Dean Wareham (born 1 August 1963)[1] is an American musician and actor who formed the

band Galaxie 500 in 1987. He left Galaxie 500 in April 1991 and founded the band Luna. Since
Luna's breakup in 2005, Wareham has released albums with fellow Luna bandmate (and
wife) Britta Phillips (see Dean and Britta). They also work as film composers, notably on
the Noah Baumbach films The Squid and the Whale and Mistress America. He released a self-
titled album in 2014 and reformed Luna in 2015.[2]

Contents

 1Early life
 2Galaxie 500
 3Luna
 4Dean and Britta
 5Solo work
 6Book
 7References
 8External links

Early life[edit]
Born in Wellington, New Zealand, Wareham is the son of John Wareham, a management
consultant and author.[2][3] His family moved to Sydney, Australia, before settling in New York
City in 1977.[4] Wareham attended the Dalton School in New York and Harvard University,
graduating with a B.A. in social studies. He has three siblings, including Louise Wareham, a
novelist.

Galaxie 500[edit]
Main article: Galaxie 500
Guitarist Wareham, drummer Damon Krukowski and bassist Naomi Yang began playing
together as Galaxie 500 in 1987, after their time as students at Harvard University. The band's
name comes from a Ford car of the 1960s, the Ford Galaxie 500. Galaxie 500's records were
released in the US and UK on the independent Rough Trade label and went out of print upon
Rough Trade's demise. Galaxie 500's entire catalog, along with a box set including singles, EPs
and rarities was reissued during the 1990s by Rykodisc.
Galaxie 500 leveraged fairly minimal instrumental technique with intense atmospherics provided
by producer Mark Kramer, and their distinctive sound bore an influence beyond the small
audience for their independently released albums. The sound and the increasingly loyal audience
grew with each release until Wareham quit the band in 1991. To mark twenty years since the
release of the Galaxie 500 albums, Wareham embarked on his Dean Wareham Plays Galaxie 500
tour. Notably absent were Krukowski and Yang.[5]

Luna[edit]
Main article: Luna (1990s American band)
Luna was a dream pop/indie pop band Wareham formed in 1991 after the breakup of Galaxie
500, with Stanley Demeski and Justin Harwood (Demeski also in The Feelies and Harwood
formerly of New Zealand band The Chills).[6]
The original lineup was expanded with the addition of guitarist Sean Eden for their second
album, 1994's Bewitched.[6] Lee Wall replaced Demeski on drums in time for 1997's Pup
Tent, and Britta Phillips of Belltower (also known as the singing voice of animated
character Jem) joined when bassist Justin Harwood departed in 2000. Phillips and Wareham
eventually became romantically involved and married. They now release records under the
moniker "Dean & Britta".
In 1992, Wareham signed a demo deal with Elektra Records' A&R VP Terry Tolkin and
recorded a number of tracks with Mercury Rev drummer Jimmy Chambers. Some of these
recordings were later released on the "Anesthesia" single on Tolkin's No.6 Records in the US and
Mint Tea in the UK under the name Dean Wareham.
Tolkin then signed Wareham to Elektra, who started pulling together a band. He first
contacted Justin Harwood, whom Dean had met while Justin was playing with The Chills and
they recruited drummer Byron Guthrie. The trio recorded some more demos (produced by Dave
Fridmann) and played a couple of live dates augmented by Mercury Rev
guitarist Grasshopper (Sean Mackowiak). Guthrie was then replaced by former Feelies drummer
Stanley Demeski and this lineup recorded the first album Lunapark, produced by Fred Maher
and released by Elektra under the name Luna2[6] to avoid confusion with a new-age musician who
was already using the name Luna (later an agreement was reached which allowed the band to use
the name Luna).
In the summer of 1993 the band was the supporting act for the reformed Velvet Underground on
their European tour after which they set about recording their second album. Bewitched was
recorded in New York City and co-produced by the band with Victor Van-Vugt.[6] Velvet
Underground guitarist Sterling Morrison played guitar on two tracks. The album was released in
1994.[6]
Luna’s third album, Penthouse (1995),[6] was named one of the essential of the 1990s by Rolling
Stone magazine. Penthouse was co-produced by Mario Salvati and Pat McCarthy in New York,
and features guests Tom Verlaine (Television) and Laetitia Sadier (Stereolab). While remaining
on Elektra Records in the U.S., the band were signed to Beggar's Banquet for the rest of the
world.[6]
In 1997, Lee Wall replaced Stanley Demeski on drums, and the band recorded Pup Tent, their
fourth album for Elektra,[6] produced by Pat McCarthy. In 1998, Luna recorded their fifth
album,  The Days of Our Nights, produced by Paul Kimble (Grant Lee Buffalo). The album was
released in the U.S. on Jericho Records and on Beggar's Banquet internationally.
In December 1999, Harwood retired to New Zealand, and was replaced on bass by Britta
Phillips. The band released Luna Live!  in 2000 on the Arena Rock label, and then signed to
Jetset Records, for whom they recorded two more studio albums, Romantica (2002), co-
produced by Gene Holder (DB’s) and Dave Fridmann (Mercury Rev), and Rendezvous (2004),
produced by Bryce Goggin. The band announced plans to break up in 2004, and played a final
concert at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City on 28 February 2005. However, in 2015 the
band returned, toured the world and released new material in 2017 - the LP A Sentimental
Education and the EP A Place of Greater Safety.

Dean and Britta[edit]

Main article: Dean and Britta
Dean & Britta is a musical duo consisting of Wareham and Britta Phillips, former Luna bassist.
After Luna broke up in 2005, the pair spent the following year working on film scores, including
one for Noah Baumbach's movie The Squid and the Whale, and promoting the documentary film
of Luna's farewell tour Tell Me Do You Miss Me. They were married during the recording of
their album Back Numbers, produced by Tony Visconti, and simplified their name to "Dean &
Britta". Back Numbers was released on Rounder Records in February 2007, followed by a
limited edition EP, "Words You Used To Say".

Solo work[edit]
Wareham released the EP, Emancipated Hearts, under his own name in late 2013,[7] which was
followed by the self-titled album Dean Wareham in March 2014. October 2018 saw the release
of Dean Wareham Vs. Cheval Sombre - a collection of western-themed songs featuring Wareham
and singer-songwriter Cheval Sombre.[8]

Book[edit]
Wareham has written a memoir about his years in indie rock. The book recounts his experiences
in music and otherwise, from high school in New York City in the 1970s through his years in
Galaxie 500 and Luna and his divorce. Titled Black Postcards, it was published by Penguin
Press in March, 2008.

References[edit]
1. ^ Strong, Martin C. (1999). The Great Alternative & Indie Discography. Canongate. ISBN 0-86241-
913-1.
2. ^ Jump up to:a b Pickering, Jim (11 September 2015). "Luna landing". www.festival.co.nz. Retrieved 2
January 2016.
3. ^ "Books - John Wareham". www.johnwareham.com. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
4. ^ Isaac, Peter (4 April 2015). "New York Philanthropist John Wareham Returns to New Zealand". EIN
Presswire. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
5. ^ Demamiel, Liam. "Interview: Dean Wareham of Galaxie 500". onethirtybpm.com. One Thirty BPM.
6. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g h Colin Larkin, ed. (2000). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Nineties Music (First
ed.). Virgin Books. pp. 240/1. ISBN 0-7535-0427-8.
7. ^ "Dean Wareham Shares New Single". Pitchfork Media. 27 August 2013. Retrieved 19
September 2013.
8. ^ "Dean Wareham vs. Cheval Sombre - Cheval Sombre, Dean Wareham | Songs, Reviews,
Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 January 2020.

External links[edit]
 Dean Wareham Official Website
 Luna Official Website
 Dean Wareham on avclub.com
 Interview with Dean Wareham on Crikey.com.au
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