![Johnny de Courcy Photo]()
A NEW KIND OF GUITAR WIZARDRY IN TOWN
No matter if you’re familiar with his work in the arena of metal music when he was with Black Wizard, his solo work, or from him tramping all over Canada with the Death Rangers in tow, chances are you’ve been hearing the name Johnny de Courcy on the lips of music enthusiasts all over town. It seems that no matter where you look lately, you see de Courcy’s signature blonde locks and glamorously androgynous rocker style infiltrating the pages of magazines and social media posts.
Far from his legendary guitar work with Black Wizard, his solo work sees de Courcy reach in and pull out his inner pop star. When he released a five-track EP entitled Bad Teeth in 2011, it ushered in a completely new aesthetic which is much more raw, personal and very close to his own heart. But, don’t think for a second that he’s wussing out. While he has been creating what he calls “pop music from the heart” with a more classically-structured song writing style, he still retains his shredding sensibilities, giving his songs a hardness that cushions the softer elements, following in the footsteps of melodic noise makers, Dinosaur Jr. Some of the magic can also be attributed to his ingenious fusing of warm and fuzzy radio rock with ambient psychedelic swells that will stop you in your tracks as he weaves starkly raw and emotional lyrics that tell tales of friendships, addiction and struggles with identity and ego.
Not only will this be de Courcy’s first time playing Sled Island, but also his first time attending. So, if you haven’t lost your Sled Island virginity yet, you just might get the chance to lose it alongside Johnny himself.
Catch Johnny de Courcy & The Death Rangers at Flames Central on June 22.
By Jamie Maxwell
