David Usher

David Usher was born in Oxford, England, on April 24, 1966. He spent parts of his childhood in various international locations such as Malaysia, New York City, California, and Thailand before his family settled in Kingston, Ontario. He attended Queen’s University and later Simon Fraser University, majoring in political science. While studying in Vancouver in 1992, Usher co-founded the band Moist, serving as the lead vocalist and principal songwriter. Moist signed with EMI Music in 1994, releasing their debut album “Silver” the same year, which achieved quadruple-platinum status in Canada, selling 400,000 copies. The band continued its success with their second album, “Creature,” in 1996, which reached triple-platinum status with over 300,000 units sold.

Following Moist’s initial success, Usher released his first solo album, “Little Songs,” in 1998, recorded primarily in his apartment. Moist released a third album, “Mercedes 5 and Dime,” in 1999, which also achieved multi-platinum sales. The band went on an extended hiatus after releasing a compilation album in 2001. During this period, Usher continued his solo career, releasing multiple albums including “Morning Orbit” (2001), “Hallucinations” (2003), “If God Had Curves” (2005), “Strange Birds” (2007), “Wake Up and Say Goodbye” (2008), “The Mile End Sessions” (2010), and “Songs from the Last Day on Earth” (2012). His solo work included collaborations with notable Canadian artists and featured songs in English, French, and Thai, with “Morning Orbit” selling 90,000 copies.

Moist officially reunited in June 2013, releasing their fourth studio album, “Glory Under Dangerous Skies,” in 2014, and their fifth album, “End of the Ocean,” in 2022. Throughout his musical career, Usher has sold over 1.4 million albums and received four Juno Awards. Beyond music, Usher is the founder of Reimagine AI, an artificial intelligence creative studio based in Montreal, and co-created the Climate Clock, which tracks global warming. He is also a best-selling author, with his book “Let the Elephants Run • Unlock Your Creativity and Change Everything” published in 2015. Usher delivers keynote speeches globally on creativity, innovation, and artificial intelligence.