Jonny Craig

Jonny Craig in 2009

Jonathan Monroe Craig (born March 26, 1986 in Abbotsford , British Columbia ) is a Canadian - American rock musician. He played in the bands Dance Gavin Dance , Emarosa and was active in the supergroup Isles & Glaciers . He also released an album as a solo musician on the US label Rise Records .

Life

Craig was born on March 26, 1986 in Abbotsford , British Columbia . He came into contact with music early in his life. His grandmother, who sang in a church choir, gave him singing lessons. His mother is also said to have supported him with the music.

Musical career

2000–2007: musical beginnings

Before Craig founded his first band, when he attended high school in the USA in 2000 he tried to be accepted into a group through open auditions. However, he was not recorded in any band. Thereupon Craig founded the band Westerhalts , a garage rock band, in Tacoma ( Washington ) in 2000 . At the age of 15, Craig released the band's first popular song, Change, Leisure & Retirement, with the group .

In 2002 he switched to the pop-punk band Ghost Runner on Third as the lead singer . For the debut EP Speak Your Dreams , released on January 4, 2005, the group received positive reviews, including from Allmusic , whose critics also praised Craig's voice.

"[...] the band's secret weapon, a passionate vocalist. There's not a bad track to be found here, but Craig tends to outshine his bandmates throughout. "

- Allmusic criticism

Even before his career with Ghost Runner on Third , it was reported that Craig was struggling with a drug problem . This problem led, among other things, to the fact that Craig was kicked out of the band at both Dance Gavin Dance and later at Emarosa . A dance blog by Gavin Dance stated that personal differences between Craig and the rest of the musicians were responsible for the eviction. In the meantime, both parties have made up and the musicians are very good friends.

2007–2012: Dance Gavin Dance and Emarosa

With Dance Gavin Dance , Craig released the album Downtown Battle Mountain , which also received a positive response from Allmusic. In an interview in March 2007, Craig admitted to renaming his former band Ghost Runner on Third to Dance Gavin Dance. After Craig was kicked out of Dance Gavin Dance, he was a short-term replacement musician at A Skylit Drive as their actual singer could not perform due to an illness. Two weeks after being kicked out of Dance Gavin Dance, he was introduced to Emarosa as the new singer.

In August 2010 it was announced that Jonny Craig was returning to Dance Gavin Dance to record the album Downtown Battle Mountain II , which was released in 2011. In 2011, Emarosa split from Craig. With the group he released two albums. In August 2012, he was kicked out of Dance Gavin Dance again after receiving multiple warnings from the owner of the Sumerian Records label .

2008–2010: Isles & Glaciers

In 2008 the Chiodos and Cinematic Sunrise singer Craig Owens announced that they would record an EP together with Jonny Craig, Vic Fuentes and other musicians as part of a project. On December 15, 2008, the musicians announced the name of the project, Isles & Glaciers , and the complete lineup.

The only EP, The Hearts of the Lonely People , was released in March 2010 and entered the official US charts.

Since 2010: solo music

Craig also works as a solo musician. In August 2009 his debut album A Dream Is a Question You Don't Know How to Answer was released via Rise Records . Craig is the first solo artist to be signed to Rise Records. As a solo musician, he has toured with AFI , Cinematic Sunrise , Sleeping with Sirens and Tides of Man . He played on the Bamboozle and the SXSW .

Craig raised money through Indiegogo to produce an EP. He bought himself out of the deal with Rise Records. It has been speculated that Craig took part in the US version of the talent show The Voice . The EP Find What You Love and Let It Kill You was released on September 24, 2013, but was also available as a promo download before that.

Since 2014: New band: Slaves

→ Main article : Slaves (American band)

On March 23, 2014, Craig and other musicians founded the rock band Slaves, which is musically comparable to his earlier bands Emarosa and Dance Gavin Dance . On June 24, 2014, Through Art We Are All Equals, the debut album through Artery Recordings . With this he released two more albums and an EP before he was kicked out of the band at the end of January 2019 due to his long-term drug addiction.

Musical influences

Craig's voice has already been compared to Christina Aguilera 's. The X Factor season two contestant Sally Chatfield describes Jonny Craig as one of her musical influences.

Craig described himself in an interview as an " atheist with a Christian background", especially on a musical level. He founded it with his soulful voice and his musical history, which began with gospel music in a church or school choir.

Craig names mainly soul music artists as musical influences , especially Aretha Franklin , Boyz II Men and Craig David . He also names artists from the Motown label and the band Mewithoutyou as influences on his music.

Controversy

Twitter incident

After hackers cracked Craig's Twitter profile, they announced their intention to sell a MacBook under Craig's name . The amount ranged from $ 600 to $ 800. A total of 16 people paid for this computer, but the item was never shipped.

Craig denied the suspicion to have been involved in this action and to have known about the action. He said that his profile was hacked as a victim.

Drug problem

A week after the hacker attack on Twitter was revealed that Craig's tour Emarosa with Chiodos will not deny that he suspicion of a drug addiction in a rehabilitation clinic was admitted. Both Rise Records and The Artery Foundation refunded the victims of the Twitter incident.

In 2011, Craig was arrested for his drug problem. The second time he was arrested, he bailed out and was fined $ 15,000. As a result of this incident, Dance Gavin Dance had to cancel its concert tour and take a break for the first time. After his stay in prison, he was admitted to a rehab clinic. On August 30, 2012, Craig was released from the clinic.

His ex-girlfriend Armanda posted videos showing Craig taking narcotics . Craig said in an interview that she was never happy in their relationship. He decided to focus only on himself.

Relationship with other musicians

Craig said that despite his second expulsion from the band, he was on friendly terms with the musicians of Dance Gavin Dance . To Emarosa contrast, Craig does not have much more contact, but he says he does not hate the musicians. To Vic Fuentes and his band Pierce the Veil , there was also a tense situation when they were friends with each other. Craig invited Fuentes to appear on the debut album Through Art We Are All Equals as a guest vocalist. This should, according to Craig, be an apology to the band and to people he has hurt in the past. To Craig Ericson , owner of Rise Records , he currently has no friendly contact, which is also due to the nature of the separation between Craig and the label. That was one of the reasons why Craig's new band wasn't asked to become a part of Rise Records.

Discography

With Westerhalts

• 2001: Change, Leisure and Retirement (in-house production)

With Ghostrunner on Third

• 2005: Speak Your Dreams (EP, Goodbye Blue Skies )

With Dance Gavin Dance

• 2006: Whatever I Say Is Royal Ocean (in-house production)
• 2007: Downtown Battle Mountain ( Rise Records )
• 2011: Downtown Battle Mountain II (Rise Records)

With Emarosa

→ Main article : Emarosa

• 2008: Relativity ( Rise Records )
• 2010: Emarosa (Rise Records)

With Isles & Glaciers

→ Main article : Isles & Glaciers

• 2010: The Hearts of Lonely People (EP, Equal Vision Records )

With slaves

→ Main article : Slaves (American band)

• 2014: Through Art We Are All Equals ( Artery Recordings )
• 2015: Routine Breathing (Artery Recordings)
• 2018: Beautiful Death (Artery Recordings)
• 2019: Revision (EP, SBG Records)

Solo work

• 2009: A Dream Is a Question You Don't Know How to Answer ( Rise Records )
• 2010: Live at Bamboozle 2010 (Live Album, Live Nation Studios )
• 2013: Find What You Love And Let It Kill You (EP)
• 2014: The Blueprint for Going in Circles ( Artery Recordings , collaboration album with Kyle Lucas and Captain Midnite )

Guest appearances

• 2009: Don't Jump The Shark Before You Save The Whale from Kingdoms on Broadway
• 2010: Our Number (s) from Number (s) by Woe, Is Me
• 2010: Desolate (The Conductor) from Number (s) by Woe, Is Me
• 2010: Bottled Up Like Smoke from Crossroads: 2010 by Bizzy Bone
• 2012: Lion Skin from Ground Dweller by Hands Like Houses
• 2012: Harbinger from Aerolyn by Aerolyn
• 2013: Playing It Safe from Lies to Light the Way by Myka, Relocate
• 2013: Criminal by Silhouette Rising
• 2014: Gemini from Catalyst by Whether, I
• 2014: Ready for Repair (Captain Midnite Remix) from Fragile Figures (Deluxe Edition) by Secrets
• 2014: The Wave from The Future's Mine to Make by Pavilions
• 2015: The Depths from Shields and Crowns by Awaken I Am
• 2016: Devils (Remix) from It Lives, It Breathes
• 2016: Good Intentions by Kyle Lucas
• 2016: Back to Life by Tilian
• 2018: Antagonist from Synesthesia by High Diamond Lights
• 2018: Reign Dance by VRSTY

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original from June 7, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
2. ^ Ghost Runner on Third at . Purevolume.com. Archived from the original on June 28, 2011. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved February 21, 2011. 
3. ↑ Speak Your Dreams at Allmusic (English). Retrieved January 31, 2017.
4. ↑ APpunk.net . (March 2007).
5. ↑ News | Exclusive: Dance Gavin Dance part ways with vocalist, original vocalist Jonny Craig back . Alt Press. August 18, 2010. Archived from the original on February 5, 2011. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved February 21, 2011. 
6. ↑ [1]
7. ↑ Iamcraigowens.com ( Memento of the original from October 16, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . (September 2008).  
8. ↑ Riserecords.com . Web.archive.org. March 11, 2005. Archived from the original on March 11, 2005. Retrieved on February 21, 2011.
9. ^ Count Wall . Indiestar.tv. March 13, 2009. Archived from the original on October 7, 2011. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved February 21, 2011. 
10. ↑ California Lineup - The Bamboozle Music Festivals ( Memento of the original from November 16, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . The Bamboozle  
11. ↑ SXSW: Jonny Craig ( Memento of the original from April 25, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . SXSW  
12. ↑ ^{a b c d e f} Brendan Manley: Alternative Press : “You can hate my past all you want. I'm here to make you love my future ”—Jonny Craig on Slaves
13. ↑ Jonny Craig, Slaves part ways following singer's relapse. Alternative Press , January 24, 2019, accessed February 17, 2019 . 
14. ^ Emarosa - Relativity Review . Sputnik Music . Retrieved June 15, 2010
15. ↑ Sally Chatfield - The X-Factor - Yahoo! 7 TV ( Memento of the original from December 24, 2011 on WebCite ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . Yahoo! 7 . Retrieved December 11, 2010  
16. ↑ ^{a b} Exclusive Interview: JONNY CRAIG . YouTube. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
17. ↑ CHALKBOARD CONFESSIONAL: JONNY CRAIG ( memento from October 6, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) by Tim Karan, October 5, 2009, accessed on October 8, 2013.