* En anglais uniquement
Sebastian Blanck began juggling dual careers in painting and music as an undergraduate at the Rhode Island School of Design. In 1997, he joined two other RISD students to form
Black Dice, a noisy electronica group that toured around New England before moving to Brooklyn the following year.
Blanck stayed behind to finish his art degree, yielding his spot in the band to bassist Aaron Warren. Now free to focus his attention on art, he headed to Italy after graduation to serve as a visiting artist at the American Academy in Rome. He showcased his work at several New York galleries after returning to America, but music remained an active interest as well, and
Blanck began writing songs that were more folk-influenced than
Black Dice’s experimental noise. Things picked up in 2007, when his brother’s death left
Blanck emotionally charged and determined to release a solo album. Working with vocalists like
Chairlift’s Caroline Polachek and
Lavender Diamond’s
Becky Stark -- and taking influence from
Neil Young,
Gram Parsons, and other songwriters from the 1970s -- he recorded an album loosely based on his brother’s final months. Titled
Alibi Coast, the record was finished in early 2010 and released later that year. ~ Andrew Leahey