Ezra Koenig
Ezra Michael Koenig (/ˌkeɪnɪɡ/ KAY-nig; born April 8, 1984)[1][2][3] is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and radio personality. He is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of indie rock band Vampire Weekend. Additionally, Koenig is the creator of the Netflix animated comedy series Neo Yokio and also hosts the Apple Music radio talk show Time Crisis with Ezra Koenig. Time Crisis is airing its ninth season, as of 2023.
Ezra Koenig
- Singer-songwriter
- record producer
- television producer
- screenwriter
- radio personality
Rashida Jones (2015–present)
1
- Vocals
- guitar
- piano
- percussion
- saxophone
2006–present
Koenig's accolades include two Grammy Awards from five nominations; with Vampire Weekend, he won Best Alternative Music Album in 2013 and 2019. He was also nominated for Album of the Year in 2016 for his production work on Beyoncé's album, Lemonade (2016).[4]
Early life[edit]
Koenig was born in New York City and is the son of Bobby Bass, a psychotherapist, and Robin Koenig, a set dresser on film and TV productions.[5] He is Jewish, and his family emigrated to the U.S. from Romania and Hungary.[6][7][8][9] His parents lived on the Upper West Side of Manhattan before moving to Glen Ridge, New Jersey shortly after their son's birth. As a young teenager, Ezra attended Buck's Rock Camp, a Montessori-style, performing and creative arts camp in Connecticut.[10] He graduated from Glen Ridge High School. Koenig has a younger sister, Emma Koenig (born 1988), who is the author of the books FUCK! I'm in my twenties[11] and Moan, and has written for television and magazines. Ezra began writing music around the age of ten, and his first song ever was titled "Bad Birthday Party".[12]
While attending Columbia University, he ran a blog called Internet Vibes about fashion, existentialism, personal identity, and modern culture.[13][14] After graduating, he taught English through Teach for America at Junior High School 258 in Brooklyn, New York. Students recalled Koenig bringing his guitar with him to class, despite trying to hide it and his music career. He was described as a "laid-back" teacher who successfully made bonds with his students.[15] In fall 2007, a deal with XL Recordings cut short Koenig's teaching career.
During his schooling and college years, he was involved in numerous musical projects with Wes Miles,[16] a childhood friend and now current frontman of Ra Ra Riot. Koenig and Miles formed an experimental band, The Sophisticuffs, which was described as "wildly inventive musical work".[17] In 2004, Koenig formed the rap band, L'Homme Run, notable for the comedic track, "Pizza Party",[18] with Andrew Kalaidjian and fellow Vampire Weekend band member Chris Tomson, played saxophone for the indie rock band Dirty Projectors and worked as an intern for The Walkmen.[19]
Other projects and appearances[edit]
In 2009, Koenig provided vocals on the song "Carby" on LP, the debut album from Discovery, a group which features Vampire Weekend keyboardist Rostam Batmanglij and Ra Ra Riot vocalist Wes Miles. In the same year, he appeared on "Warm Heart of Africa" by the Very Best, "Pyromiltia" by Theophilus London, "I Could Be Wrong" by Chromeo and "Dynamo" by Abd al Malik.
In 2012, Koenig performed "I Think Ur a Contra" with Angelique Kidjo in her PBS special. He appeared and provided vocals in the music video for Duck Sauce's "Barbra Streisand". His recording of the song "Papa Hobo", by Paul Simon, was included as part of the soundtrack for Max Winkler's film Ceremony.
In 2013, Koenig was featured in the song "Jessica" by Major Lazer.
In 2014, Koenig was featured on "Ezra's Interlude" by Chromeo, as well as "New Dorp, New York" by SBTRKT. He also appeared in the HBO drama series Girls[35] and Haim's music video for "My Song 5" featuring A$AP Ferg,[36] and performed the voice of Ryland on the animated series Major Lazer. At the 86th Academy Awards, Koenig accompanied Karen O on backing vocals and acoustic guitar for her performance of the Oscar-nominated song "The Moon Song" from the film Her.
In 2016, Koenig was credited as a writer and producer on the song "Hold Up" by Beyoncé.[37] Due to these contributions, Koenig was nominated for a Grammy Award for the album Lemonade. In January and April 2016, Koenig vocally supported political candidate Bernie Sanders by performing at a number of his rallies.[38]
In 2017, Koenig made an appearance in Charli XCX's music video for "Boys".
In 2018, Koenig was credited as a songwriter and producer on the single "I Promise You" by James Corden, from the film Peter Rabbit, which also prominently featured Vampire Weekend's songs. His demo of the song was also released.[39]
In February 2020, Vampire Weekend performed at a rally for U.S Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders.[40][41]
In 2022, Koenig was credited as a co-writer and producer of Liam Gallagher's song "Moscow Rules" from his album C'mon You Know. He also plays multiple instruments across the album.
Also in 2022, Koenig was featured as a vocalist for Phoenix's song "Tonight", which is the third single from the band's seventh album, Alpha Zulu.
Influences[edit]
Since the age of 9, Koenig has been an admirer of music. In a 2014 interview with Vulture, he stated, "My dad is a massive music fan, so even just growing up in the house, he was buying new cool music, up through when I was born. So I was very familiar with the Ramones, Run DMC, Blondie—core New York music. My parents would often play the Ramones song, "We’re a Happy Family", so I remember when I was 9 or 10, learning the lyrics and trying to understand." By the time he got to high school, Koenig's taste had slightly changed: "I had some older friends who were really obsessed with hip-hop, De La Soul, Tribe Called Quest. There’s something about Midnight Marauders; it feels like a late night in the city album."[42]
Koenig is also a self-professed fan of bands such as the Grateful Dead and Sublime, who he believes largely influenced his musical taste.[34]
Personal life[edit]
In August 2018, Koenig's girlfriend, actress Rashida Jones, gave birth to their son.[43] In a 2024 interview published in The Guardian, Koenig referred to Jones as his wife.[44]
