Jon Courtney
| Jon Courtney | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jonathan Courtney |
| Also known as | Cedo Simplex, KC Blitz |
| Born | Sheffield, England |
| Origin | Reading, Berkshire, England |
| Genres |
Progressive rock Alternative rock New prog |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar, keyboard |
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Labels | Superball Music |
| Associated acts | All Bangers, Bullet Height, No Mash, Pure Reason Revolution The Sunset Sound |
Jon Courtney is a British singer, guitarist, and keyboard player, formerly in the rock band Pure Reason Revolution. He was also the sole songwriter (except "The Bright Ambassadors of Morning" credited to Courtney/Jong) on their first two albums. Outside of Pure Reason Revolution, Courtney is involved in the DJ set All Bangers No Mash under the pseudonym "Cedo Simplex", and is one member of the duo KC Blitz.
Courtney and his brother and former bandmate Andrew Courtney grew up in Reading, Berkshire, as did fellow Pure Reason Revolution members Chloe Alper and Jamie Willcox. In an interview, Courtney points to the precise moment, at approximately age 11, when he decided he wanted to be a musician, when he saw the band Nirvana on the MTV Awards in about 1991. Courtney said, "[F]rom that point on it was like "wow!" – I was transfixed by the TV – "this is what I've got to do, there's no question." The next day I was just hassling my mum for a guitar. I have to play guitar and then I started a huge obsession with Nirvana and the whole grunge scene. So that's definitely a strong turning point for me." He credited the appeal of the moment to the "passion in the music and the passion of the audience's reaction to the music."
Courtney began playing in bands at his secondary school Reading Blue Coat School. He and his brother were involved in the punk band Gel, which was scouted and signed by Seymour Stein, the founder of Sire Records. Uncut magazine reviewed their first (and only) album Sparkly Things (produced by Julian Standen of The Lemonheads) describing it as "dulcet adolescent vocals, and a thorough grasp of commercial rock dynamics producing an appealing sound redolent of the early Undertones". The band played Reading festival 1998. Courtney enjoyed the experience of touring and recording, and teamed up with his brother, Alper and several others to form the indie pop band The Sunset Sound, which received some airplay before the band members dissolved the band as not representing their style. The band's music was also inspired by a university project in which Courtney was involved creating new original music for the 1960s television show The Prisoner.
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