Jonny Craig

Jonny Craig

Johnathan Monroe Craig is a musician from Canada and he currently resides in Lexington, Kentucky. He is the lead singer of Emarosa and will also co-lead along side Craig Owens of Chiodos in their new upcoming project, Isles & Glaciers. He was the lead singer of Dance Gavin Dance until November 2007 and also Ghost Runner On Third until mid 2005. Jonny Craig was also the lead singer for A Skylit Drive for a short time after leaving Dance Gavin Dance, and co-lead sang with Silverstein in April 2008.

Biography

Career debut: 2002-2007

Jonny Craig began his singing career between the ages of 16-17, completing the lineup for Ghost Runner on Third. Though Ghost Runner on Third officially began in 2002, it is typically unknown if Jonny Craig was a part of this lineup from the very start. He received early praise with this new band's debut EP, Speak Your Dreams. Allmusic.com stated that Craig was quote: "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."

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. Dance Gavin Dance has also blamed Sean O'Sullivan's departure in part of his "Christian" beliefs colliding with Jonny Craig's anti-theism or atheism, as they constantly fought until Sean decided to leave.

Dance Gavin Dance & Emarosa: 2005-2009

Jonny Craig's singing in Dance Gavin Dance's debut album, Downtown Battle Mountain, also received large amounts of praise. All Music Guide stated that quote "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!)."

In an interview done by Joe DeAndrea on March 2007, it is 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 in 2002-2004. Though he doesn't know where he came up with this random phrase, he constantly refers to himself as "being born to dance." After quitting Dance Gavin Dance after the "Saints and Sinners Festival" in New Jersey, Jonny Craig immediately joined A Skylit Drive and toured with them while their "then lead singer Jordan" was ill. It had been only 2 weeks since he quit Dance Gavin Dance in which he joined Emarosa who was left without a lead singer. Rumors immediately spread that Jonny was leaning to join A Skylit Drive, but his contract with Rise Records had blocked that. This rumor has not been addressed by Emarosa to this date. Matt Mingus (drummer) of Dance Gavin Dance, was asked and addressed of this rumor but could not confirm it's validity, in an interview done by Alternative Press Magazine. Jonny Craig has since also involved himself in a "beef" with current guitarist and former merch guy for Dance Gavin Dance, Zac Garren. Believed to be the main instigator for the constant rumor of Jonny Craig's "drug addiction," a number of videos of Jonny calling out Zac Garren, are posted on youtube such as the following: [1].

Craig's singing in Emarosa's debut 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."

In Emarosa's latest and first video interview with Indiestar.tv, Jonny Craig stated that "Set It Off Like Napalm" and "Pretend Release the Close" were quote "about the life I was having, Dance Gavin Dance, and how much better I was feeling about being in this band." They were written in one practice session and played live 2 days later. He also said that "Even Bad Men Love Their Mothers" was indeed co-sang by his mother. Boys II Men was also said to be one of Jonny Craig's main musical influences. Jonny Craig states that most of the intrumentals were already completed prior to joining Emarosa, in which Jordan Stewart (keyboardist) says five were completed, to be exact. Jerry Roush of Sky Eats Airplane makes an appearance stating he's the new screamer for Emarosa but is joking the entire interview.

Collaboration: Isles & Glaciers

Jonny Craig pushed Emarosa's debut album, Relativity, into becoming the first solely Rise Records album on the Billboard 200 in the label's history. The rise in publicity led Craig Ericson of Rise Records the ability to book a show with Chiodos in Emarosa's hometown of Lexington, Kentucky. Immediately after this event, it was rumored and then confirmed by Craig Owens on his personal website, that both him and Jonny Craig would be recording a duo record by the end of the year. Alternative Press Magazine and Billboard Magazine both confirmed this musician collaboration and project, which was said to be featuring a member of Circa Survive, likely Anthony Green.

The new upcoming record is in production and being produced by Casey Bates in Seattle, Washington. On December 15, 2008, Alternative Press officially announced and revealed the name and lineup of this new project, Isles & Glaciers.

Further info

In a podcast and interview of Emarosa's Will Sowers done by Scene Radio (ihatethescene.com), the host also quoted as saying Jonny Craig "has the best voice in the scene."

A video blog posted by Blessthefall on their myspace page, shows bassist/vocalist Jared Warth secretly trying to sing like Jonny Craig, though unsuccessfully, but caught by his band at the end of the video: [2]

Both Jonny Craig and Craig Owens of Chiodos will be featured as guest vocalists on the debut album "Kingdoms" by rock band Broadway, which is set to release in March 2009.

Discography

Ghost Runner On Third

• Speak Your Dreams EP

Dance Gavin Dance

• Whatever I Say Is Royal Ocean EP
• Downtown Battle Mountain Album

Emarosa

• Relativity Album

Isles & Glaciers

• New upcoming project and record with Craig Owens of Chiodos

List of Guest Appearances

Lower Definition

• The Greatest of All Lost Arts
  • "Pueblo Cicada"

Broadway

• Kingdoms
  • "Unknown"

Jonny Craig/Vic Fuentes

• Unreleased
  • "She Makes Dirty Words Sound Pretty"

A Skylit Drive ft. Jonny Craig

• Lead Vocalist/Touring Vocalist for a short time
  • "According to Columbus"
  • "Knights of the Round" (first time played/demo)
  • "Ability to Create a War" also featuring Craig Mabbitt of Escape the Fate

Silverstein ft. Jonny Craig

• April 2008 guest appearance in Portland, Oregon
  • "Giving Up"

External Links

• Personal Myspace
• Official Emarosa Myspace
• Official Emarosa Twitter
• Official Emarosa Purevolume
• Official Isles & Glaciers Myspace
• Official Isles & Glaciers Website
• Official Rise Records Myspace
• Official Rise Records Website
• Official Emarosa at The Artery Foundation Website

The main article for this category is Pop music.

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