New Zealander Dean Wareham's name is not as well known in the independent music scene, but he led two groups that left discographies rich with beautiful songs - the influential Galaxie 500 and Luna. Michael Dean Wareham was born on the 1st of August 1963 in Wellington, New Zealand. In 1977, he moved with his parents to New York. Later, he attended college in Boston, where, in 1987, he formed the Galaxie 500 with friends Damon Krukowski (drums) and Naomi Yang (bass). The band, which had Velvet Underground and Joy Division as main influences, released three albums between 1988 and 1990.

In 1991, after the end of Galaxie 500, Dean Wareham formed Luna, a group that had a longer life and released seven studio albums between 1992 and 2004. After the breakup of the band in 2005, Wareham formed with Britta Phillips (bassist from Luna since 2000) the duo Dean and Britta.

Dean Wareham released a solo mini-album, entitled Emancipated Hearts, in October 2013. In March of the following year, he released a full-length album. In 2018, in partnership with New York singer-songwriter Cheval Sombre, Wareham released a collection of Western songs under the name Dean Wareham Vs. Cheval Sombre. He returned in 2021 with I Have Nothing to Say to the Mayor of L.A., an album consisting of eight new songs and covers by Scott Walker ("The Duchess") and Lazy Smoke ("Under Skys").