About Beirut
Hometown
Brooklyn, NY, United States
Formed
2006
Genre
Alternative
Beirut’s Zach Condon started making lo-fi synthesizer recordings as a teenager, inspired by The Magnetic Fields, The Smiths, and Neutral Milk Hotel.
∙ After dropping out of his New Mexico high school to travel around Europe, Condon became fascinated with Balkan brass music.
∙ He enlisted former Neutral Milk Hotel accordion player/percussionist Jeremy Barnes as his chief collaborator for Beirut’s debut album, 2006’s Gulag Orkestar.
∙ Condon says that he named the band after Lebanon’s capital city because “it’s seen a lot of conflict” and “it’s a place where things collide.”
∙ The band’s second album, The Flying Club Cup, draws upon Condon’s interest in French music and culture and was partly recorded at Arcade Fire’s Quebec studio.
∙ In addition to singing, Condon plays trumpet, ukulele, keyboards, accordion, synthesizers, flugelhorn, and French horn.
∙ He recorded 2019’s Gallipoli in Italy—having written the title song there—as well as in New York City, and his adopted home of Berlin.
Musical InfluencesBeirut's musical influences include Kočani Orkestar, DeVotchKa, Fanfare Ciocărlia and more.
Influenced by BeirutBeirut has influenced the music of Jósean Log, Moontalk, David William and more.
Similar to: Beirut
Discover more music and artists similar to Beirut, like Andrew Bird, Sufjan Stevens, Grizzly Bear
