David Immerglück

Early bands

Immerglück began playing music in the San Francisco Bay area. Like other aspiring young musicians, he played with various childhood friends, but began a lifetime habit of joining or "sitting in" with more than one band at a time, learning from the exposure to other differing musical influences and interests. He early began to experiment with different sounds and a growing interest in instruments beyond just the guitar. Performing in an esoteric rock band called Polymorph, Immerglück recorded his first (unreleased) singles with a band named Mod-L Society; "Back To Baltimore", and "Janie", in 1985. By 1986, he had moved on to a band called The Ophelias, and the same year, had spread his interests to joining other indie rock bands.

Monks of Doom and Camper Van Beethoven

The Monks of Doom were a side project formed by members of the popular progressive Bay area indie rock Camper Van Beethoven. Formed in 1986, the Monks of Doom "somehow fused post-punk sensibilities with prog rock decadence and folk tradition and elegance". Original guitarist Chris Molla left the group shortly after the band formed and was replaced by Immerglück, who contributed guitar, pedal steel, vocals, and keyboards in the group. One Allmusic critic compared their work to "pop experimentalists Frank Zappa and Syd Barrett".

Bassist Victor Krummenacher noted, "We were interested in doing slightly more outside music that had heavier and more progressive tendencies. It was an outside expansion, a chance to go wherever our imagination took us." Immerglück described the sonic chemistry between that of himself and Lisher, the band's two guitarists, as music "that seemed to juxtapose the chaotic and the beautiful, the raw bluster and the ornate".

Immerglück joined Camper Van Beethoven as a member for the final tours of their initial run, prior to their breakup in 1990. The Monks of Doom intensified their activity after this, ultimately producing five albums to positive acclaim before the members took a long reprieve in 1993. Both groups have since reformed - Camper Van Beethoven in 1999 (with Immerglück peripherally involved as a part-time member), and the Monks of Doom in 2003 (with Immerglück involved full-time).

Counting Crows

Around 1993, Immerglück became involved with an early incarnation of the modern rock group Counting Crows, and has since appeared in some capacity on all of Counting Crows' albums. Because of other musical projects, he initially functioned only as a session player. With his skills on a variety of guitars, including both slide guitar and pedal steel guitar, mandolin, keyboards and backing vocals, he easily fell into place with old friends from the San Francisco Bay scene. Since 1999, Immergluck has been a permanent member of the band, touring and recording.

Other musical work

Immerglück joined another band, Glider, during the time he was contributing to the Monks of Doom. He has also performed as both a session musician and a sideman with a wide range of other artists, including John Hiatt, Chantal Kreviazuk, Elan Sara Defan, Cracker, The Walkabouts, Low Stars, Jason Karaban and Sordid Humor. Immerglück, along with Davey Faragher, was nominated for a Grammy award for Best Contemporary Folk Album in 2001 for his work with John Hiatt's album Crossing Muddy Waters, a bluesy soulful album of only three performers, without drums, compared by some to the work of Tom Waits, with Immerglück contributing mandolin, 12-string guitar, and slide guitar on many songs.

Immerglück also appeared on the solo debut by Paul Collins, formerly of The Beat and The Nerves. Recorded for Sony Records, the album was a blend of alternative country and rock, featuring Immerglück on guitar, alongside the core members of Chris Isaak's band, Silvertone.

In 2013, Immerglück appeared on the opening track of Joseph Arthur's tenth studio album, The Ballad of Boogie Christ.

Equipment

Extensive description of instruments on the official website in the infobox:

Influences

Immerglück has listed a variety of musicians who were influences on his music. They include: Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, The Band, Van Morrison, The Doors, Bruce Springsteen, Jerry Garcia, Guided By Voices, Peter Green, Led Zeppelin, and Miles Davis.

Discography