Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros first performed as a group in 2007. Their first release, Up from Below, was released in 2009 and reached number 76 on the Billboard 200 chart. The name Edward Sharpe is the main character in a book that lead vocalist Alex Ebert began writing after he broke up with his girlfriend and left a 12-step addiction program. Ebert says that Sharpe was a messiah who “was sent down to Earth to kinda heal and save mankind…but he kept getting distracted by girls and falling in love.” After he met singer Jade Castrinos outside a café in Los Angeles, they toured the country with fellow musicians as Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros. Their unique musical sound cuts across many genres and is influenced by mid-60’s R&B and Motown, including Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Brian Eno, and John Lennon.
