BC Camplight (born Brian Christinzio on May 31, 1979) is an England-based American songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.
His 2005 album ''Hide, Run Away'' was released by
One Little Indian
One Little Independent Records (formerly One Little Indian Records) is an English independent record label. It was set up in 1985 by members of various anarcho-punk bands, and managed by former Flux of Pink Indians bassist Derek Birkett. In th ...
and featured
Cynthia G. Mason on vocals.
Camplight's follow-up, ''Blink of a Nihilist'', was released in 2007, and his third album came out in January 2015 on
Bella Union
Bella Union is a British independent record label founded in 1997 by Simon Raymonde and Robin Guthrie of Cocteau Twins. It is now run solely by Raymonde.
History
After releasing records with 4AD for a large part of their career, Cocteau Twi ...
. Christinzio's later lyrics regularly explore his personal life and self-destructive tendencies, including struggles with depression and alcohol.
Biography
Originally from
Wenonah, New Jersey
Wenonah is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Gloucester County, New Jersey, Gloucester County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States census, 2010 U.S. census, the borough's population was 2,283, an increase of 5 from the ...
, Christinzio relocated to
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
, United States, in 2003. He soon signed a record deal with
One Little Indian
One Little Independent Records (formerly One Little Indian Records) is an English independent record label. It was set up in 1985 by members of various anarcho-punk bands, and managed by former Flux of Pink Indians bassist Derek Birkett. In th ...
and established himself on the city's live music scene. He played live with members of
The War on Drugs
The War on Drugs is an American rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, formed in 2005. The band consists of Adam Granduciel (vocals, guitar), David Hartley (bass guitar), Robbie Bennett (keyboards), Charlie Hall (drums), Jon Natchez (saxopho ...
and appeared as a session piano player on
Sharon Van Etten
Sharon Katharine Van Etten (born February 26, 1981) is an American singer-songwriter. She has released six studio albums, the latest of which is '' We've Been Going About This All Wrong'' (2022).
Early life
Van Etten was born in Belleville, N ...
's 2011 album ''Epic'', among other collaborations.
On the One Little Indian record label, Christinzio released two albums, one in 2005 and another in 2007. They were critically well received but did not succeed commercially. He was dropped by the label and nearly quit music altogether while struggling with mental health issues, drugs and alcohol.
Christinzio relocated to
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
, England in 2012, following the advice of a fan on social media.
There he recuperated and returned to writing and performing.
In October 2014
Bella Union
Bella Union is a British independent record label founded in 1997 by Simon Raymonde and Robin Guthrie of Cocteau Twins. It is now run solely by Raymonde.
History
After releasing records with 4AD for a large part of their career, Cocteau Twi ...
announced it would be releasing BC Camplight's already-recorded third album, ''How to Die in the North'', in January 2015.
However, in early 2015 Christinzio overstayed his
visa
Visa most commonly refers to:
*Visa Inc., a US multinational financial and payment cards company
** Visa Debit card issued by the above company
** Visa Electron, a debit card
** Visa Plus, an interbank network
*Travel visa, a document that allows ...
permissions due to a severe leg injury and was made to leave the UK, resulting in the cancellation of his band's summer tour which was to include performances at the
Green Man
The Green Man is a legendary being primarily interpreted as a symbol of rebirth, representing the cycle of new growth that occurs every spring. The Green Man is most commonly depicted in a sculpture, or other representation of a face which is ...
and
End of the Road festivals and an appearance on ''
Later... with Jools Holland''. Gigs in other countries went ahead as planned, including a debut tour in the US. Christinzio temporarily resided in Paris and Philadelphia.
In the spring of 2016, he toured the West Coast of America for the first time. He then re-settled in Manchester with an Italian passport, care of his grandparents, and has since been granted a permanent Settled status.
In 2017 Christinzio recorded a new album, ''
Deportation Blues'', released on Bella Union in summer 2018. Some of the album chronicled his experience with the UK immigration system. His most successful at the time, the release was nonetheless followed by another difficult personal period, including the sudden loss of Christinzio's father.
In April 2020 BC Camplight released his fifth album, ''Shortly After Takeoff'', again on Bella Union. It marked the completion of his so-called "'
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
Trilogy", which also includes his previous two albums released on the same label. It became Christinzio's most commercial and critically-successful record to date, with ''The Guardian'' calling it "a masterpiece".
Up to 2021, the BC live band consisted of Christinzio (piano/vocals), Luke Barton (vocals/synth/guitar), Stephen Mutch (bass), Thom Bellini (guitar), Adam Dawson (drums) and Francesca Pidgeon (vocals/synth/percussion/saxophone).
In May 2023, Christinzio released ''The Last Rotation of Earth'', an album written after the breakup of his long-term relationship.
The album peaked at number 31 on the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
.
The release of the album was followed by both solo and full-band tours, with the band consisting of longtime members Adam Dawson, Luke Barton and Francesca Pidgeon, with new additions guitarist Tom Rothery and multi-instrumentalist Ali Bell.
Discography
''Hide, Run Away'' (
One Little Indian
One Little Independent Records (formerly One Little Indian Records) is an English independent record label. It was set up in 1985 by members of various anarcho-punk bands, and managed by former Flux of Pink Indians bassist Derek Birkett. In th ...
, 2005)
# "Couldn't You Tell" 3:24
# "Blood and Peanut Butter" 3:54
# "Emily's Dead to Me" 1:57
# "Hide Runaway" 5:19
# "Wouldn't Mind the Sunshine" 4:28
# "Parapaleejo" 3:17
# "Oranges in Winter" 4:36
# "If You Think I Don't Mean It" 2:01
# "La La La" 4:38
# "Richard Dawson" 3:26
# "Sleep with Your Lights On" 4:23
''Blink of a Nihilist'' (One Little Indian, 2007)
# "Suffer for Two" 2:57
# "Lord, I've Been on Fire" 3:45
# "Werewolf Waltz" 1:22
# "Forget About Your Bones" 2:57
# "Say Tonto!" 4:06
# "The Hip and the Homeless" 3:45
# "The 22 Skidoo" 3:34
# "Officer Down" 3:44
# "Grey Young Amelia" 5:20
# "I've Got a Bad Cold" 2:04
# "Scare Me Sweetly" 4:46
''How to Die in the North'' (
Bella Union
Bella Union is a British independent record label founded in 1997 by Simon Raymonde and Robin Guthrie of Cocteau Twins. It is now run solely by Raymonde.
History
After releasing records with 4AD for a large part of their career, Cocteau Twi ...
, 2015)
# "You Should've Gone to School" 4:29
# "Love Isn't Anybody's Fault" 3:09
# "Just Because I Love You" 5:13
# "Grim Cinema" 3:55
# "Good Morning Headache" 5:31
# "Thieves in Antigua" 4:07
# "Atom Bomb" 4:47
# "Lay Me on the Floor" 5:52
# "Why Doesn't Anybody Fall in Love Anymore" 3:32
'' Deportation Blues'' (Bella Union, 2018)
# "Deportation Blues" 4:44
# "I'm in a Weird Place Now" 4:32
# "Hell or Pennsylvania" 4:29
# "I'm Desperate" 4:09
# "When I Think of My Dog" 4:12
# "Am I Dead Yet?" 5:26
# "Midnight Ease" 4:58
# "Fire in England" 3:44
# "Until You Kiss Me" 3:03
''Shortly After Takeoff'' (Bella Union, 2020)
# "I Only Drink When I'm Drunk" 3:44
# "Ghosthunting" 5:33
# "Back to Work" 4:11
# "Cemetery Lifestyle" 3:42
# "I Want to Be in the Mafia" 4:37
# "Shortly After Takeoff" 3:31
# "Arm Around Your Sadness" 3:34
# "Born to Cruise" 3:35
# "Angelo" 1:32
''The Last Rotation of Earth'' (Bella Union, 2023)
# "The Last Rotation of Earth" 4:09
# "The Movie" 5:10
# "It Never Rains in Manchester" 4:49
# "Kicking Up a Fuss" 4:16
# "She's Gone Cold" 3:59
# "Fear Life in a Dozen Years" 4:23
# "Going Out on a Low Note" 4:15
# "I'm Ugly" 3:09
# "The Mourning" 2:05
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Camplight, BC
1979 births
Living people
Songwriters from New Jersey
American indie rock musicians
American expatriates in the United Kingdom
American male pianists
21st-century American pianists
21st-century American male singers
21st-century American singers
One Little Independent Records artists
Nettwerk Music Group artists
Musicians from New Jersey
People from Wenonah, New Jersey
American male songwriters