Dale Baker: Biography
Chances are you've heard Dale's drumming recently. Dale's drumming propels the lilting melody of the hit song and perennial summer favorite "Kiss Me," by the group Sixpence None the Richer.
Due to the song's phenomenal success and world-wide popularity, "Kiss
Me" continues to receive substantial airplay around the world - not to
mention airplay at major sporting events, and even your local grocery
store and karaoke bar!
After growing up and playing in the small (at that time) and burgeoning country music scene of Branson, Missouri, Dale travelled south to Texas to more thoroughly pursue his musical interests. He graduated from the University of North Texas and eventually moved to Dallas to play with a variety of acts ranging from singer/songwriters to contemporary gospel to reggae.
In the fall of 1993 Dale began performing, recording and writing with a little known group from Austin, TX, Sixpence None The Richer. He was with the band from those early tentative beginnings up through the height of their success, eventually leaving the band in 2001. During his time with the band, Sixpence went from a local indie "side project" to a Platinum selling, Grammy nominated and multiple award winning band, with numerous television, radio and concert appearances spanning the globe.
Dale's understated and tasteful playing on Sixpence's most popular song "Kiss Me" helped propel that song to #1 in over 11 countries, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, and Israel. The song was RIAA certified Gold and and in addition to it's ubiquitousness on radio, the song was used frequently as background music for sitcoms and soaps (even NBC's Saturday Night Live used the song as background music for a sketch) and most famously was played for over 200 million viewers at Prince Edward’s 1999 wedding. In addition, "Kiss Me" was the #1 movie soundtrack single for 1999, according to Billboard magazine. During this time Sixpence was named "#1 Breakthrough Artist" by Radio & Records (R&R) magazine and their self-titled album was RIAA certified Platinum and was twice nominated for a GRAMMY in 1998 and again in 1999.
Dale's drumming was featured prominently in Sixpence's follow-up single, a cover version of "There She Goes"
which also climbed the Billboard charts, and was heard on several
television shows, including the popular WB shows "Birds of Prey" and
the season finale of "Felicity."
There were other hit songs and commercial successes as well: In 2003 Sixpence released Divine Discontent, and Dale's playing is featured on that recording as well, including the Top 20 hit, “Breathe Your Name.” Another song from Divine Discontent - "I've Been Waiting" (with Dale on drums)- was featured in the Gwyneth Paltrow/ Miramax comedy "A View from the Top" as well as on the soundtrack released by Curb Records. Dale's drumming was also heard in the Paramount movie and on the Virgin soundtrack for "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days," starrring Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson. Dale's playing appears on Sixpence's final releases ("The Early Years," and "The Best of..."), on television commercials (Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo), promotional materials for Proctor and Gamble (Fresh Clean Beats), and the long running popular WB series, “7th Heaven.”
In
addition to his work with Sixpence, Dale has worked as a studio drummer
for producers such as Paul Fox, Matt Bronleewe, Buddy Miller, Emmylou
Harris, Armand John Petri, Steve Taylor, Michael W. Smith, Rob Seals,
Brent Bourgeois and many others.
Dale's drumming and percussion tracks were incorporated into the
soundtrack Stewart Copeland created for the Sony movie "She’s All
That," and he helped create beats and loops for Natalie Imbruglia in preparation for her hit album "Left of the Middle."
Dale has also recorded with members of Jars of Clay, Michael W. Smith
(Exodus compilation), Emmylou Harris (Roaring Lambs compilation), and
was part of a "super-group": The Rolling Creek Dippers (comprised of
Buddy and Julie Miller, Mark Olsen, Victoria Williams, and Jim
Lauderdale) for the compilation, “Return of the Grievous Angel: A Tribute to Gram Parsons.”
He has recorded for labels such as Mammoth, Virgin, Almo Sounds, Elektra, Epic, Sony, RCA and played on jingles and commercial projects for Southwest Airlines, Pepsi, Scholastic Books, and Frito-Lay. He's also performed on numerous television and radio shows in the United States, Europe and Japan, including The Late Show with David Letterman (CBS), The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (NBC), Late Night with Conan O' Brien (NBC), and Top of the Pops (BBC).
Currently, Dale lives in Durham, North Carolina and actively seeks work (yes, contact him
for your next project!) as a "drummer for hire" playing with artists
such as Luego, Peter Holsapple and Chris Stamey, Thad Cockrell, Jeff Crawford,
artist/ songwriters Christa Wells and Nicole Witt, and with local and regional producers such as Mike Garrigan, Jason Merritt, Wade Baynham, Tim Carless and Jeff Creed.
Dale also teaches private drum lessons via "Durham Drum Lessons" and is
an Adjunct Instructor of Percussion at Southeastern Baptist Theological
Seminary.
