The tour was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic but eventually resumed. She continues to perform with the band.[17]

Wasner produced Madeline Kenney's 2023 sophomore album A New Reality Mind.[18]

Discography

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Wasner performing as Flock of Dimes at BWI Airport in February 2016

Dungeonesse

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Flock of Dimes

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Studio albums

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Singles

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Title Year Peak chart positions Album
US
AAA
[19]
"Curtain" b/w "Apparition" 2012 — Non-album singles
"Prison Bride" —
"(This is Why) I Can't Wear White" / "15" —
"Semaphore" 2016 — If You See Me, Say Yes
"Everything is Happening Today" —
"Don't Dream It's Over" / "Everything is Free"
(featuring Sylvan Esso) 		— Non-album single
"Two" 2021 39 Head of Roses
"—" denotes single that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Wye Oak

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Studio albums

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Singles and EPs

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  • Destroyer / Wye Oak split 7-inch single with Destroyer (2008, Merge Records)
  • My Neighbor / My Creator 12-inch/CD EP (2010, Merge Records)
  • "Strangers" 7-inch single (2011, Merge Records)
  • "Spiral" digital single (2011, Adult Swim)
  • "Trigger Finger" 7-inch single (2015, Joyful Noise Recordings)
  • No Horizon EP (2020, Merge Records)

References

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  1. ^ Lee Gardner (April 13, 2011). "Mighty". Archived from the original on 2014-04-30. Retrieved 2014-04-29.
  2. ^ a b Brandon Weigel (April 23, 2014). "Springtime For Wye Oak". Archived from the original on 2014-04-30. Retrieved 2014-04-30.
  3. ^ "Wye Oak Interview (w/ Andy Stack, Jenn Wasner)". Auralstates.com. Archived from the original on 30 April 2014. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  4. ^ a b "Meet Jenn Wasner - Founding Member of Wye Oak". Laist.com. Archived from the original on 10 June 2016. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  5. ^ Snapes, Laura (2021-04-06). "Flock of Dimes' Jenn Wasner: 'I became incredibly adept at outrunning myself'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
  6. ^ "Jenn Wasner, Wye Oak". March 25, 2011. Archived from the original on 2014-01-02. Retrieved 2014-04-29.
  7. ^ "ORANJE PREVIEW : Jenn Wasner of Wye Oak". Myoldkentuckyblog.com. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  8. ^ "Wye Oak's Jenn Wasner Announces Debut Dungeonesse Album, Shares New Track". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  9. ^ Zoladz, Lindsay (2021-03-30). "How Flock of Dimes Found Herself (With a Little Help From Her Friends)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
  10. ^ Robles, Jonathan (2023-06-23). "Wye Oak's new project 'Every Day Like the Last' is something special". Variance Magazine. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
  11. ^ "Flock of Dimes: If You See Me, Say Yes". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
  12. ^ "Flock of Dimes: Head of Roses". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
  13. ^ Vaughn, Ashley (2016-07-06). "Reverend Guitars Tell Us About the Making of the Jenn Wasner Signature Guitar". She Shreds Media. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
  14. ^ Sweeney, Alisha. "Jenn Wasner's New EP Finds Peace Amidst Personal Hardships". Colorado Public Radio. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
  15. ^ "Jenn Wasner, other Baltimore musicians to perform at BWI Airport". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  16. ^ "Wye Oak's Jenn Wasner: "If something kind of scares us and feels a little bit out of our comfort zone, we want to do it more."". Stereogum. 2020-07-15. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
  17. ^ "Being in Bon Iver feels 'like winning the lottery'". Double J. 2023-03-08. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
  18. ^ "Jenn Wasner and Madeline Kenney on the Challenges of Staying Inspired". Talkhouse. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
  19. ^ "Flock of Dimes Triple A Airplay Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
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