Casey Dienel
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Casey Dienel (born March 10, 1985) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She released her debut album, ''Wind-Up Canary'', in 2006 on
Hush Records Hush Records is a Portland, Oregon based record label founded by Chad Crouch. Background Crouch, frontman of the band Blanket Music, organized Hush Records in 1997, when he self-released a solo record called ''Portland, Or''. The following year, C ...
. Dienel has also performed and recorded as White Hinterland, whose first album, titled ''Phylactery Factory'', was released on March 4, 2008, by the
independent record label An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small and medium-sized enterprise, small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels ...
Dead Oceans. Dienel plays piano, keyboards and ukulele.


Early life and education

Casey Dienel spent the bulk of her youth in Scituate, Massachusetts. She took her first piano lessons at age 4, and at age 14 began writing her own pop songs. While attending Scituate High School, Dienel formed a short-lived band named The Bong Loads. After high school, Dienel moved to
Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
to attend the
New England Conservatory of Music The New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) is a Private college, private music school in Boston, Massachusetts. The conservatory is located on Huntington Avenue along Avenue of the Arts (Boston), the Avenue of the Arts near Boston Symphony Ha ...
, having turned down an offer of acceptance from
Sarah Lawrence College Sarah Lawrence College (SLC) is a Private university, private liberal arts college in Yonkers, New York, United States. Founded as a Women's colleges in the United States, women's college in 1926, Sarah Lawrence College has been coeducational ...
. After one semester of studying classical vocals, she opted to switch her major to classical composition. Dienel studied with many notable musicians at the conservatory, including jazz vocalist Dominique Eade and composer Lee Hyla. While living in Boston during her conservatory years, Dienel met Dylan Metrano of the band Tiger Saw, and was an occasional member of the band's rotating lineup. After two years at the conservatory, Dienel took an indefinite leave of absence to pursue her own music career.


Early solo work


''Wind-Up Canary''

During the winter of 2005, Dienel was offered the chance to record for free at an abandoned caretaker's house on a farm in
Leominster Leominster ( ) is a market town in Herefordshire, England; it is located at the confluence of the River Lugg and its tributary the River Kenwater. The town is north of Hereford and south of Ludlow in Shropshire. With a population of almos ...
, Massachusetts. With some conservatory friends and a piano borrowed from the lobby of a local hotel, she recorded a number of her own songs without any intention of releasing them. Without Dienel's knowledge, a copy of these recordings made its way to Chad Crouch, the head of
Hush Records Hush Records is a Portland, Oregon based record label founded by Chad Crouch. Background Crouch, frontman of the band Blanket Music, organized Hush Records in 1997, when he self-released a solo record called ''Portland, Or''. The following year, C ...
, who contacted her about releasing an album. Dienel agreed and
Hush Hush may refer to: Film and television Film * ''Hush'' (1921 film), starring Clara Kimball Young * ''Hush'' (1998 film), starring Gwyneth Paltrow * ''Hush!'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film directed by Ryosuke Hashiguchi *''Hush!'', a 2002 film dir ...
released the recordings as ''Wind-Up Canary'' in March 2006 to widely favorable reviews.


''Vessels''

On November 29, 2006, Casey Dienel announced that she was working with producer Djim Reynolds on recording an EP titled ''Vessels'', and that she hoped to release it in early 2007. Dienel had this to say about the project: To date, ''Vessels'' remains unreleased—however, there are live recordings and lyrics for the song available on the Internet.


White Hinterland


''Phylactery Factory''

On January 4, 2008, after a few months hinting at "change," Dienel announced in her blog that "for the present and foreseeable future, there won’t be any more Casey Dienel." Her blog post coincided with Dead Oceans' announcement of the forthcoming release of White Hinterland's album '' Phylactery Factory'':


''Luniculaire''

In 2009, White Hinterland released an EP called ''Luniculaire''.


''Kairos''

On March 9, 2010, White Hinterland released its second full-length album, ''Kairos'', via Dead Oceans.
Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...
rated the album 7.5 on its 10-point scale, with reviewer Patrick Sisson writing that Dienel "swoons on 'Cataract' and 'Magnolias', two of the gorgeous tracks in which her sweet tone and confident phrasing, along with unfurled guitar melodies, recall ''
Bitte Orca ''Bitte Orca'' is the fifth studio album by the American rock band Dirty Projectors, released on June 9, 2009, by Domino Recording Company. The word "bitte" is a German word for "please", and "orca" is another name for a killer whale. Frontman ...
''," the acclaimed 2009 album from the
Dirty Projectors Dirty Projectors is an American indie rock band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2002. The band is the project of singer-songwriter David Longstreth, who has served as the band's sole constant member throughout numerous line-up changes. The b ...
. Reviewing "Icarus", the first single off of ''Kairos'', Brandon Stusoy noted the songs "hushed experimental threads" and said compared to previous work, ''Icarus'' "pushes things deeper and then recasts it in a denser electro realm." White Hinterland released videos for ''Kairos'' songs "Amsterdam," "Begin Again," and "No Logic". In 2010, White Hinterland toured the US and Europe with the album. A song from this album, "Icarus", was selected by Revlon to be used in their 2010 commercial for Just Bitten Lip Stain, starring Jessica Biel and directed by Kathryn Bigelow. Later the same year, "Icarus" was featured in an episode of the ABC Family drama "
Pretty Little Liars ''Pretty Little Liars'' is an American Mystery fiction, mystery teen drama television series created by I. Marlene King, which aired on Freeform (TV channel), Freeform from June 8, 2010 to June 27, 2017, based on the novel series Pretty Little L ...
," as well the fashion show of the winner of the '' Project Runway (season 8)'' finale, Gretchen Jones. The song was also used in the 2010 film It's Kind of a Funny Story.


''Baby''

White Hinterland released its third studio album ''Baby'' on April 1, 2014, through Dead Oceans. Dienel made the ten-song album in a home studio she developed in the basement of her childhood home in Scituate.


Controversy

In May 2016, it was reported that
Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Regarded as a pop icon, he is recognized for his multi-genre musical performances. He was discovered by record executive Scooter Braun in 2008 and subsequently brought to the U ...
and
Skrillex Sonny John Moore (born January 15, 1988), known professionally as Skrillex, is an American DJ, record producer, musician, singer. Raised in Northeast Los Angeles and Northern California, he began his career in 2004 as the lead vocalist of the ...
were being sued for
copyright infringement Copyright infringement (at times referred to as piracy) is the use of Copyright#Scope, works protected by copyright without permission for a usage where such permission is required, thereby infringing certain exclusive rights granted to the c ...
by White Hinterland, who claims the duo used Dienel's vocal loop from her 2014 song "Ring the Bell" without permission in the song " Sorry". Eight seconds of the "Ring the Bell" riff is allegedly used six times in "Sorry." Co-writers are also included in the suit. Producer
Skrillex Sonny John Moore (born January 15, 1988), known professionally as Skrillex, is an American DJ, record producer, musician, singer. Raised in Northeast Los Angeles and Northern California, he began his career in 2004 as the lead vocalist of the ...
responded to the claim by uploading a video of himself manipulating the vocals of co-writer
Julia Michaels Julia Carin Michaels (''Birth name, née'' Cavazos; born November 13, 1993) is an American singer and songwriter. She has received six Grammy Award nominations, including twice for Grammy Award for Song of the Year, Song of the Year and Grammy A ...
. The lawsuit was later dropped.


Further solo work


''Imitation of a Woman To Love''

On May 18, 2017, Dienel released another album under her own name, entitled ''Imitation of a Woman To Love''; Dienel served as the album's writer, singer, producer and engineer''.'' She released two singles from the album: "High Times" (released April 12, 2017; Dienel played every and "Thrasher" (April 28, 2017). Writing for ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'',
Maura Johnston Maura K. Johnston (born May 28, 1975) is a writer, editor and music critic. A member of Boston College's journalism faculty, she has written for ''Rolling Stone'', ''The Boston Globe'', ''Pitchfork'', ''The Awl'', ''The New York Times'', ''Spin' ...
called the album a "sprawling, stunning collection".


Personal life

From 2008 Dienel lived in
Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...
until she moved back to Scituate to make ''Baby''. She now lives in Brooklyn.


Discography


As Casey Dienel

* ''Wind Up Canary'' (2006, Hush Records) * ''Imitation of a Woman to Love'' (2017, Paddle Your Own Canoe Society)


As White Hinterland

*'' Phylactery Factory'' (2008,
Dead Oceans Dead Oceans, Inc., is an American independent record label founded in 2006 and based in Bloomington, Indiana. History On June 30, 2006, Phil Waldorf founded Dead Oceans with Chris Swanson. Swanson suggested the name Dead Oceans, which came fro ...
) *''Luniculaire'' EP (2008, Dead Oceans) *''Kairos'' (2010, Dead Oceans) *''
Baby In common terminology, a baby is the very young offspring of adult human beings, while infant (from the Latin word ''infans'', meaning 'baby' or 'child') is a formal or specialised synonym. The terms may also be used to refer to Juvenile (orga ...
'' (2014, Dead Oceans)


References


External links


Musings: Casey Dienel's blog
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dienel, Casey 1985 births Living people American women singer-songwriters Musicians from Boston 21st-century American singer-songwriters 21st-century American women singers Dead Oceans artists Singer-songwriters from Massachusetts