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Jonathan "Jonny" Monroe Craig (born March 26, 1986 in Abbotsford, British Columbia) is a rock singer and musician, former vocalist for post-hardcore band Dance Gavin Dance and currently for bands Emarosa and Isles & Glaciers.
Music career
Debut
Craig began his singing career at the age of 15 as the vocalist for a band under the name of westerHALTS in Tacoma, Washington. He then joined as the lead vocalist for Seattle based pop punk band Ghost Runner on Third in 2002.[6] He received positive reviews with this new band's debut EP, Speak Your Dreams. Allmusic stated that Craig was: "the band's secret weapon, a passionate vocalist who doesn't rely on the usual emo techniques (belligerent screaming, post-hardcore barking, whiny moralizing -- that sort of thing) to put across his angsty lyrics. There's not a bad track to be found here, but Craig tends to outshine his bandmates throughout."[7]
Early on in his career with Ghost Runner On Third, it has been cited that overwhelming drug problems led to his departure as told by Dance Gavin Dance in their old blog concerning Jonny Craig after he quit the band. Though Jonny Craig has denied the statements made, Dance Gavin Dance has not backed off from those remarks, which they explain was the reason for all the band's problems and partly for his former band Ghost Runner on Third.[8] Dance Gavin Dance has also blamed Sean O'Sullivan's departure in part of constant disputes and problems with the other band members, but mostly with Jonny Craig.
Despite their past differences, both past and present members of Dance Gavin Dance have since become friends. Consider the Thief (Sean O'Sullivan's current band), were also listed in Emarosa's Relativity album on the special thanks section of the booklet.
Dance Gavin Dance and Emarosa
Jonny Craig's singing in Dance Gavin Dance's debut full-length album, Downtown Battle Mountain, also received positive reviews. Allmusic stated that "co-frontman Jonny Craig's regularly hysterical yelping may change your mind forever (he actually sounds like Michael Jackson in the bottom of his range!)."[9]
In an interview done on March 2007, it was cited that Jonny Craig came up with the name Dance Gavin Dance and had planned to name his previous band, "Ghost Runner On Third," by that name.[10] After quitting Dance Gavin Dance after the "Saints and Sinners Festival" in New Jersey, Jonny Craig immediately filled in for A Skylit Drive and toured with them while their then-lead-singer Jordan was ill. The band made it very clear at shows and on their website that he was not the new lead singer and the situation would only be temporary. It had been only 2 weeks since he quit Dance Gavin Dance in which he joined Emarosa who was left without a lead singer.
Craig's singing in Emarosa's second album titled Relativity, received similar praise as his previous records did in the past. Digmagonline.com stated of Jonny Craig: "His range does nothing but impress, and the way he is effortlessly able to change between a shrill high note to a calming slow singing section is quite remarkable."[1]
Isles & Glaciers
In early September 2008, current Cinematic Sunrise vocalist Craig Owens, confirmed rumors on his personal website, that both he and Jonny Craig would be recording an EP record by the end of the year, also mentioning Vic Fuentes and others. [11] Billboard confirmed this musician collaboration, project, and supergroup through a direct interview with Craig Owens, which was said to be featuring a member of Circa Survive, likely Anthony Green, but did not show up on the final confirmed Isles & Glaciers lineup.[12][13]
On December 15, 2008, Alternative Press officially announced and revealed the name and lineup of this new project, Isles & Glaciers. The band's first EP, The Hearts of Lonely People, was produced by Casey Bates in Seattle, Washington, was reworked on April 2009 in Michigan and was released March 9, 2010.
Solo work
Jonny Craig has released the solo album A Dream is a Question You Don't Know How to Answer in 2009 through Rise Records. This is the first individual artist on the label. He has been taking solo promotion and press photos for the release in late 2009 with photographer Gage Young in Orlando, Florida. [14]
Rise Records has listed Jonny Craig as an individual artist on their official website, and released his myspace music page.[15][16]
He further released three songs on his myspace from the solo album, Titles, "Istillfeelher III", "Children of Divorce" and "7 AM, 2 Bottles and The Wrong Road". On June 30, 2009, it was revealed that his first solo album will be released August 18, 2009 and named "A Dream is a Question You Don't Know How to Answer".[17]
Craig went on his first solo tour from November through December, supporting acts AFI, Cinematic Sunrise, and then headlining with support from Tides of Man and Sleeping with Sirens. He is currently headlining a tour with support from Tides of Man and Eye Alaska and will be playing The Bamboozle[18] festival and SXSW.[19]
Further information
In an interview with Hartimes.ca, Craig talks about his childhood experiences and religious views. He says that staying in school and not getting into trouble was always difficult for him. Jonny Craig considers himself an atheist, but said he grew up Christian in his early days. He states that if you don't believe in a god, you shouldn't be persecuted for it, but it also goes both ways. Craig ends the interview saying to "respect music, no matter what it is, it's here for all kinds of people, that's what we want people to know." [20] In another interview with indie star tv, he proceeded to claim an atheist belief with a Christian background especially in music. He states that all of his music is soulful and has some kind of meaning mainly because his music career began as a child singing gospel music with his church/school. [21] Jonny Craig gives all credit for his musical talent to his grandmother (Ruth Lyons) who he says, "taught me everything i know about music, she was super Christian, super gospel. Her husband was a preacher. She taught me everything I know about music and despite the fact that I may not believe in her beliefs, i believe in what she taught me."[22]
Craig is inspired by artists Boys II Men, Aretha Franklin, Craig David, Mewithoutyou, as well as Motown artists.[23]
Craig's voice has been compared to Michael Jackson and or [The Creator of Heaven and Earth].[24]
Discography
- With Ghost Runner On Third
- Speak Your Dreams (EP) [25]
- With Dance Gavin Dance
- With Emarosa
- With Isles & Glaciers
- Solo work
List of guest appearances
- Lower Definition
- The Greatest of All Lost Arts [26]
- Broadway
- Kingdoms
- "Don't Jump the Shark Before You Save the Whale"
- Vic Fuentes/Jonny Craig
- Unreleased
- "She Makes Dirty Words Sound Pretty"
- MikeyWhiskeyHands!
- Unreleased
- "This Ain't a Game" (credited as Dr.Craig) [27]
- "$ex, Drugz and WhiskeyHands" [27]
References
External links
| Emarosa |
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| Jonny Craig · Will Sowers · Lukas Koszewski · ER White · Jonas Ladekjaer · Jordan Stewart · |
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| Discography |
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