American musician, record producer, and actor Alex Greenwald is most known for being the lead vocalist of the rock group “Phantom Planet.” Alex grew up in Los Angeles and has always had a passion for music. Along with three of his pals, he formed the band “Phantom Planet” when he was still a teenager. The band put out four studio albums, but their hit song “California,” which served as the theme for the television show “The O.C.,” is what made them most famous. The majority of the band’s albums saw little economic or critical success. In 2008, “Phantom Planet” took an indefinite hiatus. However, Alex worked on a number of different projects with a number of other musicians. He formed a new band in 2009 called “JJAMZ,” which is now called “Phases.” With “Phases,” Alex has put out two albums: “For Life” and “Suicide Pact.” In addition, he occasionally plays acting roles. His most well-known performance came in the Jake Gyllenhaal in “Donnie Darko,” where Alex played a bully. Actress Brie Larson has been his fiancée for a considerable amount of time. His national notoriety has also been aided by this.
Early Life & Childhood
On October 9, 1979, in Los Angeles, California, Alex Greenwald was born into a Jewish family. His mother, an abstract painter, gave him the gift of creativity. She was a part-time guitar teacher as well. When Alex was younger, she taught him how to play the instrument. Alex’s mother made him a harpsichord out of a kit after realizing he had shown a deep interest in music. Alex attributes his interest in music entirely to his mother. As Alex entered his teenage years, he began searching for opportunities to launch a music career.
He had a close friendship with his classmate Jason Schwartzman. After switching schools, they lost touch. That being said, they reconnected when Alex was fourteen years old. Jason informed Alex that they needed a lead singer for their band, “Phantom Planet,” after recalling that Alex could sing. Alex soon became a member of the band. They began playing at informal gatherings and jamming.
Alex Greenwald’s Career
The band “Phantom Planet” was founded in 1994, and they quickly began playing live. It started out with four members. The Phantom Planet, a 1961 B-movie, served as the inspiration for the band’s moniker. In 1994, the band played its debut gig in Hollywood. There weren’t many people there for the performance. “Phantom Planet” kept playing music throughout Hollywood and the surrounding areas. In 1997, they received a call from a “Geffen Records” executive who saw their potential and enthusiasm and extended an offer of a record deal.
Phantom Planet Is Missing, the band’s debut album, was released the following year. Their reviews were mediocre. The band was reportedly influenced by musicians like “Weezer” and “The Beach Boys.” Their debut album was a huge commercial and critical flop, failing to make an impression on listeners. Still, the band members kept playing live at various locations. Their popularity increased marginally as a result of this. Universal Music purchased Geffen Records at the beginning of the new millennium. Epic Records and “Phantom Planet” soon came to an agreement.
The group’s second album, “The Guest,” which featured an indie vibe, was released in 2002.
After taking a few lessons from their disastrous debut, the band members created music that appealed to young people. The record became a critical and commercial hit, and the band members toured in support of it for the next eighteen months. “California,” a hit off the album, became a youth anthem. It gained so much popularity that the writers of “The O.C.” decided to use it as the show’s theme tune. In 2003, the album was reissued with a few bonus tracks. By then, “California” was a huge hit song, and the album’s sales increased thanks to the re-release.
The group’s third album, “Phantom Planet,” which was published in 2004, marked a significant change from the music on their earlier albums. The “garage rock” sounds on the third album were considerably more forceful. The album was a minor success and had mixed reviews from critics. Following the expiration of their Epic Records contract, the band signed with Fueled by Ramen, another label. 2008 saw the release of the band’s fourth album, “Raise the Dead,” which was met with varying reviews. After not experiencing any real success, the band members concluded they had to take a break.
Additionally, Alex has begun performing on her own. He and DJ Mark Ronson worked together on a cover of the song “Just,” which was originally recorded by the band “Radiohead,” in 2006. For a while, Alex and Mark kept up their partnership, and at their 2007 “Glastonbury Festival” performance, Alex scaled a lighting rig to sing “Just” and “California.” In 2010, Mark and Alex collaborated once more on the album “Record Collection.” There were eleven tracks on the album, and six of them were co-written by Alex. Additionally, Alex played in Mark’s band, “The Business Intl.”
Up until 2007, Alex was also a member of the band “Blackblack.” When he’s on stage, he’s known for being incredibly animated and entertaining his fans with dancing moves from the 1980s. After “Phantom Planet” took a break in 2009, Alex began a full-time job with the band “JJAMZ.” The Hollywood club hosted the formation of the indie pop group. The initial letters of each member’s name made up its name. Suicide Pact, the band’s debut album, was released in July 2012. Even though the album did not have much popularity, one of its tracks, “Heartbeat,” shot to fame, particularly in the Philippines, where it topped numerous local charts. A couple of tracks from the album were also included in TV shows including Pretty Little Liars and Awkward.
After one of the founding members left the band, it renamed themselves “Phases.” The band experienced a significant breakthrough in 2015 when “Warner Bros. Records” extended a contract offer to them. The group released “For Life,” their second album, in the same year. In addition, Alex dabbled in acting, appearing in a few small roles in movies like “A Pig’s Tale,” “Bad News Bears,” and “Donnie Darko.” He also made an appearance in a “Gap” commercial in 1999.
Personal & Family Life
Since he was a teenager, Alex Greenwald has followed a vegetarian diet. Additionally, he starred in two “PETA” advertisements. He once claimed to have become a vegetarian as a result of challenging his high school sweetheart to give up meat if she gave up smoking. By the time his girlfriend resumed smoking, Alex was a devout vegetarian.
In 2013, Alex started dating the actress Brie Larson. The couple declared their engagement in 2016.
Estimated Net Worth
Alex Greenwald is a $5 million net-worth American singer, actor, and record producer. The rock group Phantom Planet is well-recognized for having Alex Greenwald as its lead vocalist. The albums Phantom Planet Is Missing (1998), The Guest (2002), Phantom Planet (2004), and Raise the Dead (2008) were released by Phantom Planet, which was founded in 1994.