| Chad Fischer | |
| Instrument: | Vocals, guitar, bass, drums, keyboard |
| Genre: | Alternative rock, indie rock |
| Occupation: | Musician, producer, songwriter |
| Years Active: | 1991–present |
| Label: | Fish of Death, Almo Sounds, Lookout Sound, Hollywood Records |
| Current Member Of: | Lazlo Bane |
| Past Member Of: | School of Fish, A Don Piper Situation |
| Associated Acts: | School of Fish, A Don Piper Situation, Lazlo Bane, The (Silent) Rage, Colin Hay, The Blanks, Cary Brothers, Larry Goldings, Alexi Murdoch, Joshua Radin, Lisa Loeb, Teddy Geiger, The Good Luck Joes |
Chad Fischer is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer from Santa Monica, California, also known as the frontman of the band Lazlo Bane.
See also: School of Fish. Chad Fischer's early work was being a drummer for the band School of Fish founded by his college friend Josh Clayton-Felt. Fischer replaced the original drummer M.P. in 1991, however he did not play on the band's second album due to fallout with a producer and was replaced by Josh Freese.[1] Nevertheless, Fischer still stayed with the band to perform live.[2] The only official commercial School of Fish release that included his drumming was the single "Take Me Anywhere", which included two live tracks as b-sides.[3]
After School of Fish disbanded in 1994 Chad Fischer went on to build his own recording studio and started to write new material.[1] He signed to Almo Sounds label and formed the band Lazlo Bane, whose debut album, 11 Transistor was released in January 1997.[4]
During the early years Chad Fischer met Colin Hay with whom he became a close friend. Fisher played drums on Hay's 1994 album Topanga, while Hay contributed guitar and vocals to Lazlo Bane's cover of "Overkill" from their debut album. Since then Chad Fischer took part in recording most of Colin Hay's albums, with Fischer's role varying from session musician and songwriter to mixing engineer and co-producer.
Fischer was briefly a member of Don Piper's band A Don Piper Situation playing drums on the self-titled 1997 EP and producing and engineering the track "Ray Falls Down".[5]
See also: Lazlo Bane. After Almo Sounds was bought by Universal Music Group[4] Lazlo Bane continued their career as an independent band.[1] Chad Fischer continued to produce Lazlo Bane albums with them being recorded in his own studio and released through the self-established label both named Lookout Sound.[6]
The band's second album All the Time in the World was released in 2002. It included the song "Superman", which became the Lazlo Bane's most recognizable song as it became a theme song for the popular American TV series Scrubs.[1] Chad Fischer along with Lazlo Bane members Tim Bright and Chris Link as songwriters of "Superman" and Scrubs' composer Jan Stevens won BMI TV Music Award of 2003[7] and 2004.[8]
Over the next decade Lazlo Bane released two more studio albums and one EP, all of them independently. Another album by the band, Big Spill, was released in 2013 and was credited to The Rage, Lazlo Bane's alter ego project.
In October 2019 Chad Fischer released his first non film and TV series related album of music titled National Parks which was dedicated to the American national parks and monuments.[9]
In April 2020 Chad Fischer started releasing videos of music covers[10] on a regular basis. The videos sometimes featured guest appearances by various musicians including long time Fischer's collaborators Larry Goldings,[11] Colin Hay,[12] and School of Fish band members [13] among others. As of October 2021 Fischer released a total of eight videos. Seven songs from these recordings were included on Lazlo Bane album Someday We'll Be Together, which was released on 30 October 2021.[14]
In early 2022 Chad Fischer participated in The Great Song Podcast[15] and Dig Me Out podcast[16] discussing his early musical career with School of Fish, Lazlo Bane, breakthrough of "Superman" as Scrubs theme song and recent video releases and Lazlo Bane reunion.
In July 2022 Fischer released a new video, the cover of The Jayhawks "Blue".[17]
In May 2023 Fishcer took part in Abandoned Albums podcast.[18]
In the beginning of 2000s Chad Fischer started providing music and songs for various films and TV shows.
His first full-length film for which he provided the scores was Garden State, released in 2004. Both the film and its soundtrack proved to be critically and commercially acclaimed. Garden State also featured Fischer's original song called "Motorcycle Ride with Sam." It hasn't been officially released, but it is available to listen in the DVD menu of the film and on his Myspace page.[19]
2005's Little Manhattan featured new songs, both by Fischer and Lazlo Bane, that were written especially for the film. It also featured a cover of The Beatles' song "In My Life" produced by Fischer and performed by Matt Scannell. No soundtrack album was ever released, although one of Fischer's songs, "Map of My Heart", is available to listen on his Myspace page.[19] However, promotional compilation of Chad Fischer's music from Garden State and Little Manhattan also featuring his production work was released circa 2005.[20]
For the 2008 film The Rocker Chad Fischer wrote the score[21] and a number of original songs which were performed by fictional bands A.D.D. and Vesuvius. The actual music was mostly performed by Chad Fischer himself with the vocals provided by Teddy Geiger (for A.D.D.) and Keith England (for Vesuvius). A soundtrack album that featured all the original material was also released in 2008.
In the 2009 film , Chad sings a version of Gilbert O'Sullivan's "Alone Again (Naturally)".
Other films for which Fischer wrote the score are 10 Years, Loosies, The Babysitters, Black Cloud and Chasing Mavericks.[22]
In 2018, Fischer returned to film scores with Eat, Brains, Love directed by Rodman Flender.[23]
Wildflower, a new film with score by Chad Fischer, premiered in 2022.[24]
Aside from film scores Chad Fischer wrote and performed a number of songs for the films he worked on, however none of them were released on any soundtrack albums or elsewhere.[25]
Chad Fischer's early work on TV scores include shows My Guide to Becoming a Rock Star and The Class.
In 2007 Chad Fischer and Lazlo Bane guitarist Tim Bright started scoring American medical drama series Private Practice.[26] During its run Fischer and Bright won BMI TV Music Award four times: in 2008,[27] [28] 2009,[29] 2010[30] and 2012.[31] The show concluded after six seasons in 2013.
After Private Practice Chad Fischer started providing music for another ABC's show, Scandal.[32] [33] For his work he won the BMI TV Music Award six times from 2013 to 2018.[34] [35] [36] [37] [38] [39] [40]
In early 2018 the show's score album was released, consisting entirely of Chad Fischer's music.[41] [42] [43] Scandal itself has also ended in 2018.
In 2016 Fischer started scoring yet another ABC's TV series The Catch.[44] The show ended in 2017.
After ABC shows Chad Fischer scored the first season of the YouTube Premium original anthology 2019 series Weird City.[45]
Chad Fischer started production work from the first Lazlo Bane album 11 Transistor and produced every subsequent album of the band.
After the death of Fischer's longtime friend and School of Fish bandmate Josh Clayton-Felt, he co-executive produced the release of Center of Six, the second Clayton-Felt's posthumous album. It included several tribute songs produced by Chad Fischer and recorded by Josh's friends.
Fischer's production career progressed as he produced the first recordings and helped develop the sound of Cary Brothers, Alexi Murdoch and Joshua Radin.[46] All of them later became successful musical acts.
The highly acclaimed Garden State soundtrack, released in 2004, subsequently winning a Grammy Award in 2005[47] and receiving platinum certification,[48] [49] featured two songs produced by Chad Fischer: "Blue Eyes" performed by Cary Brothers and "Winding Road" performed by actress Bonnie Somerville.
Other musicians and bands Fischer did production for feature Everlast, Lisa Loeb, Colin Hay and The Good Luck Joes among others.
| Year | Song | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | "Oye Como Va" | My Super Ex-Girlfriend Original Motion Picture Soundtrack |
| 2008 | "The Rocker Score Suite" | |
| 2009 | "Alone Again" | Original Motion Picture Soundtrack |
| 2012 | "10 Years Score Suite" | 10 Years Original Motion Picture Soundtrack |
| "Chasing Mavericks Score Suite" | Chasing Mavericks: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | |
| Year | Song | Film | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | "Bright Shiny Theme Song" | Bubble Boy | Written by Kevin Hunter & Chad Fischer. Performed by Chad Fischer, Kevin Hunter and Rachel Robinson |
| 2002 | "See the Day" | The First $20 Million Is Always the Hardest | |
| 2004 | "Motorcycle Ride with Sam" | Garden State | Instrumental |
| 2005 | "Miserable Life" | Little Manhattan | Written and performed by Chad Fischer and Lyle Workman |
| "Map of My Heart" | Available to listen at Chad Fischer's Myspace page | ||
| 2007 | "Come On" | Firehouse Dog | |
| "Bye Bye Bye" | The Babysitters | Written and performed by Sia and Chad Fischer | |
| 2010 | "Frank & Beans" | Furry Vengeance | |
| 2012 | "O'Hare Air Jingle" | The Lorax | |
| Year | Director | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Tomorrow Never Comes" | 2008 | Brooke Sasick | N/A |
| "Yosemite" | 2019 | National Parks | |
| "Yellowstone" | |||
| "Craters of the Moon" | |||
| "Shenandoah" | |||
| "Gates of the Arctic" | 2020 | ||
| "A Life of Illusion" | Chad Fischer[50] | Someday We'll Be together | |
| "Nature's Way" | |||
| "Dear God" | |||
| "3 Strange Days" | |||
| "You've Got a Friend" | |||
| "I'll Do Everything" | |||
| "Big Shot" | |||
| "Our House" | 2021 | ||
| "Blue" | 2022 | N/A |
| Year | Artist | |
|---|---|---|
| "Send Somebody"[51] | 2011 | Colin Hay |
| "Love Is Eveywhere"[52] | 2022 | |
| Year | Album details | |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 11 Transistor
| |
| 2002 | All the Time in the World
| |
| 2006 | Back Sides
| |
| 2007 | Guitly Pleasures
| |
| 2013 | Big Spill (The Rage)
| |
| 2021 | Someday We'll Be Together (Lazlo Bane & Friends)
|
| Year | Album details | |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Short Style
| |
| 2012 | Guilty Pleasures the 80's Volume 1
|
| Year | Subject | Collaborator | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Topanga | Colin Hay | drums, tambourine[53] |
| 1995 | Sins of Our Fathers | Andy Prieboy | drums, percussion, vocals |
| 1996 | Xtended Play | Star 69 | song "Girl from Mars" recorded and mixed by Chad Fischer (also b-side to "I'm Insane" single)"[54] |
| 1997 | Eating February | song "Rotten Punch" recorded and mixed by Chad Fischer, also credited as additional musicican[55] | |
| 1998 | Transcendental Highway | Colin Hay | Drums, Percussion, Guitar, Backing Vocals[56] |
| 1999 | Another True Fiction | Jeremy Toback | co-writer of the song "You Make Me Feel" |
| 2000 | The Notorious One Man Orgy | Josh Freese | recorded and mixed by Chad Fischer[57] |
| 2001 | Complicated '00 | Andras Jones | Chad Fischer co-written, produced, played drums and guitar on "Mystery Behind", drums on "Complicated O" |
| Going Somewhere | Colin Hay | mastering, co-writer of the song "Lifeline" | |
| Ali Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | Everlast | Chad Fischer co-produced the song "The Greatest" with Everlast and Keefus Ciancia | |
| The Dog Days of Summer | GIVE | mixing[58] | |
| King Of Yesterday | Jude | co-writer of "Everything's Alright (I Think It's Time)", guitars on "King Of Yesterday", backing vocals on "The Not So Pretty Princess", co-producer on "Oh Boy"[59] | |
| 2002 | Spirit Touches Ground | Josh Clayton-Felt | Chad Fischer plays drums and does mixing |
| Company of Strangers | Colin Hay | co-writer of the songs "No Win Situation", "How Long Will It Last", "Lifeline", piano, drums, percussion, background vocals, engineer, mixing | |
| Hello Lisa | Lisa Loeb | co-writer of the song "Take Me Back" | |
| Four Songs | Alexi Murdoch | Bass, Drums, Percussion, Keyboards, Со-Producer | |
| 2003 | Man @ Work | Colin Hay | Chad Fischer provides percussion, drums, recorder, background vocals, loops and drum programming, and also acts as engineer and does mixing |
| "Don't Bring Me Down" | Sia | co-writer of the b-side "Broken Biscuit"; later included on the 2006 US reissue of the album Colour the Small One | |
| 2004 | Modern Drummer Presents Drum Nation Volume One | Josh Freese | recorded and mixed the song "Lagerborg"[60] |
| Garden State: Music from the Motion Picture | Bonnie Somerville | Fischer produced the song "Winding Road" | |
| Riding the Wave | The Blanks | The cover of Lazlo Bane's "Superman" is produced by Fischer | |
| Fast Too Slow | Samsara | drums, rhodes and additional recording on the cover of Lazlo Bane's "Trampoline" | |
| 2005 | Sky High: Original Soundtrack | Cary Brothers | producer of the cover of Spandau Ballet's "True" |
| 2006 | We Were Here | Joshua Radin | piano |
| 2007 | Best Days | Matt White | bass, drums, guitar, keyboards, percussion, engineer, co-writer of the song "Just What I'm Looking For" |
| Are You Lookin' at Me? | Colin Hay | drums on "This Time I Got You" and "Me and My Imaginary Friend", percussion on "This Time I Got You", co-producer on "This Time I Got You" and "I Wish I Was Still Drinking", engineer, mixing | |
| Better for the Metaphor | Cantinero | drums | |
| Hopeful Romantic | Renee Stahl | drums | |
| The Ten Film Soundtrack | Peter Salett | Fischer produced the song "The End of the End of the Ten" | |
| Long Story Short | Larry Goldings | percussion on "Northeast Direct" and "Foot", producer, recording, mixing, cover art[61] | |
| Here Right Now | Graham Colton | co-writer of the song "Forget About You" | |
| 2008 | Wilderness | Mad Buffalo | drums on the "Rainy Day" |
| 2009 | American Sunshine | Colin Hay | bongos on "Prison Time", backing vocals on "The End of Wilhelmina" |
| 2011 | Gathering Mercury | Colin Hay | drums, percussion, piano, backing vocals, bass guitar, xylophone, bells, mellotron, mixing, additional engineering |
| 2012 | 10 Years Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | Oscar Isaac | producer of the song "You Ain't Going Nowhere" (film credit also stated Chad Fischer as a performer along with Kate Mara) |
| 2015 | Next Year People | Colin Hay | drums, tambourine, bass, piano; co-producer of the song "Are We There Yet", engineer on the songs "Are We There Yet" and "Lived in Vain" |
| Left Brained, Right Hearted | Michelle Citrin | shakers, tambourines and conga[62] | |
| 2017 | "Satisfaction" | GIVE | mixing, dates to 2001[63] |
| Salma Har | Tom Rossi | recording and mixing[64] | |
| "You and Me" | GIVE | recording, mixing, dates to 2002[65] | |
| 2019 | "Holding It Down" | recording, mixing, dates to 2002[66] | |
| December Wildfire | Ian Bowers | mixing[67] | |
| 2020 | "Feeling Good" | GIVE | mixing, dates to early 2000's[68] |
| "Standing in the Rain" | recording, mixing, dates to 2002[69] | ||
| 2021 | I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself | Colin Hay | guitar, bass, piano, drums, percussion, harmonica, banjo, harmoniuum, mellotron, vocals, mixing, engineer, orchestration |
| 2022 | Now and the Evermore | backing vocals and mixing on "The Sea Of Always" and "Starfish And Unicorn", mixing on "Love Is Everywhere" | |