Dirty Projectors is an American indie rock band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2002. The band is the project of singer-songwriter David Longstreth, who has served as the band's sole constant member throughout numerous line-up changes. The band's current line-up consists of Longstreth, alongside Mike Daniel Johnson (drums), Maia Friedman (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Felicia Douglass (vocals, percussion, keyboards) and Olga Bell (vocals, keyboards).
Since its formation, Dirty Projectors has released eight full-length studio albums, with the project featuring major contributions from co-lead vocalist and guitarist Amber Coffman from 2006 to 2013. Following the release of Rise Above (2007), an album of Black Flag songs as re-imagined from memory, Dirty Projectors released their break-through album, Bitte Orca in 2009. Featuring lead vocals from Longstreth, Coffman, and Angel Deradoorian, the album received widespread critical acclaim and increased the band's exposure significantly. Its follow-up, Swing Lo Magellan (2012) was released to further acclaim.
Following the departure of Coffman in 2013, Longstreth focused Dirty Projectors into a mostly studio-based project, releasing the albums, Dirty Projectors and Lamp Lit Prose, in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Dirty Projectors became a full band once again in 2018 with the addition of co-lead vocalists Felicia Douglass, Maia Friedman and Kristin Slipp to tour in support of Lamp Lit Prose. Inspired by the chemistry and dynamic of the band's current line-up, the group recorded and released five EPs across 2020.
In 2024, former member Olga Bell returned to the band's line-up ahead of performances of an orchestral song cycle, named Song of the Earth.
Members:
David Longstreth - lead vocals, guitar, various instruments (2002-present)
Mike Daniel Johnson - drums (2012-2013; 2017-present)
Maia Friedman - guitar, keyboards, lead and backing vocals (2018-present)
Felicia Douglass - percussion, keyboards, lead and backing vocals (2018-present)
Olga Bell - keyboards, lead and backing vocals (2011-2013; 2017; 2024-present)
Former members:
Adam Forkner - drums (2002-2005)
Jake Longstreth - backing vocals (2002; 2016)
Yasemin Schatz - flute (2004)
Rostam Batmanglij - flute, keyboards, percussion, backing vocals (2004-2005)
Larkin Grimm - backing vocals (2004-2005)
Jona Bechtolt - keyboards, drums (2004-2005)
Ezra Koenig - saxophone, guitar, electric piano, backing vocals (2004-2005; 2016)
Anneli Chambliss - backing vocals (2005)
Emily Cheeger - backing vocals (2005)
Alex Farrill - keyboards, drums, backing vocals (2005)
Spencer Kingman - guitar, backing vocals (2005-2006)
Charlie Looker - guitar, backing vocals (2005-2006)
Will Glass - drums (2005-2006)
Nat Baldwin - bass, keyboards (2005-2006; 2007-2013; 2016; 2017; 2018-2019)
Susanna Waiche - backing vocals (2006)
Brian McOmber - drums (2006-2012)
Amber Coffman - co-lead and backing vocals, guitar (2006-2013)
Sharon Nakhimovsky - violin (2007)
Jessica Pavone - viola (2007)
Angel Deradoorian - co-lead and backing vocals, guitar, keyboards, bass (2007-2012; 2013)
Jordan Dykstra - viola (2008-2009)
Haley Louise Dekle - percussion, backing vocals (2008-2013)
Jenn Wasner - guitar, backing vocals (2012)
Clarice Jensen - viola (2012; 2017)
Nadia Sirota - viola (2012; 2017)
Steve Marion - guitar, backing vocals (2013)
Tyondai Braxton - keyboards (2017)
Mauro Refosco - percussion (2017)
Francisco Javier Paredes - percussion (2017)
Teresa Eggers - backing vocals (2017)
Kristin Slipp - keyboards, lead and backing vocals (2018-2024)
From: Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Genre(s):
Indie rock,
art pop,
indie pop,
progressive,
chamber pop
Active From: 2002-present