Chris Carrabba

Chris Carrabba
Carrabba performing in 2015
Background information
Birth name	Christopher Andrew Carrabba
Born	(1975-04-10) April 10, 1975 (age 41)
Origin	West Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.
Genres	Alternative rock, indie rock, emo, acoustic rock
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards
Years active	1991–present
Labels	Vagrant, Fiddler, Drive-Thru, Tooth and Nail
Associated acts	Dashboard Confessional, Further Seems Forever, Twin Forks,The Agency

Christopher Andrew "Ender" Carrabba (born April 10, 1975) is the lead singer and guitarist of the band Dashboard Confessional, lead singer of the band Further Seems Forever, and is the vocalist for the folk band Twin Forks.

Born in West Hartford, Connecticut, Carrabba's parents divorced when he was three. At age 16, he moved with his mother to Boca Raton, Florida. Carrabba remains close to some relatives on his paternal side, but is not close to his father specifically.

As a teenager, Carrabba was interested in skateboarding and punk rock and, passionate about music, sang in the high-school choir. His uncle gave him a guitar, to which he devoted a great deal of his time, when he was 15. After graduating from Boca Raton High School, Carrabba became more serious about music and joined his first band, The Vacant Andys, and matriculated to Florida Atlantic University to study education.

At college, alongside studies, Carrabba played with The Vacant Andys and, later, with The Agency, which featured Chris Carrabba on their second LP, ENGINES. This was the first recording to feature both Mike Marsh and Chris Carrabba before Mike Marsh became Dashboard Confessionals full-time drummer. For several years, Chris taught at an elementary school in South Florida and played with the group Further Seems Forever.

Dashboard Confessional was born when Chris recorded the "Drowning" EP with Fiddler Records. "I started (Dashboard) as a side project from the band I was in," says Carrabba, "I was going through something really tough at the time and since I don't write in a journal, this is what I did with it. It was a good way to get it out of my system. I never thought anyone would hear these songs, but I played some for my friends and one of them who owned a little label talked me into recording." The name Dashboard Confessional comes from the song "The Sharp Hint of New Tears". The lyric "On the way home, this car hears my confessions" brought to mind the phrase "Dashboard Confessional".

Having received his first guitar from his uncle also named Chris, Carrabba took only a mild interest in his musical talent, preferring to skateboard. He taught himself to play at the age of 15, and recorded his first solo album, The Swiss Army Romance, for the enjoyment of family and friends