Biography
Semi Precious Weapons originated from the vision of Justin Tranter, a singer and songwriter born in Chicago whose openly gay and ambisexual identity shaped his magnetic stage presence and history of flamboyant shows. As a child Tranter became captivated by Ariel in Disney’s The Little Mermaid, and after witnessing Courtney Love fronting Hole he committed himself to the rock-star path. Recognizing his desire to compose as well as perform, he persuaded his parents to buy a piano and learned to play by ear. He attended a performing-arts high school that trained him in both classical and pop piano, then continued at Berklee College of Music in Boston. There he balanced songwriting classes with practical studies in music-industry business and simultaneously established Musicians with a Mission, a scholarship program supporting GLBT youth in the arts. During those years he also issued his debut solo project, the piano-driven Scratched, which inverted standard pop conventions through theatrical gesture.
Following graduation Tranter relocated to New York and assembled his first group, slated to serve as house band for the off-Broadway production Rockstars NYC; the show closed after three weeks, yet Tranter’s extravagant performances quickly generated underground attention. His next solo release, Tear Me Together, explored emotional extremes of love and hate, life and death; its artwork depicted Tranter’s lifeless body being pulled from a bathroom, provoking sharply divided reactions that nonetheless heightened his cult following. Eventually he sought a dedicated rock ensemble. College roommate Cole Whittle on bass already knew drummer Dan Crean, and the producer of Tear Me Together connected the trio with guitarist Aaron Lee Tasjan. Their initial rehearsal revealed an immediate chemistry and shared belief in rock’s capacity to provoke. The resulting sound fuses glam, garage, punk, and new-wave funk into a combustible, high-energy blend. After early 2004 shows the band secured manager B.P. Fallon, former publicist for Marc Bolan and T. Rex. Fallon brought Tony Visconti to a performance; Visconti, renowned for his David Bowie productions, agreed to assist on a record. The band’s own Precious Records label issued We Love You, produced by the group alongside Mario McNulty (known for work with T. Rex and Laurie Anderson) and Visconti. Tranter underwrote the project through his expanding jewelry line—Urban Outfitters and Hot Topic alone sold more than 100,000 necklaces bearing the band’s guns-and-heart insignia, while he also created luxury gold-and-diamond skull pieces for Barneys. The debut video for “Magnetic Baby” showed Tranter kissing women, alienating some longtime gay supporters and underscoring his conviction that rock can still shock when executed deliberately.
Major-label offers followed, yet the band chose Razor & Tie to retain creative autonomy; the album reached stores nationwide in September 2008. In 2010 Semi Precious Weapons earned an opening slot on Lady Gaga’s Monster Ball tour—Gaga herself had previously supported the group in New York before her breakthrough. That same year the band delivered its second album and Geffen debut, You Love You. By 2012 the lineup—now Tranter, Whittle, Crean, and guitarist Stevy Pyne—had moved to Los Angeles to develop fresh material. The resulting Aviation, released on Redzone Records and shaped in collaboration with Grammy-winning producer C. “Tricky” Stewart (credits include Beyoncé, Rihanna, and Frank Ocean), appeared in early 2014.
Following graduation Tranter relocated to New York and assembled his first group, slated to serve as house band for the off-Broadway production Rockstars NYC; the show closed after three weeks, yet Tranter’s extravagant performances quickly generated underground attention. His next solo release, Tear Me Together, explored emotional extremes of love and hate, life and death; its artwork depicted Tranter’s lifeless body being pulled from a bathroom, provoking sharply divided reactions that nonetheless heightened his cult following. Eventually he sought a dedicated rock ensemble. College roommate Cole Whittle on bass already knew drummer Dan Crean, and the producer of Tear Me Together connected the trio with guitarist Aaron Lee Tasjan. Their initial rehearsal revealed an immediate chemistry and shared belief in rock’s capacity to provoke. The resulting sound fuses glam, garage, punk, and new-wave funk into a combustible, high-energy blend. After early 2004 shows the band secured manager B.P. Fallon, former publicist for Marc Bolan and T. Rex. Fallon brought Tony Visconti to a performance; Visconti, renowned for his David Bowie productions, agreed to assist on a record. The band’s own Precious Records label issued We Love You, produced by the group alongside Mario McNulty (known for work with T. Rex and Laurie Anderson) and Visconti. Tranter underwrote the project through his expanding jewelry line—Urban Outfitters and Hot Topic alone sold more than 100,000 necklaces bearing the band’s guns-and-heart insignia, while he also created luxury gold-and-diamond skull pieces for Barneys. The debut video for “Magnetic Baby” showed Tranter kissing women, alienating some longtime gay supporters and underscoring his conviction that rock can still shock when executed deliberately.
Major-label offers followed, yet the band chose Razor & Tie to retain creative autonomy; the album reached stores nationwide in September 2008. In 2010 Semi Precious Weapons earned an opening slot on Lady Gaga’s Monster Ball tour—Gaga herself had previously supported the group in New York before her breakthrough. That same year the band delivered its second album and Geffen debut, You Love You. By 2012 the lineup—now Tranter, Whittle, Crean, and guitarist Stevy Pyne—had moved to Los Angeles to develop fresh material. The resulting Aviation, released on Redzone Records and shaped in collaboration with Grammy-winning producer C. “Tricky” Stewart (credits include Beyoncé, Rihanna, and Frank Ocean), appeared in early 2014.
Albums
Singles
