Pomplamoose | ||||||||||
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Background information | ||||||||||
Origin | Corte Madera, California | |||||||||
Genres | ||||||||||
Years active | 2008–present | |||||||||
Members | ||||||||||
Website |
pomplamoose | |||||||||
YouTube information | ||||||||||
Channels | ||||||||||
Years active | 2008-present | |||||||||
Genre | Music | |||||||||
Subscribers | 1.66 million | |||||||||
Total views | 496 million | |||||||||
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Last updated: September 11, 2023 |
Pomplamoose ( /ˈpɒmpləˌmuːs/ [3]) is an American musical duo composed of husband-and-wife multi-instrumentalist Jack Conte and singer-songwriter and bassist Nataly Dawn. Formed in 2008, [4] the duo sold about 100,000 songs online in 2009. [5]
They are known for their viral YouTube videos and covers of popular songs [6] [7] As of November 2022, they had more than 1.53 million subscribers and over 430 million views on their YouTube channel. [8] Their first song, "Hail Mary", was featured on YouTube's front page. [9]
Their videos mostly take the form of "VideoSongs", a medium Conte defines with two rules: [10]
The name of the band derives from a misspelling of the French word pamplemousse (pronounced [pɑ̃pləmus]), meaning grapefruit. [11]
On April 11, 2010, the band was interviewed on NPR's All Things Considered. [5] Conte discussed the "glitz-free" manner in which they record:
I guess I kinda don't like how there's such a pedestal for music culture and especially for band culture, it just feels fake; it feels like smoke and mirrors. I feel like music doesn't have to be like that. It can be something that's very normal and very accessible.
Also in April 2010, their cover of The Chordettes' " Mr. Sandman" was used in a commercial for Toyota's Avalon series, set in an Art Deco train station. [5] [12]
In September 2010, Pomplamoose recorded "Jungle Animal" with Allee Willis, who contacted the duo after hearing their cover of " September" by Earth, Wind & Fire and offered to write a new song for them. Willis also provided the art for the song's release as a single. [13]
During the Christmas season of 2010, Pomplamoose performed in several ads in the style of their YouTube videos for Hyundai, singing their versions of Christmas classics such as " O Come, All Ye Faithful", " Jingle Bells", " Up on the Housetop", and " Deck the Halls". [14]
In 2011, Pomplamoose began a webcast named Hey, It's Pomplamoose: A Show about Pomplamoose and Other Things. [11] On November 5, 2013, Pomplamoose launched the second season of the webcast: a three-part sequel to the band's early years, including but not limited to, videos, a tour, and an album (released on July 29, 2014).[ citation needed]
Conte and Dawn married in late 2016. [11]
On May 18, 2021, Dawn announced her diagnosis with basal-cell carcinoma and that due to her condition, Pomplamoose would be releasing fewer videos per month. [15]
In November 2010, Pomplamoose created a book drive for a charter school in Richmond, California, offering a free download of an album to anyone who purchased a book for the school district. The drive paid for over 11,000 books. [16] [17]
The duo did a rare live performance on November 8, 2013, performing at "Lens", Mateo Messina's 16th annual benefit concert at Seattle's Benaroya Hall for Seattle Children's Hospital. [18]
Year | Nominated work | Award | Category | Result |
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2020 | Pomplamoose | Shorty Awards | YouTube Musician | Won |