Julian Tepper is the author of three novels, Balls, Ark and Between the Records. As a member of the band The Natural History, he co-wrote the song, "Don't You Ever," which was later covered and turned into a hit by the legendary indie-group, Spoon. He lives in New York City.
Jules and Adam Newman's complex, often hostile, relationship has long fueled their music careers as they followed in their father's footsteps. After the release of their debut record, and while struggling to write tracks for the followup, the brothers begin to clash. Jules, the younger brother, feels cast aside and ignored by Adam, who has long been accustomed to having things his own way. From the studio to the stage and across the countless miles in between, Julian Tepper's third novel is a moody and heady work of autofiction based on his days in the Natural History, which he and his brother formed in 2001. Between the Records examines brothers, fathers, rock and roll, and the personal demons therein―both musical and familial.
Rare Bird's Signed Limited Edition Reissue
of the Legendary Classic Second Album
Available for the First Time Ever on Vinyl
Featuring New Liner Notes by Spoon's Britt Daniel
People That I Meet is The Natural History's second full-length album. The album was recorded in 2004 and slated for a 2005 release date. However, the band soon split from their record label Startime International, and the album's release was put on hold. The band was looking to release the album on a different label shortly thereafter; however, People That I Meet would not reach the general public for over two years—until 2007 when the band self-released the album online in digital-only format.
One of the songs from this now-classic album, "Don't You Ever," was famously covered by Spoon on their sixth studio album, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. Spoon also included The Natural History's original version of "Don't You Ever" on their EP, Don't You Evah, released on April 8, 2008.[3]
After People That I Meet was completed in 2004, Derek Vockins left the band to raise a family. He was replaced with drummer Tim McCoy. The band also added a second guitarist, Brooklyn based John Caselli. The newly formed quartet toured the East Coast and Midwest in the Spring of 2005, and followed up that summer with a 3 week tour of England, Norway and Sweden. The new line-up never took wings, and the band dissolved shortly after.
A New York story, a dark comedy, Balls: A Novel tells of the 30-year-old Henry Schiller, a songwriter and lounge-player, in love with a woman far younger and more musically gifted than himself, one with her eye on other men and the rise of her own career, whose crisis deepens when he discovers he has testicular cancer.