Dresden & Bareilles

Dresden & Bareilles are an alternative/rock duo made up of Irish-American multi-instrumentalist and singer/songwriter Gabriel Dresden, and French-Australian guitarist and singer/songwriter Jean-Luc Bareilles. The band rose to prominence in September of 2009 with the release of their debut single "The Reject", and their debut album "Havoc & The Haven" which was a #1 hit. During their time in the industry Dresden & Bareilles have become one of the greatest rock bands in URAPS history, with several top 5 hits, and two #1 singles, plus both of their studio albums to-date have been chart-toppers. Furthermore, the duo are adept businessmen, opening their record label Blacklight Records in early 2011 and gaining power in the industry to become a major label and one of the most successful of recent times.

Band Members
Gabriel Cormac Dresden - currently 32 years old, born on April 17th, 1981 to Irish parents. Gabriel was born in Dublin, Ireland, but his family moved to America when Gabriel was three years old. The Dresden family settled in Boston, USA where Gabriel was raised. It is because he grew up in America that he did not develop an Irish accent; his speech patterns hadn't yet set in when his family moved, so he was able to pick up a Boston accent instead. Gabriel learned classical violin as a child, and his experiences with the instrument led him to pick up the guitar and the bass guitar. He is self-taught on both instruments, and he is also self-taught on drums. Gabriel has also learned how to play a tin whistle. Gabriel was working on a solo album prior to auditioning for URAPS Idol, and was having no luck with his solo career after failing to make the show. Some of the material from this solo album was scrapped but some was re-used for Dresden & Bareilles when it was formed.

Gabriel has been married for nine years to wife Emily Dresden; the couple are the parents of three young children - daughter Anastacia Idina Dresden, born November 23rd, 2009; and sons Connor Nicholas Dresden, born November 8th, 2010, and Oscar William Dresden, born May 27th, 2012. Gabriel is currently living and working at Blacklight HQ in Boston to remain close to his family.

Jean-Luc Auguste Bareilles - currently 27 years old, born on September 12th, 1986 to French parents. Jean-Luc's family came from Versailles, France, where Jean-Luc's older brother Antoine Bertram Bareilles was born. Jean-Luc himself was conceived while his family was still living in France, but while his mother was pregnant, Jean-Luc's family moved to Australia, and Jean-Luc was born and raused in Melbourne. Despite his French heritage, Jean-Luc is not good at the French language, despite it being spoken at home between his parents and his brother. Jean-Luc was unpopular in high school and was the victim of bullying; he channelled his aggression into singing and guitar-playing, developing an exceptionally strong tenor voice and considerable guitar skill. He met Gabriel while travelling in the UK, and the band was formed upon their union.

Jean-Luc married his wife Anneliese Carrera in 2011 in a bizarre twist; the bisexual chauvinist met Anneliese on the set of their music video for "Maiden, Mother & Crone" in 2010, when Anneliese was hired to play one of the title characters in the video. Oddly, the two were a good-enough match, as Anneliese had been described in the media as a nymphomaniac. It was revealed in late 2011 that not only had Jean-Luc gotten married, but he and his wife were expecting their first child. Their son Damien was born on August 13th, 2012. In 2014 it was announced that Jean-Luc had filed for divorce.

Formation
Gabriel Dresden spent most of his time between his birthplace in Dublin, Ireland and his home in Boston, USA working on a self-produced solo album and sending demos out to record labels trying to secure himself a deal. All of his attempts ended in failure until he took a chance and auditioned for the 10th season of URAPS Idol. His first round audition was successful in getting him to the top 27 hopefuls; it was in the first heat held at the end of May that he auditioned with "Forgiven, Not Forgotten" by The Corrs. He did not make it through to the top 12, but was awarded a second chance in the Wildcard round held in mid-June. In this round, Gabriel sang "Straw Into Gold" by Idina Menzel. Once again, he didn't make it through.

Jean-Luc Bareilles was travelling through the UK during this time, and was drawn to Gabriel after seeing his auditions on the show. The two met in a chance encounter at a bar after Gabriel's run on Idol was over. They learned over drinks that they had similar tastes in music, so they later met up to jam together. Liking the result of their collaboration, they formed a duo named after themselves. Together they began writing music together, with Gabriel encouraging the development of Jean-Luc's songwriting abilities. They wrote their debut single together, and as a pair were successful in scoring themselves a one-single trial deal with Saturdays Records in early September.

Music
Dresden & Bareilles signed a one-single trial deal with Saturdays Records in the lead-up to their debut single "The Reject", with the option to upgrade to a full contract should the single prove to be successful. The song featured an organic alternative-rock sound, while retaining a commercial edge; the song resonated enough with the public that it was a top 10 debut, ensuring that the band received their offered full contract with Saturdays. After the success of their single, they completed their debut album "Havoc & The Haven" which was released in conjunction with second single "Someone To Believe In" which became a top 5 hit. The album debuted at #2 but in its second week climbed to #1. The success of the single and album were followed by the album's biggest hit, "Hatrium" which hit #2 in January, 2010. Further singles were released from the album, but did not meet the same level of success as "Hatrium". The band released a soundtrack to their motion picture debut "Fall From Grace", which was greatly successful for a soundtrack, and from the release came the hit single "Out Of My Mind" featuring Danelle Becker, plus the Oscar-winning hit single "A Word You Left Behind" released by Ben Johnston. Gabriel also won an Oscar for his original score to "Fall From Grace".

In mid-2010, Dresden & Bareilles released a collaboration with DJ Double Garage accompanying a re-release of "Havoc & The Haven". The single, "Maiden, Mother & Crone", was a mild success, and was followed up with a third "Fall From Grace" soundtrack single, which was disastrous for the band, barely scraping the top 10. It is widely regarded as the band's worst single ever. In late 2010, after having spent a full album era with Saturdays, Dresden & Bareilles left the label in order to launch their own label, Blacklight Records, upon which all their subsequent material was released through. Working with DJ Double Garage in 2010 had a major influence on the band's sound; the duo collaborated heavily with DJ Double Garage on their sophomore album "150 dB", shifting their sound into more electronic territories with the help of DJ's production talents. "150 dB" debuted at #1 and was led by "Aphrodite Under Fire" which to-date remains the biggest hit of the band's career, and also spawned four more top 5 hits; "Prodigal Daughter" and "Me, Myself, I" both peaked at #4, while "Edward Carnby" and "Intravenous" were consecutive #1 hits. During this era, the band released a live album of their 'Ares' tour, having filmed a show at Wembley Arena in London. The live CD/DVD combo release hit the top 5 and has been certified gold.

Dresden & Bareilles made their return to music in the second half of 2013, with their third studio album "Triplicate" and comeback single "Devil Cherry". Both releases shot to #1 on the UK singles chart, and the album topped the US album chart. "Devil Cherry" eventually hit big on the Hot 100 after the duo won two Grammy awards at the 2014 ceremony. "Redefining Babel" was released as the second single from the album, and also became a major hit in the UK, their second consecutive airplay chart-topper. It has been passed over for US release, with third UK single "Pls Dn't Lv M" being given a global release in April. It will be the second US single from "Triplicate".