Musicians tend to be a guarded and eccentric bunch, and while there’s no doubt that these personality traits can inhibit their lives, it also often leads to lasting art. The five musicians highlighted here have all led unorthodox lives while crafting some of the most amazing music of the past century. We recommend tracking down music from everyone on this list. You won’t be disappointed.
Jandek
Jandek may not be a household name but he is one of the most prolific musicians of all-time and has self-released over 50 collections of avant-folk and blues albums over the past three decades. Adding to his mystique is the fact that he’s only given two interviews in his career and despite having a cult-fanbase that includes musicians such as Sonic Youth and Ben Gibbard, Jandek didn’t perform in public until 2004. Additionally he largely fails to provide any autobiographical information to journalists, which fuels more speculation and forces fans to pore over Jandek’s lyrics and album art in search of clues that might give some glimpse into his true identity. If you’re interested in learning more about Jandek, we recommend checking out the documentary about him, Jandek On Cornwood. Just don’t count on him appearing in the film.
Jeff Mangum
Ask most seasoned indie rockers about his or her most celebrated albums of all-time and chances are Neutral Milk Hotel’s In The Aeroplane Over The Sea will inevitably come up. Released in 1998, the album saw frontman Jeff Mangum craft a nearly flawless collection of idiosyncratic idea rock that still sounds as groundbreaking today as it did a decade ago. Sadly, shortly after the album’s release, Mangum had a breakdown and the band suddenly went on hiatus. Since 1998 Mangum has only performed Neutral Milk Hotel material in public a handful of times: at a pub in New Zealand as well as a couple of appearances during the Elephant 6 Holiday Surprise Tour. Every couple of years it seems like a news blurb pops up saying Mangum will make his return to the spotlight, but as yet this has yet to materialize. Hopefully Mangum is just planning his return as thoroughly as he did Neutral Milk Hotel’s arrangements.
Brian Wilson
Brian Wilson may be the voice of the Beach Boys — one of the most successful bands of all-time — but lurking beneath his psyche was a darkness that forced him into seclusion and almost killed him. In fact there are literally years of his life that Wilson spent overeating, doing drugs and sleeping — and at one point he famously installed a sandbox in his house so he could play the piano with his feet in the sand. After recording his eponymous debut in the late ’80s Wilson had a severe bout with mental illness (which saw him record the still unreleased album Sweet Insanity), however he managed to get his life back on track in the ’90s and released that album’s follow-up I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times in 1995. Since then Wilson has continued to release a string of successful albums and return to the live arena, most notably via his 2006 tour which saw him celebrating the 40th anniversary of Pet Sounds alongside fellow founding Beach Boy Al Jardine.
Blake Schwarzenbach
Punk rock legend Blake Schwarzenbach has one of the oddest career trajectories of all-time. In the late ’80s he formed the melodic-punk act Jawbreaker, who failed to make a mainstream dent despite going onto become one of the most celebrated punk acts of all-time; then in the late-’90s he formed the indie-influenced act Jets To Brazil who broke up just as they seem poised to blow up in 2003. Afterward no one heard much from this enigmatic songwriter except for a rumor that he was teaching English at Hunter College (this turned out be true). However last year he returned with his latest act Thorns Of Life, which sound like an amalgam of his previous two acts and prefer to play non-traditional DIY spaces and houses. The band is allegedly releasing a 7-inch, but until then you’ll have to tide yourselves over with bootleg recordings and seizure-inducing YouTube clips.
Richey James Edwards
As the rhythm guitarist and lyricist for the Manic Street Preachers, Richey James Edwards attracted a cult following that embraced his cryptic writing style and unique persona. In fact, sometimes his personality traits even overshadowed his brilliant alternative-inspired playing, most notably when he carved the words “4 Real” into his arm he was questioned about the authenticity of his art during an NME interview in the early ’90s (this would later require 17 stitches). No one could have predicted that he would literally disappear in February of 1995 — and despite numerous false leads, Edwards has never been heard from since. Last year, Edwards’ family changed his status from “missing person” to “presumed dead,” but his band still set aside some royalties for the famed guitarist in case he returns to the fold some day. Here’s hoping Edwards is still out there writing brilliant music.