The Kickdrums is singer-songwriter and record producer Alexander Fitts, originally from
Cleveland, Ohio. It was formerly a production duo also including DJ Matt Penttila.[1]
Career
Indie rock singer-songwriter Alex Fitts started off as a Cleveland-based record producer, working with local hip-hop acts but took off when his music caught the ears of big-name rappers, looking for production that blended hip-hop and indie rock styles. He and his production partner, Matt Penttila, found work with artists such as
50 Cent,
John Legend, and
Kid Cudi, and did remixing for
Kanye West,
Adele,
Ben Harper, and
Peter Bjorn and John.[2]
At the same time, the duo began working on their own hybrid of indie rock and hip-hop, releasing an EP titled Just a Game in 2009, and continued with an album titled Meet Your Ghost in 2011 with
Last Gang Records.[3]
Penttila left the band after this release and Fitts struck out on his own, turning The Kickdrums into a one-man band and trading in any vestiges of hip-hop for electronic-tinged singer-songwriter-influenced indie rock. After signing with
Hopeless Records, an EP titled Still Logic was released in July 2013, followed by an album titled Thinking Out Loud in October of that year.[4]
Albums including The Kickdrums' production have sold over 7.5 million copies worldwide. Fitts has cited
The Prodigy,
Wu-Tang Clan and
Trent Reznor as influences.
The Kickdrums is singer-songwriter and record producer Alexander Fitts, originally from
Cleveland, Ohio. It was formerly a production duo also including DJ Matt Penttila.[1]
Career
Indie rock singer-songwriter Alex Fitts started off as a Cleveland-based record producer, working with local hip-hop acts but took off when his music caught the ears of big-name rappers, looking for production that blended hip-hop and indie rock styles. He and his production partner, Matt Penttila, found work with artists such as
50 Cent,
John Legend, and
Kid Cudi, and did remixing for
Kanye West,
Adele,
Ben Harper, and
Peter Bjorn and John.[2]
At the same time, the duo began working on their own hybrid of indie rock and hip-hop, releasing an EP titled Just a Game in 2009, and continued with an album titled Meet Your Ghost in 2011 with
Last Gang Records.[3]
Penttila left the band after this release and Fitts struck out on his own, turning The Kickdrums into a one-man band and trading in any vestiges of hip-hop for electronic-tinged singer-songwriter-influenced indie rock. After signing with
Hopeless Records, an EP titled Still Logic was released in July 2013, followed by an album titled Thinking Out Loud in October of that year.[4]
Albums including The Kickdrums' production have sold over 7.5 million copies worldwide. Fitts has cited
The Prodigy,
Wu-Tang Clan and
Trent Reznor as influences.