Thomas Mars

{{short description|French musician (born 1976)}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Thomas Mars

| image = File:Thomas_Mars_Phoenix_October_2018.png

| caption = Mars in 2018

| birth_place = Versailles, France

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1976|11|21|df=y}}

| birth_name = Thomas Pablo Croquet

| spouse = {{Plainlist|

}}

| children = 2, including Romy Mars

| known_for = Phoenix

| module =

{{Infobox musical artist

| embed = yes

| image_size =

| alt =

| background = solo_singer

| alias = Gordon Tracks

| origin =

| genre = Alternative rock

| occupation =

| instrument = {{flatlist|

  • Vocals
  • keyboards
  • guitar
  • drums

}}

| years_active = 1999–present

| label = {{flatlist|

}}

| associated_acts =

| website =

}}

}}

Thomas Pablo Croquet (born 21 November 1976), known professionally as Thomas Mars, is a French musician and the lead singer of the French indie pop band Phoenix.

Early life

Thomas Pablo Croquet was born on 21 November 1976 in Versailles, France. Croquet was originally inspired to learn English by his uncle, Horst.{{Cite web|url=https://indiespect.ch/2018/01/interview-phoenix-thomas-mars-en/|title=Interview: Phoenix singer Thomas Mars about family and touring plans.|website=indiespect.ch|date=7 January 2018|language=de-DE|access-date=2018-07-03}}

Croquet formed the band Phoenix with schoolfriends Chris Mazzalai and Deck d'Arcy. Mazzalai's older brother, Laurent Brancowitz, also joined the band after the break-up of Darlin'. Croquet says that he "destroyed every single other option that would lead me to any potential career other than music", attending college for only four days, studying economics.{{Cite web|url=https://thecreativeindependent.com/people/thomas-mars-on-being-committed-to-your-art/|title=Thomas Mars on Being Committed to Your Art|website=thecreativeindependent.com|language=en-US|access-date=2018-07-03}}

Career

File:Thomas Mars 2014.jpg

Croquet is the frontman of the band Phoenix, which formed in 1995. He adopted a stage name, Thomas Mars, along with other bandmates in order to "sound cooler".{{Cite web |last=Gordon |first=Jeremy |date=2022-09-08 |title=Phoenix on New Album 'Alpha Zulu,' Recording in the Louvre, and Staying Friends Forever |url=https://www.gq.com/story/gq-hype-phoenix |access-date=2024-10-23 |website=GQ |language=en-US}} In an interview, the band's bassist Deck D'Arcy said that he and Mars started playing music when they were around 11-years-old.{{Citation |title=Phoenix [Interview ACL Fest 2022] {{!}} Austin City Limits Radio |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hifcL3jsm7g&t=123s |access-date=2023-05-10 |language=en}} The band eventually became a full-time profession for Mars following his dropping out of college. The band pressed 500 copies of a single on their own label before being signed to Paris-based label, Source Records.{{Cite web|url=http://music.aol.com/artist/phoenix/biography|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120407014304/http://music.aol.com/artist/phoenix/biography|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-04-07|title=Phoenix Biography - AOL Music|date=2012-04-07|access-date=2018-07-03}}

Mars wrote and produced Phoenix's first charting single in France, "Too Young", which peaked at number 97.{{Cite web|url=https://lescharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Phoenix&titel=Too+Young&cat=s|title=lescharts.com - Phoenix - Too Young|last=Hung|first=Steffen|website=lescharts.com|access-date=2018-07-03}} Eventually Phoenix's first studio album, United was released in 2000, shipping 150,000 units worldwide.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mxAEAAAAMBAJ&q=the+hives+billboard&pg=PA52|title=Billboard|date=2004-04-24|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.|language=en}} The band has released seven albums and won a Grammy Award in 2010.{{cite news |last=Lamont |first=Tom |title=Thomas Mars: soundtrack of my life |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/may/26/thomas-mars-soundtrack-life-phoenix |accessdate=26 August 2013 |newspaper=The Guardian |location=London}}

Under the pseudonym Gordon Tracks, Mars co-wrote, performed vocals and drummed on the 2000 Air song "Playground Love" from The Virgin Suicides, which reached No. 25 on the UK singles chart.{{Cite web |last=Strauss |first=Matthew |date=2015-06-12 |title=Air Share Unreleased Version of "Playground Love" From The Virgin Suicides Reissue |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/59918-air-share-unreleased-version-of-playground-love-from-the-virgin-suicides-reissue/ |access-date=2024-10-23 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}

Personal life

In 2011, Croquet married filmmaker Sofia Coppola at Palazzo Margherita in Bernalda. The couple met in 1999 on the set of The Virgin Suicides, which she directed and he contributed music to under the pseudonym Gordon Tracks.{{Cite web |date=2023-12-05 |title=All About Sofia Coppola’s Husband Thomas Mars |url=https://www.elle.com/culture/celebrities/a45976463/who-is-thomas-mars-sofia-coppola-husband/ |access-date=2024-10-23 |website=ELLE |language=en-US}} They have two daughters together, Romy and Cosima.{{cite news | last = Hammel | first = Sara | title = Sofia Coppola, Thomas Mars Wed in Italy|url=https://people.com/celebrity/sofia-coppola-thomas-mars-wed-in-italy/|newspaper=People|access-date=26 August 2013}}

The German literary critic Hellmuth Karasek was his uncle.

As of 2018, Croquet lives in New York City with his wife and children. He travels to Paris monthly and has a residence there. The rest of his Phoenix bandmates reside in France.

References