Bartees Strange

Bartees Leon Cox Jr. (born 1989), known professionally as Bartees Strange, is an English-born American musician. Strange was born in Ipswich, England, raised in Mustang, Oklahoma, and is based in Baltimore, Maryland. Strange was born in Ipswich, England, to a military father and opera-singer mother. The family moved from England to Germany, Greenland, and various US states, before settling in Mustang, Oklahoma, when Strange was 12. Before becoming a musician, Strange worked as the director of communications for a nonprofit environmental organization in Washington, D.C. While living in Brooklyn, Strange was a member of the post-hardcore band Stay Inside, from 2016 to 2018. In late 2017, he released his first solo effort, the acoustic folk EP Magic Boy, under the name Bartees & the Strange Fruit. In March 2020, Strange released an EP of re-imagined covers of songs by the National, titled Say Goodbye to Pretty Boy, on Brassland. After being named an "Artist to Watch" by Stereogum in 2020, Strange released his debut full-length album, Live Forever, on October 2, 2020. Featuring a mix of hip hop, indie rock, and jazz music, the album received positive reviews. Strange toured throughout 2021 and 2022, supporting artists such as Lucy Dacus, Phoebe Bridgers, Courtney Barnett, and Car Seat Headrest.[citation needed] In 2022, Strange released his second album, Farm to Table, to critical acclaim. In 2025, he issued his latest record, titled Horror. Strange is bisexual. Live Forever (2020) Farm to Table (2022) Horror (2025) Magic Boy (2017) (as Bartees & the Strange Fruit) Say Goodbye to Pretty Boy (2020) Magic Boy (2024) (2017 EP in new configuration, with different art and additional music)[citation needed] Shy Bairns Get Nowt (2025) Live at Studio 4 (2021) As lead artist As featured artist Guest appearances Remixes Headlining 2021 tour Supporting Phoebe Bridgers – Reunion Tour (2021) Lucy Dacus – 2021 tour Courtney Barnett – North American tour (2021) Car Seat Headrest – North American tour (2022) The National – 2022 tour Metric – The Doomscroller Tour (2022) Boygenius – The Tour (2023) The National – 2023 European tour "Brassland | Bartees Strange". Brassland.org. Retrieved September 14, 2022. Casciato, Tom (November 21, 2022). "Bartees Strange pushes the boundaries of indie rock". PBS News Hour. PBS. Retrieved November 22, 2022. "Bartees Strange: Horror". Pitchfork. Shaffer, Claire (October 8, 2020). "Bartees Strange Is Tired of Your Genres". Rolling Stone. Barrios, Maria. "Bartees Strange makes some changes". The Washington Post. "Bartees & the Strange Fruit – Magic Boy (2017, File)". Discogs. December 8, 2017. McKenna, Lyndsey (October 2020). "For Bartees Strange, Everything Is Everything". NPR. NPR Music. Retrieved October 7, 2020. Gordon, Arielle (September 16, 2020). "Artist to Watch: Bartees Strange". Stereogum. Retrieved October 8, 2020. Shaffer, Claire (August 12, 2020). "Bartees Strange Announces Debut Album, 'Live Forever,' Shares 'Boomer'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 7, 2020. Payne, Chris. "Meet Bartees Strange, the D.C. Musician Who's Revitalizing Indie Rock". Billboard. Retrieved October 7, 2020. Chelosky, Danielle. "Bartees Strange Gives in to Lawless Creation". MTV News. Archived from the original on September 29, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020. Josephs, Brian. "Bartees Strange: Live Forever". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 7, 2020. "Live Forever by Bartees Strange". Metacritic. Pareles, Jon (June 17, 2022). "Bartees Strange Ponders Success in Dire Times". The New York Times. Retrieved June 23, 2022. Greene, Jayson. "Bartees Strange: Farm to Table". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 23, 2022. @Bartees_Strange (October 11, 2022). "When I told my mom I was Bi she was very unsurprised. Happy coming out day. Do you, no matter what. ♥️🖤✌🏾" (Tweet). Retrieved October 12, 2022 – via Twitter. Manno, Lizzie (October 5, 2020). "Bartees Strange's Live Forever Refuses to Conform". Paste (magazine). Williams, Keegan (July 28, 2021). "News: Bartees Strange Announces Headlining U.S. Tour Dates, Additional Supporting Dates". New Noise. Retrieved May 3, 2022. Strauss, Matthew (August 23, 2021). "Phoebe Bridgers No Longer Playing Indoor Concerts on 2021 U.S. Tour". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 3, 2022. Hatfield, Amanda (April 13, 2021). "Lucy Dacus announces new album & tour w/ Bartees Strange (watch "Hot & Heavy" video)". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved May 3, 2022. Doria, Matt (June 18, 2021). "Courtney Barnett announces US tour dates for 2021 and 2022". NME. Retrieved May 3, 2022. Rossignol, Derrick (October 26, 2021). "Car Seat Headrest Is Going on Tour in 2022 and Taking Bartees Strange with Them". Uproxx. Retrieved May 3, 2022. Hatfield, Amanda (March 29, 2022). "The National announce summer tour w/ Japanese Breakfast, Lucy Dacus & Bartees Strange". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved May 3, 2022. "Metric North American 'The Doomscroller Tour' to Kick Off This August". Live Nation Entertainment. April 28, 2022. Retrieved May 3, 2022. Hussey, Allison (March 28, 2023). "Boygenius Announce 2023 North American Tour". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 12, 2023. Lane, Lexi (January 18, 2023). "Who Are the Openers for the National's 2023 North American and European Tour?". Uproxx. Retrieved June 22, 2025. Bartees Strange at Wikipedia's sister projects Media from Commons Data from Wikidata Official website