Born in Philadelphia in 1980, Kurt Vile is one of ten children. His family wasn't musical but his dad listened to bluegrass and roots records all the time. At 14, Vile's dad got him a banjo that he'd wished was a guitar, so he decided to play it like a guitar anyway. Growing up, Vile was really into '90s bands like Beck and Pavement, as well as older stuff like Creedence Clearwater Revival and The Beatles.
Although Kurt Vile is largely known for his music as a solo artist, he began in a band. Vile is founding member of The War on Drugs, who came together in 2005 and released a critically acclaimed album called Wagonwheel Blues in 2008.
Kurt Vile's 2011 album Smoke Ring For My Halo was released to critical acclaim but was not commercially successful. The record peaked at #156 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, but was a critical darling: several well-read media outlets, including Mojo, Uncut and Pitchfork placed the album in their top 20 lists of the best albums of 2011.
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