John Linnell
John Sidney Linnell (/lɪˈnɛl/ lih-NEL; born June 12, 1959) is an American musician and one half of the Brooklyn-based alternative rock band They Might Be Giants with John Flansburgh, which was formed in 1982.[2] In addition to singing and songwriting, he plays accordion, baritone and bass saxophone, clarinet, and keyboards for the group.
For other people named John Linnell, see John Linnell (disambiguation).
John Linnell
John Sidney Linnell
June 12, 1959[1]
New York City, New York, U.S.
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Musician, singer-songwriter
Vocals, accordion, keyboards, saxophone, clarinet, bass, guitar, autoharp, banjo, stylophone, marxophone
1979–present
Bar/None Records, Elektra Records, Restless Records, Idlewild Records
Linnell's lyrics include strange subject matter and word play. Persistent themes include aging, delusional behavior, bad relationships, death, and the personification of inanimate objects. Conversely to some of these dark themes, the accompanying melodies are usually cascading and upbeat.[3][4]
Early life[edit]
John Linnell was born in New York City, to father Zenos Linnell, (1925-2011), a psychiatrist,[5] and mother Kathleen (née Glenn; 1936–2008).[6][3] When Linnell was a child, Walt Kelly's Songs of the Pogo album made a strong impression on his musical sensibilities. The album contained lyrics that relied heavily on puns and word play, which Linnell appreciated. In particular, he recalls "Lines Upon a Tranquil Brow", which later became part of They Might Be Giants's live repertoire.[7][8] At an early age, Linnell and his family relocated to Lincoln, Massachusetts, where he attended Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School. Here, he worked on the school newspaper, the Promethean, and met John Flansburgh. The two occasionally collaborated on home-recording projects.[3]
Linnell studied English for a semester at the University of Massachusetts Amherst before dropping out to pursue a career in music.[9]
Musical career[edit]
Early work[edit]
In high school, Linnell played with a band called The Baggs.[7] Prior to finding success in the alternative rock scene, Linnell was also involved with The Mundanes, a Rhode Island-based new wave band. Linnell played keyboards and saxophone for the group.[10] Because of his unsatisfactory minor role in the band, and under the pressure of The Mundanes' unsuccessful search for a record deal, Linnell began leisurely recording music with John Flansburgh.[9][11] His family did not support the transition from what they considered to be a more professional band to an experimental one.[3]
Personal life[edit]
John Linnell is married to Karen Brown and has one son, Henry,[3] who appeared as a performer on They Might Be Giants' children's albums Here Come the ABCs and Here Come the 123s,[18][19] as well as his father's solo album Roman Songs.[20]