Biography
Elisa Randazzo has built a career as a versatile vocalist and multi-instrumentalist whose recordings span experimental music and classic-style West Coast pop. Born in New York City, she grew up with parents deeply involved in music; her father, Teddy Randazzo, performed as a rock & roll singer during the '50s before establishing himself as a songwriter who penned several hits for Little Anthony & the Imperials, while her mother, Victoria Pike, worked as a vocalist and songwriter and frequently collaborated with Teddy, including writing the lyrics to the garage-psych classic "I'm Five Years Ahead of My Time" by the Third Bardo. Her early years involved constant travel as her parents followed performance opportunities, including extended stays in Las Vegas and Jamaica. When she turned seven, her parents divorced, after which she relocated with her mother to upstate New York and settled on a farm. Eventually she moved to the West Coast, where she developed into an accomplished songwriter, vocalist, and instrumentalist, gaining command of violin and viola along with guitar and keyboards.
In 1996 Randazzo encountered legendary avant-garde rocker Mayo Thompson and joined his group the Red Krayola, adding violin and vocals to the albums Hazel, Fingerpainting, and Sighs Trapped by Liars. She also pursued projects with numerous other musicians, and after meeting and marrying guitarist and producer Josh Schwartz the pair formed Fairechild, which issued a self-titled album in 2005. Following the 2006 dissolution of Fairechild and her divorce from Schwartz, she began writing and recording with Aaron Robinson under the name Randazzo Robinson. That same period brought a songwriting partnership with British folk-rock icon Bridget St. John, which began after the two met during a 2007 visit to New York City. In 2009 she started work on her debut solo album, a collection shaped by the end of her marriage and incorporating several of her co-written pieces with St. John; the resulting Bruises and Butterflies appeared on Drag City Records in April 2010. Outside music, Randazzo maintains a thriving practice as a clothing designer whose work is sold through the Dusty and Cameo labels.
In 1996 Randazzo encountered legendary avant-garde rocker Mayo Thompson and joined his group the Red Krayola, adding violin and vocals to the albums Hazel, Fingerpainting, and Sighs Trapped by Liars. She also pursued projects with numerous other musicians, and after meeting and marrying guitarist and producer Josh Schwartz the pair formed Fairechild, which issued a self-titled album in 2005. Following the 2006 dissolution of Fairechild and her divorce from Schwartz, she began writing and recording with Aaron Robinson under the name Randazzo Robinson. That same period brought a songwriting partnership with British folk-rock icon Bridget St. John, which began after the two met during a 2007 visit to New York City. In 2009 she started work on her debut solo album, a collection shaped by the end of her marriage and incorporating several of her co-written pieces with St. John; the resulting Bruises and Butterflies appeared on Drag City Records in April 2010. Outside music, Randazzo maintains a thriving practice as a clothing designer whose work is sold through the Dusty and Cameo labels.
Albums