CJ Baran
CJ Baran | |
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Birth name | Christopher J Baran |
Born | Melville, New York |
Genres | |
Occupation(s) |
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Years active | 2006–present |
Associated acts |
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Christopher J Baran, known as CJ Baran, is an American singer-songwriter, producer, and actor. He is a founding member of Woolf and the Wondershow and cowriter, creator, and producer of their Los Angeles future theater musical CAGES in which he plays the lead character Woolf. He has produced and written songs for Panic! At The Disco, Melanie Martinez, Carly Rae Jepsen, Mika, Britney Spears, COIN, Andrew McMahon, One OK Rock, Bea Miller, Pentatonix, Simple Plan, Pixie Lott, and Nelly. He was a founding member of the band Push Play.
Early life[]
Baran is originally from Melville, New York, where he attended St. Anthony's High School. He took an early interest in music, learning several instruments and beginning his first band at 11, Kaution.[1]
Career[]
Push Play[]
In September 2006, Baran joined Steve Scarola, Nick DeTurris and Derek Ries to form Push Play. Baran was lead vocalist, keyboard player, and rhythm guitarist for the Long Island-based band.[1][2]
Their debut album, Deserted, was released in December 2007. The album rose into the top 100 album sales on iTunes, peaking at No. 38. The band signed with Creative Artists Agency's Jason Morey, the agent for Miley Cyrus. The band opened for Cyrus at the MGM Grand-Foxwoods to start their 2008 tour, putting a portion of the proceeds for some of their 2008 shows to charities "Friends of the Arts" and the "Education and Assistance Corporation."[1][3][4][5]
Push Play received a record deal from Wind-Up Records in 2008. Their album, Found, was produced by Matt Squire. "Midnight Romeo", their single from the album, hit No. 37 on the mainstream Top 40 radio chart.[1][2]
After their 2009 tour promoting Found, the band took time off. Baran acknowledges that the final tour hit a "terrible rough patch" outside the Northeast, and he later claimed that he did not enjoy touring. Baran moved to Los Angeles—where he still resides—and pursued production by interning with Matt Squire, and writing his own music. In February 2010, Baran announced the dissolution of the band on the Push Play MySpace page.[1][2][3][6][7][8]
Production[]
Baran went on to sign with Pulse Recording for his writing and production work in 2011. In 2013, Baran met producer Max Martin, who brought Baran on to his recording company, MXM. Baran is co-signed with both Pulse and MXM.[9]
Baran has worked with a number of artists, including Panic! at the Disco, Melanie Martinez, Carly Rae Jepsen, Mika, Britney Spears, COIN, Andrew McMahon, One OK Rock, Bea Miller, Pentatonix, Simple Plan and Nelly. His songs have also appeared on the TV series Empire, with his song "Do it" featuring Becky G. Baran has worked as a writer and producer with Pixie Lott over multiple albums going back to 2011, including providing vocals on the song "Till the Sun Comes Up."[9][10]
Baran's work has received a number of awards. He wrote and produced Panic! at the Disco's "Victorious," which climbed to number one on Apple Music and No. 89 on the Billboard Hot 100 in fall 2015. The song is part of the Grammy-nominated album, Death of a Bachelor, which became the number one album on the Billboard 200 in January 2016. Baran co-wrote and co-produced the songs "Emotion" and "Let's Get Lost" on Carly Rae Jepsen's E-MO-TION album, which Billboard.com rated one of the top 25 albums of the year. Baran also co-wrote and produced Melanie Martinez's "Pity Party," which became a Gold single from the RIAA in 2016.[9][11][12][13]
Baran's current project is Woolf and the Wondershow, with composer Benjamin Romans, which began releasing music in 2015. The duo's work is a music, film, and performance piece that tells a story of love in a fantastical New York City setting over multiple songs. Their debut EP, We Need to Talk, was released in June 2016.[2][9][14][15][16][17]
CAGES[]
In 2019, Baran and partner Benjamin Romans, continuing as Woolf and the Wondershow, began performing their future theater show CAGES in a converted warehouse in The Arts District of Downtown Los Angeles. Baran and Romans co-wrote the music and lyrics. During the show, Baran performs live on stage as main character Woolf, while Romans performs the live score. The warehouse has been outfitted with a top-of-the-line sound system, 1920s theater seats, and a custom-made scent diffuser. [18] CAGES has been noted as an innovative experience that blends Broadway, pop music and film. As described by Forbes, CAGES “is one part Les Mis, another part Kanye West, a dash of Broadway here, and a sprinkle of cinema there - all mixed together in an entirely new kind of immersive blender complete with earth-shattering sound.”[19]
Discography[]
Group | Song | Album | Role |
---|---|---|---|
Panic! at the Disco | "Victorious" | Death of a Bachelor | Writer, producer[9] |
Empire Cast | "Do It" featuring Becky G & Raquel Castro | Empire: the Complete Season 2 | Writer[9] |
"Mimosa" featuring Jamila Velazquez, Raquel Castro & Yani Marin | Writer | ||
Carly Rae Jepsen | "E•MO•TION" | E•MO•TION | Writer, producer[9] |
"Let's Get Lost" | Writer, producer[9] | ||
"Love Again" | Writer, producer | ||
"Store" | E•MO•TION: Side B | ||
"Everything He Needs" | Dedicated | ||
"Let's Be Friends" | Dedicated Side B | ||
"Always on My Mind" | |||
"It's Not Christmas Till Somebody Cries" | N/A | Writer, producer | |
Melanie Martinez | "Pity Party" | Cry Baby | Writer, producer[9][20] |
"Cake" | Writer, producer[9][20] | ||
"Haunted" | N/A | Writer, producer | |
"I Scream" | |||
Hilary Duff | "Rebel Hearts" | Breathe In. Breathe Out. | Writer, producer |
K.Flay | "Only the Dark" | Solutions | Writer, producer |
COIN | "Talk Too Much" | How Will You Know If You Never Try | Writer[9] |
"Cemetery" | Dreamland | Writer, producer | |
Bea Miller | "Dracula" | Not an Apology | Writer, producer[9] |
MIKA | "Promiseland" | No Place in Heaven | Writer[9] |
Pentatonix | "Cracked" | Pentatonix | Writer[9] |
Simple Plan | "I Don't Wanna Go to Bed" featuring Nelly | Taking One for the Team | Writer[9] |
Who Is Fancy | "Seven Minutes in Heaven" | N/A | Writer, producer |
Push Play | "Starlight Addiction" | Deserted | Writer |
"Plastique" | |||
"Situation" | |||
"Dreamers" | |||
"Do It Deadly" | |||
"Far from Beautiful" | |||
"The Life" | |||
"Stop Staring" | |||
"Here Without You" | |||
"Time to Shine" | |||
"There She Goes Again" | |||
"Watch It Burn" | Found | ||
"Midnight Romeo" | |||
"Heart Attack" | |||
"Taking It Back" | |||
"My Everything" | |||
"Covergirl" | |||
"This Is Us Breaking Up (Better Off)" | |||
"See My Soul" | |||
"Barely Legal" | |||
"Away, Away" | |||
"Where I Belong" | |||
"Start Again" | |||
"Dreamers" | |||
"Hush" | |||
"Dear Santa" | Dear Santa | ||
"Christmas Rock" | |||
"Stay Here This Christmas" | |||
CJ Baran | "BOOMerang" | N/A | Writer, producer[21] |
"Chasin' Me" | Writer, producer | ||
"Wallflower" | |||
"She's a Cougar" | |||
Just like You | "You're A... (Bitch)" | N/A | Writer, producer |
Future Boy | "Step by Step" | Volume 1 | Writer |
Alli Simpson | "Why I'm Single" | N/A | Writer, producer |
"Notice Me" | |||
"Guilty" | |||
"Roll 'Em Up" featuring Jack & Jack | |||
Stalking Gia | "I'm Not Crazy" | N/A | Writer, producer |
Allstar Weekend | "James (Never Change)" | All the Way | Writer, producer |
Meadowland | "Mr. Right" | N/A | Writer, producer |
Tich | "Posh Boy" | N/A | Writer, producer |
"Storybook" | |||
Pixie Lott | "Till the Sun Comes Out" | Young Foolish Happy | Writer, producer[9] |
"Everybody Hurts Sometimes" | Writer, producer[9] | ||
chloe mk | "Come This Far" | N/A | Writer, producer |
Cody Simpson | "Surfboard" | Surfer's Paradise | Writer, producer[9] |
"If You Left Him for Me" | Writer, producer[9] | ||
"Better Be Mine" | Writer, producer | ||
Bridgit Mendler | "Deeper Shade of Us" | N/A | Writer, producer |
Amanda Fondell | "Trails" | Because I Am | Writer, producer |
Lea Michele | "Gone Tonight" | Louder | Writer, producer[9] |
Jukebox the Ghost | "Stay the Night" | N/A | Writer, producer |
"Everybody's Lonely" | Off to the Races | ||
The Royal Concept | "Fashion" | Smile EP | Writer, producer[9] |
The Cab | "These Are the Lies" | Lock Me Up EP | Writer, producer[9] |
The Vamps | "Lovestruck" | Meet the Vamps | Writer, producer |
Coco McQueen | "Let's Get French" | N/A | Writer, producer |
The Tide | "Rest of Us" | Young Love | Writer, producer |
Andrew McMahon | "So Close" | Zombies on Broadway | Writer, producer[9][22][23] |
Aston Merrygold | "Distraction" | Precious | Writer, producer |
Lazy Weekends | "Back of My Car" | N/A | Writer, producer |
Woolf and the Wondershow | "We Need to Talk" | We Need to Talk | Writer, producer |
"Cages" | |||
"Cloaked" | |||
"Drinking About You" | |||
"Vandal" | |||
"Masquerade" | |||
"Talking to the Mirror" | |||
"Somebody's Somebody" | CAGES (Original Cast Recording) | Writer, producer | |
Cyndi Wang | "Pi Ni De Lei Zheng Zai Lu Shang (Neverland)" | CYNDILOVES2SING Ai。 | Writer |
R5 | "We're Alright" | Sometime Last Night | Writer, producer |
Jess Kent | "Girl" | N/A | Writer, producer |
Baker Grace | "Sad Summer" | N/A | Writer, producer |
ONE OK ROCK | "One Way Ticket" | Ambitions | Writer, producer[9] |
"Grow Old Die Young" | Eye of the Storm | ||
Aly & AJ | "Attack of Panic" | N/A | Writer, producer |
"Joan of Arc on the Dance Floor" | |||
Kailee Morgue | "Medusa" | Medusa | Writer, producer |
"Discovery" | |||
Kailee Morgue & Hayley Kiyoko | "Headcase" | N/A | Writer, producer |
Ansel Elgort | "Thief" | Writer[9][24] | |
Max George | "Better on Me" | N/A | Writer |
End of the World | "One More Night" | N/A | Writer, producer |
"Hollow" featuring DNCE | Chameleon | ||
"Rollerskates" | |||
Mob Rich | "Buggin" | Why No Why | Writer, producer |
Au/Ra | "Bite Marks" | Soundtrack to an Existential Crisis | Writer, producer |
Royalties Cast | "This Is a Theme Song" featuring Darren Criss & Kether Donohue | Royalties: Season 1 (Music from the Original Quibi Series) | Writer, producer |
"Just That Good" featuring Rufus Wainwright | |||
"I Am so Much Better Than You at Everything" featuring Darren Criss | Producer | ||
"Make You Come True" featuring Jordan Fisher | Writer, producer | ||
"I Hate That I Need You" featuring Darren Criss, Jennifer Coolidge & NIve | Writer, producer | ||
Russell Dickerson | "Southern Symphony" | Southern Symphony | Writer |
Darren Criss | "fukn around" | Masquerade | Writer, producer |
"i can't dance" | |||
"for a night like this" | |||
"let's" | |||
"walk of shame" | Producer | ||
Dani Baran | "Voices in My Head" | N/A | Writer, producer |
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e La Gorce, Tammy. "Making Music, and Their Own Rules". The New York Times. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d Howes, Lewis. "What a Musical Genius Can Teach You About Creativity and Chasing Your Dreams with CJ Baran". lewishowes.com. lewishowes.com. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Chulapa, Andrea. "What depression? How to be a be a self-made rockstar". AOL. AOL. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
- ^ Staff. "PUSH PLAY BIOGRAPHY". Song365. Song365. Archived from the original on February 23, 2017. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
- ^ Nielsen Business Media, Inc. (July 12, 2008). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. pp. 53–. ISSN 0006-2510.
- ^ Staff. "Push Play Visits Seventeen!". Seventeen. Seventeen. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
- ^ Staff. "Push Play Detail What Led To Their Split". popdirt. popdirt. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
- ^ Staff. "CJ Baran's Push Play Farewell Blog". popdirt. popdirt. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y "CJ Baran". Pulse Recordings. Pulse Recordings. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
- ^ Miller, Jordan. "Britney Spears Is Collaborating With 'E•MO•TION' Producer CJ Baran". breatheheavy. breatheheavy. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
- ^ "Pixie Lott reunites with Christopher J. Baran for new album". HAMADA MANIA. HAMADA MANIA. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
- ^ Staff. "Panic at the Disco – chart". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 6, 2017. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
- ^ Staff. "Billboard.com's 25 Best Albums of 2015: Critics' Picks". Billboard. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
- ^ "Christopher J. Baran". discogs. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
- ^ Crider, Erin. "NEW ARTIST FINDS: WOOLF AND THE WONDERSHOW". The Guard. The Guard. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
- ^ Wass, Mike. "Woolf and the Wondershow's "Cages" Video Is A Whimsical Affair". Idolator. Idolator. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
- ^ Vehlinggo, Aaron. "WOOLF AND THE WONDERSHOW PUT YOU THROUGH THE RINGER ON 'CAGES'". Vehlinggo. Vehlinggo. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
- ^ https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2020-02-27/cages-show-los-angeles
- ^ https://www.forbes.com/sites/petercsathy/2020/03/13/live-experiential-entertainment-awaits--will-astoundonce-we-are-ready-for-it-again/#167192394fb8
- ^ Jump up to: a b Scott, Jason. "Melanie Martinez Talks 'Cry Baby' LP, Childhood Toys, Cake & Party Essentials". popdust. popdust. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
- ^ "CJ Baran 'BOOMerang' | popdirt.com". popdirt.com. August 5, 2010. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
- ^ Staff. "PREMIERE: Here's Woolf and the Wondershow's Debut EP 'We Need to Talk'". Noisey. Noisey. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
- ^ Whitney, Alyse. "Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness Premieres 'Fire Escape' Video, Promises 'Experimentation' on Sophomore Album". Billboard. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
- ^ Ercoli, Ilaria. "ATTORI, REGISTI, ECC. Ansel Elgort: ecco il video della nuova canzone incisa dell'attore di Colpa delle Stelle". Telefilm Central. Telefilm Central. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
External links[]
- Living people
- American male singer-songwriters
- American singer-songwriters
- People from Huntington, New York