{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}} {{Infobox musical artist <!-- Individual --> | name = Jonathan Bree | image = Jonathan Bree.jpg | caption = Jonathan Bree still from the filming of the music video for "You're So Cool" | alt = | image_size = | landscape = yes | background = solo_singer | birth_name = Jonathan Owen Bree | alias = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1979|09|01}} | death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (death date then birth) --> | origin = New Zealand | instruments = Vocals, guitar, keyboards, drums<ref name="artists"/> | genre = New wave, indie pop, chamber pop, baroque pop | occupations = Record producer, musician, singer-songwriter | years_active = 1990s–present | label = Lil' Chief Records | associated_acts = The Tokey Tones<br />The Brunettes<br />Princess Chelsea<br />Edmund Cake<br />The Ruby Suns | website = [http://www.lilchiefrecords.com/ Lil' Chief Records] }}
'''Jonathan Owen Bree''' (born 1979) is a New Zealand singer-songwriter and producer, best known for his work as a solo artist, as well as co-founding the indie pop group The Brunettes, in 1998 and Lil' Chief Records, in 2002. He frequently collaborates with label-mates as a musician, engineer, and record producer.
== Early life == Jonathan Bree was born in New Zealand.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/jonathan-bree-sleepwalking-brunettes-so-cool-20181212-p50lqz.html|title=Why 'master of misery' Jonathan Bree is smiling behind the mask|website=Amp.smh.com.au|accessdate=19 September 2020}}</ref> Mark Lyons, frontman of indie pop band The Nudie Suits, was both Bree's cousin and a mentor in Bree's formative years.<ref name="about"/> When Bree was ten, Lyons introduced him to Modern Lovers, with Bree becoming a long-term fan.<ref name="interview"/> At 12 years old, Bree first played live (and recorded) as the drummer in Lyons' band, The Plaster Saints.<ref name="audioculture"/>
==Music career== The Brunettes were formed in Auckland in 1998 by Bree and Heather Mansfield. According to Bree, "My cousin had recorded her band Yoko and I thought she had a great natural voice, no silly effected delivery. I was looking for a girl to sing on some duets I had written so I tracked down her number."<ref name="interview"/> The band independently released its first recording ''Mars Loves Venus EP'' in 1998.<ref name="nowwe"/>
In 2002, Bree founded Lil' Chief Records<ref name="nowwe"/> with fellow indie pop musician Scott Mannion of The Tokey Tones. The two men had met that year in Marbecks Record Store in Auckland, where Bree was working at the time.<ref name="amplicfier"/> The Brunettes' album ''Holding Hands, Feeding Ducks'' released in 2002<ref name="feeding"/> was the debut release for the label.<ref name="amplicfier"/> The album received a glowing review from AllMusic,<ref name="feeding"/> as did the label's second release, The Brunettes' 2003 ''The Boyracer EP''. Bree produced both albums.<ref name="boyrace"/> The next two albums on the label were released simultaneously in 2003 by The Tokey Tones, and Bree guested on some of the tracks.<ref name="cat"/>
Bree went on to release several more albums on Lil' Chief with The Brunettes. Their second album ''Mars Loves Venus'' was released in June 2004<ref name="nzmusican"/> followed by 2005's EP ''When Ice Met Cream''. In 2004, Ryan McPhun started playing in band, who opened for The Shins 2005 tour of North America. They have also opened for Rilo Kiley, The Postal Service, Broken Social Scene, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah,<ref name="lumiere"/> and Beirut and played at the 2006 Big Day Out festivals in New Zealand and Australia.
The Brunettes' album ''Structure & Cosmetics'' was released in July 2007 in New Zealand and August in the US, on Sub Pop. Their UK profile was lifted after their track "BABY" was featured in a UK campaign in December 2007, and the release of their music video.<ref name="uk"/> In 2008, The Brunettes covered The Cure's "Lovesong" for American Laundromat Records tribute compilation ''Just Like Heaven – a tribute to The Cure''.<ref name="discogsalr"/>
In 2009, The Brunettes released the ''Red Rollerskates EP'' on Lil' Chief, shortly followed by ''Paper Dolls''. In 2010, their song "Red Rollerskates" was included in soundtrack of the 2K Sports video game ''NBA 2K11''. "Brunettes Against Bubblegum Youth" was featured on an extended advertisement for ''Hollyoaks'' in the UK.
His first work post-Brunettes was as a co-producer on the Princess Chelsea album, ''Lil' Golden Book''. He also supplied vocals for the song, "The Cigarette Duet" and directed the accompanying music video, which subsequently went viral – reaching nearly 40 million views in the years that followed.
Bree's first work as a solo artist came in 2013 with the release of ''The Primrose Path'', which was nominated for the 2014 Taite Music Prize.<ref name="muzic-2014-taite">{{cite web |title=The Taite Music Prize: Announcing The Finalists |url=https://www.muzic.nz/news/the-taite-music-prize-announcing-the-finalists/ |website=Muzic.NZ |access-date=1 April 2026 |date=19 February 2014}}</ref> His next album, ''A Little Night Music'', followed in 2015. Yet his big breakthrough came in the lead-up to his third album, when the song "{{vanchor|You're So Cool}}" became a sensation on YouTube, drawing viewers with its odd depiction of a 1960s-style band whose faces were covered in spandex masks.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.parachutemusic.com/blog-main/jonathan-bree-youre-so-cool|title=Jonathan Bree: 'You're So Cool'|work=Parachute Music {{!}} Shift Pop Culture.|access-date=23 November 2017|language=en-US|archive-date=1 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201035001/http://www.parachutemusic.com/blog-main/jonathan-bree-youre-so-cool|url-status=dead}}</ref> It soon surpassed 1 million views and is currently at 40M views as of March 2026.<ref>{{Cite video|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxRq23qVE8A|title=Jonathan Bree – You're So Cool|access-date=1 March 2026}}</ref>
2018 album ''Sleepwalking'' earned Bree his second place in the Taite Music Prize finals.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/music/111091498/finalists-for-2019-taite-music-prize-announced | title=Finalists for 2019 Taite Music Prize announced |publisher=Stuff | date=7 March 2019 }}</ref>
== Discography ==
=== Brunettes albums === *1998: ''Mars Loves Venus EP'' *2002: ''Holding Hands, Feeding Ducks'' *2003: ''The Boyracer e.p.'' *2004: ''Mars Loves Venus'' *2005: ''When Ice Met Cream'' E.P. *2007: ''Structure & Cosmetics'' *2009: ''Paper Dolls'' *2009: ''The Red Rollerskates E.P.'' *2011: ''Mars Loves Venus (vinyl)''
=== Compilations === * 2009: "Lovesong" by The Cure on ''Just Like Heaven – a tribute to The Cure'' * 2016: "Last Night's Love" by The Reduction Agents on ''Waiting For Your Love'' – a tribute to The Reduction Agents
=== Solo releases === * 2013: ''The Primrose Path'' * 2015: ''A Little Night Music'' * 2018: ''Sleepwalking'' * 2020: ''After the Curtains Close''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://jonathanbree.bandcamp.com/album/after-the-curtains-close|title=After the Curtains Close|author=Jonathan Bree|publisher=Bandcamp}}</ref> * 2023: ''Pre-Code Hollywood''
=== Collaborations === * 2011: co-producer on ''Lil Golden Book'' by Princess Chelsea * 2015: co-producer on ''Great Cybernetic Depression'' by Princess Chelsea * 2024: co-singer on ''You And Me'' with Princess Chelsea for ''Plankton: The Movie'' soundtrack
==See also== *Lil' Chief Records *The Brunettes *Princess Chelsea *Zentai Mask
== References == {{Reflist|refs =
<ref name="discogsalr">{{cite news | title = American Laundromat Records | url = http://www.discogs.com/label/American%20Laundromat%20Records | publisher = Discogs | date = | accessdate = 16 March 2013 }}</ref>
<ref name="audioculture">{{cite news | title = Audioculture article on The Brunettes | url = https://www.audioculture.co.nz/people/the-brunettes | publisher = Audioculture | date = | accessdate = 23 November 2017 }}</ref>
<ref name="nzmusican">{{cite news |title=Feature: The Brunettes – Coming Clean About Cosmetics |first=Lydia |last=Jenkin |url=http://www.nzmusician.co.nz/index.php/ps_pagename/article/pi_articleid/1185 |newspaper=NZ Musician |date=August 2007 |accessdate=13 April 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130218195936/http://www.nzmusician.co.nz/index.php/ps_pagename/article/pi_articleid/1185 |archivedate=18 February 2013 }}</ref>
<ref name="lumiere">{{cite news |title = Jonathan Bree on the Brunettes |url = http://lumiere.net.nz/reader/item/1236 |newspaper = Lumiere |date = 8 August 2007 |accessdate = 13 April 2013 |url-status = dead |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20150122000433/http://www.lumiere.net.nz/reader/item/1236 |archivedate = 22 January 2015 }}</ref>
<ref name="artists">{{cite news | title = Artists | url = http://www.lilchiefrecords.com/artists/ | publisher = Lil' Chief Records | date = | accessdate = 12 March 2013 }}</ref>
<ref name="about">{{cite news | title = About | url = http://www.lilchiefrecords.com/about/ | publisher = Lil' Chief Records | date = | accessdate = 17 March 2013 }}</ref>
<ref name="boyrace">{{cite news | title = Boyracer EP | first = Tim | last = Sendra | url = http://www.allmusic.com/album/boyracer-ep-mw0001004981 | publisher = AllMusic | year = 2003 | accessdate = 17 March 2013 }}</ref>
<ref name="feeding">{{cite news | title = Holding Hands, Feeding Ducks | first = Stewart | last = Maso | url = http://www.allmusic.com/album/holding-hands-feeding-ducks-mw0000333983 | newspaper = AllMusic | publisher = | date = | accessdate = 17 March 2013 }}</ref>
<ref name="nowwe">{{cite news |title = Various Artists: Now We Are Three!!!, 11 Gems from New Zealand's Lil Chief Records |first = Lisa |last = Town |url = http://www.leftoffthedial.com/LilChief_Comp.htm |newspaper = Left off the Dial |date = 12 September 2005 |accessdate = 17 March 2013 |url-status = dead |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20060201053836/http://leftoffthedial.com/LilChief_Comp.htm |archivedate = 1 February 2006 }}</ref>
<ref name="interview">{{cite news | title = Interview: Jonathan Bree of the Brunettes | url = http://neotomic.tumblr.com/post/4331768090/interview-jonathan-bree-of-the-brunettes | publisher = Neotonic Records | date = | accessdate = 17 March 2013 }}</ref>
<ref name="cat">{{cite news | title = The Tokey Tones: Caterpillar and Butterfly | first = Russell | last = Baillie | url = http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/6/story.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=3520729 | newspaper = The New Zealand Herald | date = 30 August 2003 | accessdate = 17 March 2013 }}</ref>
<ref name="uk">{{cite news | title = UK Sunday Mega Paper praise NZ Music Label Lil Chief | url = http://www.muzic.net.nz/news/1290/uk-sunday-mega-paper-praise-nz-music-label-lil-chief | publisher = Muzic.net | date = 20 May 2008 | accessdate = 17 March 2013 }}</ref>
<ref name="amplicfier">{{cite news |title = Lil' Chief Records |url = http://www.amplifier.co.nz/label/14859/lil-chief-records.html |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081021045217/http://www.amplifier.co.nz/label/14859/lil-chief-records.html |url-status = dead |archive-date = 21 October 2008 |newspaper = Amplifier NZ |accessdate = 17 March 2013 }}</ref> <!-- Individual <ref name="">{{cite news | title = | first = | last = | url = | newspaper = | publisher = | date = | accessdate = 8 April 2013 }}</ref> --> }}
==External links== *[http://www.lilchiefrecords.com/ Lil' Chief Records] *[http://www.theredalert.com/features/brunettes.php A conversation with Jonathan Bree] by Adam McKibbin (February 2010) *[https://web.archive.org/web/20130218195936/http://www.nzmusician.co.nz/index.php/ps_pagename/article/pi_articleid/1185 Feature: The Brunettes – Coming Clean About Cosmetics] by ''NZ Musician'' (August 2007)
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bree, Jonathan}} Category:Living people Category:New Zealand musicians Category:Lil' Chief Records artists Category:1977 births