Reg Vermue

Reg Vermue is a Canadian indie rock singer from Guelph, Ontario. Born in Trenton, Ontario, he has recorded music under the stage names Gentleman Reg and Regina Gently. His musical style has been compared to Elliott Smith, Aimee Mann, The Smiths and Cat Power. He had a cameo role in the 2006 film Shortbus.

Gentleman Reg
Gentleman Reg, August 2008
Background information
Birth nameReg Vermue
OriginTrenton, Ontario, Canada
GenresIndie rock, folk rock, lo-fi
InstrumentsGuitar
vocals
piano
Years active2000–present
LabelsThree Gut Records
Arts & Crafts
Associated actsThe Hidden Cameras
Broken Social Scene
Owen Pallett
Royal City
Constantines
WebsiteGentleman Reg

Most recently he began performing with a new band called Light Fires with James Bunton from the band Ohbijou, debuting songs in October 2010 at Pop Montreal.[1] In Light Fires, Vermue performs in drag, adopting the alternate persona Regina Gently.[2]

Career

His first album, The Theoretical Girl, was released in 2000 on Three Gut Records. He released two more albums, Make Me Pretty in 2002 and Darby & Joan in 2004, on Three Gut before the label dissolved in 2005.[3]

He subsequently signed to Arts & Crafts in 2008.[4] His first release for that label, Little Buildings in 2008, was a compilation of tracks from his Three Gut albums. The album was created for release in the United States, where his earlier albums had never secured wide distribution. At the same time, he also released "You Can't Get it Back", an advance single from his first album of new material for Arts & Crafts, Jet Black, which was released in full on 24 February 2009.[5] Jet Black was the first proper studio album that he released in the United States.[6]

Members of Royal City and The Constantines have regularly appeared as Vermue's band, live and on recordings, as well as long-time drummer Greg Millson, who now performs with Great Lake Swimmers. Vermue was also a member of The Hidden Cameras for several years and has performed with Broken Social Scene, sung backup for Sufjan Stevens, and often guests with Owen Pallett. He also appeared on a tribute CD for The Breeders, Hellbound, performing the song "Doe".

Songs by Gentleman Reg have appeared in such films as Shortbus, Wilby Wonderful, Twist, The End of Silence, Late Fragment, and on the television show Queer as Folk.

Vermue, who is openly gay,[7] appears in a cameo role in the 2006 John Cameron Mitchell film Shortbus. In it, his character claims to be an albino — although Vermue is fair-skinned and has very light blond hair, he is not in fact an albino.[8] Songs by Gentleman Reg are featured on the soundtrack of the film.

In 2019 Vermue released "Good People", the first single to be credited to Regina Gently as a solo act.[9] The following year he released Don't Wait to Love Me, the first full-length Regina Gently album.[10]

Discography

Albums

Compilations
  • "Doe" on Hellbound: A Tribute to The Breeders (2001)
  • "05.07.02" on Recordings From CKLN's Wired for Sound: 2001–2002 – a live recording of "Give Me a Chance"
  • "Over My Head (4 track)" on Friends in Bellwoods (2007)
  • "For Trust" on Friends in Bellwoods II (2009)
  • "Happens All the Time" (Eric's Trip cover) on Have Not Been the Same, Vol. 1: Too Cool to Live, Too Smart to Die (2011, as Light Fires)

Soundtracks

Guest vocal appearances

As a member of The Hidden Cameras

Reg appeared on several of their albums and singles in different capacities.

References
  1. Gentleman Reg, Ohbijou Debut New Band Light Fires at Pop Montreal. Spinner Canada, 3 October 2010.
  2. "Gentleman Reg gets Fired up" Archived 18 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine. The Grid, 22 July 2011.
  3. Khanna, Vish. "Ever the Gentleman Reg" Archived 29 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine, Exclaim!, March 2009.
  4. "Gentleman Reg Inks Deal with Arts and Crafts". CBC Radio 3. 15 July 2008. Retrieved 15 July 2008.
  5. MacNeil, Jason (4 May 2007). "Gentleman Reg Wraps Record With Help From Friends". Chart Attack. Archived from the original on 17 April 2009. Retrieved 20 March 2009.
  6. Gentleman Reg back in Jet Black. canoe.ca, 25 February 2009.
  7. Michael Barclay (27 February 2006). "Gentleman Reg plays the confidence game". Eye Weekly. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 18 July 2007.
  8. Shortbus DVD director and cast commentary.
  9. Sarah Murphy, "Gentleman Reg Makes Debut as Regina Gently on 'Good People'". Exclaim!, April 18, 2019.
  10. Vish Khanna, "Regina Gently Channels the Joy of 'Electric Circus' on 'Don't Wait to Love Me'". Exclaim!, September 23, 2020.
  11. Listen to a new song from Thunderheist’s Isis Salam. aux.tv, 10 December 2010.
  12. Buck 65 Celebrates 20 Odd Years with Collaborations with Gord Downie, Nick Thorburn, Hannah Georgas. Exclaim!, 9 December 2010.
  13. Buck 65 Talks 20 Odd Years EP Series, Gets Gentleman Reg to Help Cover Bronski Beat on Next Instalment. Exclaim!, 13 September 2010.
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