Mikel Jollett

Mikel Jollett
Jollett performing in concert in 2009
Background information
Origin	Los Angeles County, California
Genres	Indie rock
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Years active	2006-present
Labels	Majordomo Records
Associated acts	The Airborne Toxic Event

Mikel F. Jollett (born May 21, 1974) is the singer, guitarist, and frontman for the Los Angeles-based indie rock band the Airborne Toxic Event.

Jollett was born in a commune of Los Angeles County and raised by his parents in many different places in California, including in other communes as well as towns. Eventually, he and his family settled in Westchester, California, where Jollett attended Westchester High School. He later attended Stanford University, graduating in 1996. He has cited the book Sabbath’s Theater, by Philip Roth, as one of his influences, calling it “The darkest book I’d ever read” when he read it at the age of 19. After graduating from college, he wrote essays about music, his family, and being a slacker, many of which were later published by NPR. He began writing music at the age of 31, after his mother was hospitalized for pancreatic cancer, he broke up with his longtime girlfriend, and he learned he had an autoimmune disease, all in the same month (March 2006).