David Charles Lowery is an American musician and academic. He is the founder of the alternative rock band Camper Van Beethoven and the co-founder of Cracker, a more traditional rock band. Lowery released his first solo album, The Palace Guards, in February 2011. Although both Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven continue to play live dates, since 2016 Lowery has focused on issuing new studio recordings only as a solo artist.