Jack Conte

Conte began his career as a video game voice actor, contributing the voice for all teen male sims in the 2004 bestseller The Sims 2.^[3]

In 2007, Conte created his YouTube channel to upload music videos inspired by the Dogme 95 movement.^[4] He gained widespread attention when his video Yeah Yeah Yeah was featured on YouTube's front page.^[5] Most of Conte's music videos follow a format called "VideoSongs", defined by two rules: no lip-syncing for instruments or voice ("what you see is what you hear") and no hidden sounds ("if you hear it, at some point you see it").^[6][7]

In 2008, Conte formed the band Pomplamoose with Nataly Dawn, who later became his wife.^[8] The band garnered significant fan support, primarily through their YouTube videos.^[9][10]

Much of Conte's work has been met with positive reviews, citing evocative lyrics in Sleep in Color^[5] and creative delivery of his VideoSongs.^[11] However, Conte's music was reviewed less favorably by Amplifier: "Hints of Conor Oberst, Radiohead, Patrick Watson, contemporary punk rock (screamo), radio power pop, and incalculable other singer songwriters are more than borrowed, making for a short mishmash of electro rock."^[12]

On May 7, 2013, Conte announced the launch of Patreon with co-founder Samuel Yam. Conte has compared his company to Kickstarter, but "for people who release stuff on a regular basis."^[13]

In 2022, Conte formed the synth-pop band Magaziine.^[14]

Conte was born in San Francisco and grew up in Marin County, California.^[15] He studied music and composition at Stanford University, graduating in 2006.^[16] Conte and Nataly Dawn engaged in January 2016^[17] and married in May 2016.^[18]