Portland electro-pop group John Craig & The Weekend have drawn comparisons to the likes of Cut Copy, Duran Duran, Ra Ra Riot and The Police; but on their forthcoming debut LP the band has clearly forged it’s own path. Hailing from the new indie-folk-rock capitol that Portland has become, John Craig & The Weekend standout as a band with a sound almost more suited for Los Angeles, but with a heart firmly planted in the laid-back Pacific Northwest.
Chief songwriter and frontman, John Craig, made waves with his 2009 solo debut (Umlaut EP) that received glowing press from the Willamette Week, Portland Mercury, Portland Tribune and Eugene Weekly. Craig quickly followed up the EP with two well received singles in 2010 (”Ghosts” and “Broken Branches”) and is now back with a new band (members include Craig, Nicole Berke, Tommy Illk & Josh Lava), new material, and new mission to bring his infectious sound to the ears of music lovers across the globe.
For a little backstory... John cut his teeth in the Eugene-based band Tympaic which he co-founded with his high school friend, Bling Pilot’s Ryan Dobrowski, during their college days at the University of Oregon. Tympanic toured up and down the West Coast throughout college before moving onto new projects upon graduation.
Always busy in the Portland music scene, Craig’s previous bands have given way to The Weekend, as well as Craig’s current parallel project Search Party, which has recently released their debut full-length Deturn. The LP has received critical acclaim from the Portland Mercury, Willamette Week and Portland Tribune.
John Craig & The Weekend’s debut album is slated for release this summer on Loophole Records. The band is planning an extensive Western US tour in support of the album.
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