Thomas D'Arcy
Thomas D'Arcy is a Canadian singer and songwriter born in Guernsey, Channel Islands. D'Arcy's family immigrated to Toronto, Ontario in 1981. He has been a member of indie rock bands The Carnations, All Systems Go!, Small Sins, Another Blue Door, The I-Spies, BROS., k-os and Major Maker,[1] among others. He is a graduate of philosophy from the University of Toronto.[2]
Thomas D'Arcy | |
---|---|
Born | Guernsey, Channel Islands |
Origin | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
Genres | Indie rock |
Occupation(s) | Musician, producer, engineer |
Instruments | Vocals, bass |
Years active | 1995–present |
Labels | Astralwerks, Boompa, Thomas D'Arcy Music, MapleMusic Recordings, Arts and Crafts |
Associated acts | BROS. k-os The Carnations Small Sins All Systems Go! Major Maker |
Artist career
In 1995, D'Arcy and three high school friends formed a band called Pseudonym, which would later become The Carnations, with D'Arcy as lead singer and principal songwriter. The band played in nightclubs its members were not old enough to get into (due to the legal drinking age in Ontario being 19) and turned their love of bands like Weezer, Supergrass, Buzzcocks and Television into a power pop sound all their own. The Carnations wrote and performed the theme song for the MuchMusic show So 90's.
In 2000, John Kastner (ex-Doughboys) saw The Carnations play a show at Toronto's Horseshoe Tavern, and invited D'Arcy to join his new band All Systems Go! D'Arcy also continued to play in The Carnations, as well as a band called Another Blue Door. The Carnations called it quits in 2004 with an announcement on their website. In 2005, D'Arcy conceived Small Sins (formerly known as The Ladies and Gentlemen) as a self-contained solo unit. D'Arcy continued to record under the Small Sins moniker until 2011, when he opted to release solo records under his own name. In 2010, D'Arcy founded his own record label, Thomas D'Arcy Music, which released the last Small Sins record in 2010. D'Arcy was the touring bass player for rapper k-os from 2009 to 2014, performing at the closing ceremonies of the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.
D'Arcy created the track "You Lovely You" for a 6-month long advertising campaign for Telus in September 2012. The song was also released on iTunes, and as a 7" vinyl single with B-Side "When We Get into It". Throughout the years, D'Arcy has been commissioned to create music for Canadian advertising campaigns, including for The Home Depot, Triscuits, Dodge, Bell Canada, Scotiabank, Coca-Cola, Honda, Quaker, Alesse, Walmart, Tetley, Hyundai, Toyota, Sunchips, McDonald's and EOS. D'Arcy has also placed music in over 50 television shows and films. In 2016, D'Arcy provided the musical score for the CBC web series 'My 90 Year Old Roommate.'[3] D'Arcy also wrote and performed the theme song for the upcoming CBC show 'Ollie: The Boy Who Became What He Ate.'
In 2012, D'Arcy recorded a cover record of the entire Bad Habits album by UK band The Monks. Members of Sloan, The Pursuit of Happiness, Limblifter, The New Pornographers, Change of Heart, The Doughboys and Cursed contributed guest performances to the album, as did John Ford, an original member of the Monks.[4]
Production career
In 2014, D'Arcy opened the studio Taurus Recording along with fellow producer/engineer Jon Drew. The studio is located in what used to be Wellesley Sound. D'Arcy has produced and engineered recordings for BROS.,[5] Lanikai,[6] TWRP, AA Wallace, White Hot Guilt and Still Life Still. The song 'Tell Me' by BROS. is used as the theme for the CBC radio show Q.[7] He has engineered recordings for July Talk, The Sheepdogs and Soul Stew. D'Arcy engineered the Under The Covers album by Ninja Sex Party, which reached No. 9 on the Billboard sales chart in the US. In 2017, D'Arcy received a SOCAN No. 1 song award for his contribution to the July Talk song "Push + Pull".[8] D'Arcy engineered parts of July Talk's self-titled debut album, which won a Juno award for alternative album of the year in 2015. In 2016, D'Arcy self-recorded, wrote and produced a collaboration with Hawksley Workman called Tommy Hawkins. The result was a six-song EP called 'Amy.'[9] In 2016, D'Arcy signed a publishing deal with Arts and Crafts records.[10] In 2019, D'Arcy was nominated for a JUNO for Jack Richardson Producer of the Year.[11]
Producer/engineer credits
Year | Artist | Project | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
2013 | Still Life Still | Mourning Trance | Producer | Arts & Crafts |
2013 | July Talk | July Talk | Additional Engineer | Juno Winner (Best Alt Album 2015)[12] |
2015 | AA Wallace | In Alpha Zones | Engineer | Second Album in Production |
2015 | The Sheepdogs | Future Nostalgia | Engineer (Back Down) | Juno Nomination (Best Rock Album 2016)[13] |
2015 | TWRP | Believe in Your Dreams | Producer/Engineer | feat. White Hot Guilt |
2016 | Hannah Georgas | This Christmas | Producer/Engineer/Mixer | Amazon X-Mas Exclusive |
2016 | Tommy Hawkins | Amy | Producer/Engineer/Mixer/Writer | Collaboration w/ Hawksley Workman[14] |
2016 | My 90-Year-Old Roommate | Series | Score Composer/Engineer | CBC Series[15] |
2016 | Lanikai | EP | Writer/Producer/Engineer | Second Album in Production[16] |
2016 | July Talk | Touch | Additional Production/Arrangements | SOCAN No. 1 Song Award (Push + Pull)[17] JUNO Winner Alt Album 2017[18] |
2016 | Bros | Vol. 1 | Producer/Engineer/Mixer | Theme for CBC Q (Tell Me)[19] |
2016 | Ninja Sex Party | Under the Covers | Engineer | Billboard USA No. 9 (sales) |
2016 | Soul Stew | Volume III | Engineer | Soul Covers |
2016 | TWRP | Guardians of the Zone | Engineer | feat. Ninja Sex Party |
2017 | Ninja Sex Party | Under The Covers Vol. II | Engineer | Billboard USA No. 1 Independent[20] |
2017 | White Hot Guilt | White Hot Guilt - EP | Engineer/Producer/Mixer | July Talk side project |
2017 | Thomas D'Arcy | Ollie: The Boy Who Became What He Ate | Theme Composer/Performer | CBC Kids Television[21] |
2017 | Rich Aucoin | Release | Producer/Engineer | January 2018 |
2018 | Neko Case | Hell-On | Engineer | 'Gumball Blue' NP overdubs |
2018 | Sleepless Nights | Keith Hamilton | Engineer/Mixer | Cassette |
2018 | The Sheepdogs | Changing Colours | Engineer/Producer/Mixer | 'Hole Where My Heart Should Be' #1 Canadian Rock Radio |
2018 | Shad | A Short Story About a War | Engineer 'All I Need Is Love' | feat. Yukon Blonde |
2018 | Yukon Blonde | Critical Hit | Engineer/Producer | 'Love The Way You Are' CBC #1 |
2020 | Rich Aucoin | United States | Engineer/Overdubs | 'How It Breaks' CBC #1 |
2020 | NOBRO | Sick Hustle | Engineer/Producer | Dine Alone Records |
2020 | The Trews | 1921 | Engineer/Producer | The Who Cover from Tommy |
Artist discography
The Carnations
- 1997: Superluminal
- 1998: The Carnations / The Persuasion Split single 7"
- 1999: A Return to Melody
- 2000: The Carnations / Nero Split single 7"
- 2001: The Carnations
- 2003: In Good Time
Small Sins
- 2006: Small Sins
- 2007: Mood Swings
- 2007: The Mellow EP
- 2010: Pot Calls Kettle Black
Thomas D'Arcy
- 2012: Tribute to the Monks: Bad Habits
- 2013: What We Want (Thomas D'Arcy Music / MapleMusic Recordings)
- 2013: The Price You Pay EP
- 2013: I Wake Up Every Day EP
- 2014: Songs For A Film That Does Not Exist
- 2015: Fooled You Twice
- 2016: Amy (as Tommy Hawkins)
- 2019: Return to Wherever (credited for his vocals on the track "All Night Together")
References
- "EYE Weekly "Hello There, Ladies and Gentlemen" review 2005-06-02". Liisa Ladoucer. Retrieved 28 September 2007.
- "All Systems Go! "Thomas D'Arcy" 2002". Archived from the original on 8 June 2007. Retrieved 28 September 2007.
- "Mall Walk Cock Block | My 90-Year-Old Roommate". YouTube. 3 October 2016. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
- "Thomas D'Arcy Pays Tribute to the Monks with Members of Sloan, New Pornographers, Change of Heart". Retrieved 21 January 2017.
- "BROS – Dine Alone Records". Dine Alone Records. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
- Music, Manitoba. "Lanikai". Manitoba Music. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
- http://www.cbc.ca/radioshows/Q/20161027.shtml
- "SOCAN presents No. 1 Song Awards to July Talk members, Thomas D'Arcy". Socan.ca. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
- "Tommy Hawkins Amy". Exclaim.ca. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
- "A&C Music Publishing". A&C Music Publishing. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
- "Juno Nominations 2019". Junoawards.ca.
- "Award Winners List" (PDF). Junoawards.ca.
- "Nominees | The JUNO Awards". Junoawards.ca. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
- "Hawksley Workman and Thomas D'Arcy Premiere Their Debut as Tommy Hawkins". Exclaim.ca. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
- "Mall Walk Cock Block | My 90-Year-Old Roommate". YouTube. 3 October 2016. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
- Music, Manitoba. "Lanikai". Manitoba Music. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
- "SOCAN". Socan.ca.
- "JUNO Winners/Nominees 2017". Junoawards.ca.
- "The Tom Power era at CBC Radio's Q begins with an intelligent debut". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
- "Taurus Recording Official Facebook". Facebook.com.
- "Ollie: The Boy Who Became What He Ate THEME". YouTube.