Cullen Omori is a United States singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist associated with indie pop and psychedelic pop. He first comes to prominence as one of the founders of the Chicago-based band Smith Westerns, which forms in 2007 while he is still in high school. The band builds an indie following with the 2011 album Dye It Blonde, before 2013’s Soft Will receives a cooler response and creative differences lead to a split in late 2014.

Solo work

After Smith Westerns ends, Omori moves into solo work and shifts towards darker, more atmospheric indie pop. He writes new material after the breakup while also taking a day job in a hospital, and he develops early demos with musician Adam Gil. These songs mark a calmer change from the garage-glam sound of his former band.

Sub Pop signs him, and he records his debut solo album with producer Shane Stoneback. New Misery is released in 2016 and is followed by a U.S. tour. His second album, The Diet, appears in 2018 and presents a broader, more musically varied sound. For that record, he works with a larger group of musicians and producer Taylor Locke.

Background and later life events

Omori’s songwriting after New Misery is shaped by a period of upheaval that includes a serious car accident, a difficult romantic breakup and a move from Chicago to Los Angeles. These changes feed into the material on The Diet.