Jack Conte (/ˈkɒnti/; born July 12, 1984) is an American musician and co-founder and CEO of Patreon.[2] He and his wife Nataly Dawn comprise the musical duo Pomplamoose,[3] and he is co-leader of the band Scary Pockets and leader of the band Magaziine.
Career
Conte created his YouTube channel in 2007 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 called his company "Kickstarter for people who release stuff on a regular basis."[13] In 2020, Conte was named a "Young Global Leader" by World Economic Forum.[14]
In 2022, Conte formed the synth-pop band Magaziine.[15]
Personal life
Conte was born in San Francisco although he grew up in Marin County, California.[16] He studied music and composition at Stanford University, graduating in 2006.[17] Conte and Nataly Dawn became engaged in January 2016[18] and married in May 2016.[19]
