{{Short description|American musician (born 1985)}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Ian Axel | image = Ian Axel (cropped).jpg | caption = Ian Axel in 2014 | image_size = 250 | landscape = yes | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1985|03|28}} | birth_place = Fair Lawn, New Jersey, U.S. | instrument = {{hlist|Vocals|piano|ukulele}} | genre = Pop | occupation = {{hlist|Singer|songwriter}} | years_active = 2006–present | label = | associated_acts = A Great Big World | website = {{URL|http://ianaxel.com/}} }}
'''Ian Axel''' (born March 28, 1985) is an American singer and songwriter. After becoming well known with his song "This Is the New Year", he developed a solo career, eventually joining forces with long-time writing partner, Chad King, to form the duo band A Great Big World in 2012.
==Career== thumb|250px|left|Axel performing at Rockwood Music Hall in NYC Axel grew up in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. He graduated from Fair Lawn High School (Class of 2003).<ref>{{cite news|last=McCall|first=Tris|title=Ian Axel's 'New Year' is an impressive debut|url=http://www.nj.com/entertainment/music/index.ssf/2011/05/ian_axels_new_year_is_an_impre.html|accessdate=13 March 2014|newspaper=The Star-Ledger|date=May 20, 2011|author-link=Tris McCall|quote=Axel, who grew up in Bergen County and graduated from Fair Lawn High School, isn’t a showy pianist. He doesn't take lengthy solos or call attention to his considerable technique.... Ian Axel, who grew up in Fair Lawn and Alameda County, makes his Bowery Ballroom debut on Tuesday.}}</ref> He then moved to Manhattan, attending NYU. In 2006, Axel began performing publicly as a solo act. His song "This Is The New Year" became well-known originally when iTunes selected it as a Discovery Download and for its video on YouTube.<ref>{{cite news|last=Morelli|first=Christina|title=Ian Axel: A Contemporary Classic|url=http://www.nycartscene.com/?p=206|access-date=13 March 2014|newspaper=NYC Art Scene|date=January 27, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005004337/http://www.nycartscene.com/?p=206|archive-date=5 October 2013}}</ref> Later it was featured as the theme song for the MTV documentary series ''I Used to Be Fat'', which premiered December 29, 2010.<ref>{{cite news|last=Cifani|first=Nicole|title=It's A "New Year" For Ian Axel And MTV|url=http://music.yahoo.com/blogs/stop-the-presses/its-a-new-year-for-ian-axel-and-mtv.html|accessdate=13 March 2014|newspaper=Yahoo! Music|date=January 21, 2011}}</ref>
Axel's album, named after the title single, was initially released in 2010 as a self-release, then released a second time in partnership with tinyOGRE Entertainment.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tinyogreent.com/index.php/artists/profile/ian-axel|title=南京制鞋营运部|access-date=2011-05-31|archive-date=2011-02-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110211181925/http://www.tinyogreent.com/index.php/artists/profile/ian-axel|url-status=dead}}</ref> The tinyOGRE version was released digitally on February 15, 2011 and on CD on April 12, 2011. Later "This Is The New Year" was used in the opening sequence of Garry Marshall's film New Year's Eve. The partnership with tinyOGRE ended when the company dissolved in December 2011.
In 2010, Axel's long-time writing partner, Chad King, began joining him on stage more frequently and in 2012 they formed the band A Great Big World. They rose to further prominence with worldwide hit "Say Something", particularly after recording it as a duet collaboration with Christina Aguilera. The duet peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Lipshutz|first=Jason|date=2013-11-06|title=A Great Big World Talks 'Say Something' & Answering Christina Aguilera's Call|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/a-great-big-world-talks-say-something-answering-christina-5778275/|access-date=2022-02-16|magazine=Billboard|language=en-US}}</ref>
thumb|Ian Axel and Chad King at Bowery Ballroom May 2011
Axel's primary instrument is the piano. He is also known for playing a number of songs on the ukulele.
==Notable appearances== He made his national television debut on the Rachael Ray show <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/show/segments/view/ian-axel/ |title=Rachael Ray Show - on the Show - Ian Axel |website=www.rachaelrayshow.com |access-date=14 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929005847/http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/show/segments/view/ian-axel/ |archive-date=29 September 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> and NPR said in their Song of the Day feature that he had “a voice that possesses the sweetness of youth, the stubbornness of a teenager and the swagger of a rock star.”<ref>{{cite news|last=Silver|first=Marc|title=Ian Axel: A Man Possessed|url=https://www.npr.org/2011/01/19/132860692/ian-axel-a-man-possessed|accessdate=13 March 2014|newspaper=NPR|date=January 12, 2011}}</ref>
In April 2011, the song "Gone" was featured prominently in Episode 19 of Season 8 of ''One Tree Hill'', titled "Where Not to Look for Freedom.".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cwtv.com/music/one-tree-hill/season-8/episode-819|title=The CW Music | Soundtracks | Featured Artists}}</ref> As part of Tom's Shoes "One Day Without Shoes" campaign to raise awareness for children's poverty, Ian Axel performed two songs live on an advertorial website created in cooperation with La Blogotheque.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.blogotheque.net/Toms-Barefoot-Sessions |title=TOMS Barefoot Sessions - LA BLOGOTHEQUE |website=www.blogotheque.net |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110506151029/http://www.blogotheque.net/Toms-Barefoot-Sessions |archive-date=2011-05-06}}</ref>
In July 2011 Axel opened for Five for Fighting at the Alive at Five Concert Series in Stamford, Connecticut.
In August 2011 Axel and King opened for Matthew Morrison at the Beacon Theatre.
In January 2012 Axel and King were the musical guests at Amanda Stern's Happy Endings Music and Reading Series at Joe's Pub<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.joespub.com/component/option,com_shows/task,view/Itemid,40/id,5939|title = Joe's Pub}}</ref> On November 24, 2013, Axel performed at the American Music Awards with Christina Aguilera.{{citation needed|date=September 2014}}
On January 31, 2013, "This Is The New Year" was the closing song on ''Glee'''s Season 4, Episode 12 titled "Naked".
Ian Axel also performed during the 2013 Victoria's Secret Fashion show.{{citation needed|date=September 2014}}
==Personal life== Axel was born to a Jewish family and had a bar mitzvah but is a secular Jew.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://new.spring.me/#!/user/ianaxel/timeline/responses|title=Ian Axel|publisher=Spring.me}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jewishfederations.org/page.aspx?id=240926|title=The 2012 Annual Campaign|publisher=The Jewish Federations|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140926201733/http://www.jewishfederations.org/page.aspx?id=240926|archive-date=2014-09-26}}</ref>
==Discography== ;Solo releases *2007: ''I'm On to You'' EP *2011: ''This Is the New Year'' LP
;in band A Great Big World *2012: ''A Great Big World'' EP *2014: ''Is There Anybody Out There?'' LP *2015: ''When the Morning Comes'' LP
== References == <!--- See Wikipedia:Footnotes on how to create references using <ref></ref> tags which will then appear here automatically --> {{Reflist|2}}
== External links == {{Commons category}} *[http://ianaxel.com/ Official website] {{A Great Big World}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Axel, Ian}} <!--- Categories ---> Category:1985 births Category:American male singer-songwriters Category:American rock singers Category:American rock songwriters Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Living people Category:Singer-songwriters from New Jersey Category:New York University alumni Category:Fair Lawn High School alumni Category:People from Fair Lawn, New Jersey Category:People from Alameda County, California Category:Singer-songwriters from California Category:21st-century American male singers Category:21st-century American singer-songwriters