Reg Vermue is a Canadian

indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...

singer from

Guelph Guelph ( ; 2021 Canadian Census population 143,740) is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Known as "The Royal City", Guelph is roughly east of Kitchener and west of Downtown Toronto, at the intersection of Highway 6, Highway 7 and Wel ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

. Born in

Trenton, Ontario Trenton (2001 population 16,770) is a large unincorporated community in Central Ontario in the municipality of Quinte West, Ontario, Canada. Located on the Bay of Quinte, it is the starting point for the Trent-Severn Waterway, which continues no ...

, he has recorded music under the stage names Gentleman Reg and Regina Gently. His musical style has been compared to

Elliott Smith Steven Paul Smith (August 6, 1969 – October 21, 2003), known professionally as Elliott Smith, was an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and lived much of hi ...

Aimee Mann Aimee Elizabeth Mann (born September 8, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter. Over the course of four decades, she has released more than a dozen albums as a solo artist and with other musicians. She is noted for her sardonic and literate lyr ...

The Smiths The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. They comprised the singer Morrissey, the guitarist Johnny Marr, the bassist Andy Rourke and the drummer Mike Joyce. They are regarded as one of the most important acts to emerg ...

and

Cat Power Charlyn Marie "Chan" Marshall ( ; born January 21, 1972), better known by her stage name Cat Power, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and model. Cat Power was originally the name of her first band, but has become her stage name as a ...

. He had a cameo role in the 2006 film ''

Shortbus ''Shortbus'' is a 2006 American erotic comedy-drama film written and directed by John Cameron Mitchell. The plot revolves around a sexually diverse ensemble of colorful characters trying desperately to connect in an early 2000s New York City. Th ...

''. Most recently he began performing with a new band called Light Fires with James Bunton from the band

Ohbijou Ohbijou was a Canadian indie pop band that was based in Toronto, Ontario. The music of Ohbijou draws on pop, folk and bluegrass influences. History Ohbijou began as the solo project of Brantford singer-songwriter Casey Mecija.Sayej, Nadja. "Und ...

, debuting songs in October 2010 at

Pop Montreal POP Montreal is an annual music festival occurring in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in the early fall, usually at the end of September or the beginning of October. More than 400 bands are scheduled to play in more than 50 venues across the city, most ...

. In Light Fires, Vermue performs in drag, adopting the alternate persona Regina Gently.

Career

His first album, ''The Theoretical Girl'', was released in 2000 on

Three Gut Records Three Gut Records was a Guelph, Ontario, Canada based independent record label. It was founded in 1999 by Lisa Moran and Tyler Clark Burke as a vehicle for releasing albums by their friends; it became an influential player in Canadian music with ...

. He released two more albums, ''Make Me Pretty'' in 2002 and '' Darby & Joan'' in 2004, on Three Gut before the label dissolved in 2005. He subsequently signed to Arts & Crafts in 2008. 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 Brian John Duffy (26 August 1938 – 6 December 2022), professionally known as Jet Black, was an English drummer and founding member of punk rock/ new wave band The Stranglers. He last performed with the band in 2015, and officially retired in ...

'', which was released in full on 24 February 2009. ''Jet Black '' was the first proper studio album that he released in the United States. Members of

Royal City Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a ...

and

The Constantines Constantines is an indie rock band from Guelph, Ontario, Canada. History Constantines was formed in 1999 by vocalist and guitarist Bryan Webb, drummer Doug MacGregor and guitarist Paul Bright, all of whom had played together in the emo band Sho ...

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 Great Lake Swimmers is a Canadian folk rock band from Wainfleet, Ontario, and currently based in Toronto. The current touring line-up includes Tony Dekker on lead vocals, acoustic guitar and harmonica, Erik Arnesen on banjo, electric guitar and ...

. Vermue was also a member of

The Hidden Cameras The Hidden Cameras are a Canadian indie pop band. Fronted by singer-songwriter Joel Gibb, the band consists of a varying roster of musicians who play what Gibb once described as "gay church folk music". Their live performances have been elaborate ...

for several years and has performed with

Broken Social Scene Broken Social Scene is a Canadians, Canadian indie rock band, a musical collective including as few as six and as many as nineteen members, formed by Kevin Drew (vocals, guitar) and Brendan Canning (vocals, bass) in 1999. Alongside Drew and Cannin ...

, sung backup for

Sufjan Stevens Sufjan Stevens ( ; born July 1, 1975) is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He has released nine solo studio albums and multiple collaborative albums with other artists. Stevens has received Grammy and Academy Award nomi ...

, and often guests with

Owen Pallett Michael James Owen Pallett (born September 7, 1979) is a Canadian composer, violinist, keyboardist, and vocalist. Under their erstwhile moniker of Final Fantasy, Pallett won the 2006 Polaris Music Prize for the album ''He Poos Clouds''. Pallet ...

. He also appeared on a tribute CD for

The Breeders The Breeders are an American alternative rock band based in Dayton, Ohio, consisting of members Kim Deal (rhythm guitar, lead vocals), her twin sister Kelley Deal (lead guitar, vocals), Josephine Wiggs (bass guitar, vocals) and Jim Macpherson ...

, ''Hellbound'', performing the song "Doe". Songs by Gentleman Reg have appeared in such films as ''

'', ''

Wilby Wonderful ''Wilby Wonderful'' is a 2004 comedy-drama film directed by Daniel MacIvor, and starring James Allodi, Maury Chaykin, Paul Gross, Rebecca Jenkins, Sandra Oh, Elliot Page, Callum Keith Rennie, and Daniel MacIvor. ''Wilby Wonderful'' tells the story ...

'', ''

Twist Twist may refer to: In arts and entertainment Film, television, and stage * ''Twist'' (2003 film), a 2003 independent film loosely based on Charles Dickens's novel ''Oliver Twist'' * ''Twist'' (2021 film), a 2021 modern rendition of ''Olive ...

'', ''

The End of Silence ''The End of Silence'' is the fifth release and the third full-length album by the Rollins Band, led by former Black Flag singer Henry Rollins. The album's cover features a stylized drawing of the sun identical to the one tattooed on Rollins' ...

'', '' Late Fragment'', and on the television show '' Queer as Folk''. Vermue, who is openly gay, appears in a cameo role in the 2006

John Cameron Mitchell John Cameron Mitchell (born April 21, 1963) is a two-time Tony Award winning American actor, playwright, screenwriter, singer, songwriter, producer and director. He is best known as the writer, director and star of the 2001 film '' Hedwig and th ...

film ''

''. In it, his character claims to be an

albino Albinism is the congenital absence of melanin in an animal or plant resulting in white hair, feathers, scales and skin and pink or blue eyes. Individuals with the condition are referred to as albino. Varied use and interpretation of the term ...

— although Vermue is fair-skinned and has very light blond hair, he is not in fact an albino.''

'' DVD director and cast commentary. 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. The following year he released ''Don't Wait to Love Me'', the first full-length Regina Gently album.

Discography

Albums

* ''The Theoretical Girl'' (2000) * ''Make Me Pretty'' (2002) * '' Darby & Joan'' (2004) * '' Little Buildings'' (2008) (U.S. only release) * ''

'' (2009) * '' Heavy Head'' (2009) (Digital only release) * '' Leisure Life'' (2012) * ''Light Fires'' (2013) * ''Don't Wait to Love Me'' (2020)

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 ''Friends in Bellwoods'' is a compilation album, released in 2007. It was the first release on Out of This Spark, through a distribution deal with Sonic Unyon Records. The album is named for a house on Bellwoods Avenue in Toronto, shared by two ...

'' (2007) * "For Trust" on ''

Friends in Bellwoods II ''Friends in Bellwoods'' is a compilation album, released in 2009 by Out of This Spark as a benefit for Toronto's Daily Bread Food Bank. The album is a sequel to the 2007 compilation ''Friends in Bellwoods''. Where the original album was, in par ...

'' (2009) * "Happens All the Time" (

Eric's Trip Eric's Trip is a Canadian indie rock band from Moncton, New Brunswick. Eric's Trip achieved prominence as the first Canadian band to be signed to Seattle's flagship grunge label Sub Pop in the early 1990s. The band had a minor hit in alternative ...

cover) on ''Have Not Been the Same, Vol. 1: Too Cool to Live, Too Smart to Die'' (2011, as Light Fires)

Soundtracks

* ''

'' by

Daniel MacIvor Daniel MacIvor (born July 23, 1962) is a Canadian actor, playwright, theatre director, and film director. He is probably best known for his acting roles in independent films and the sitcom ''Twitch City''. Personal MacIvor was born in Sydney, Nov ...

, 2004 * ''

'' by

, 2006

Guest vocal appearances

* "Communication" from '' Morning Noon Night'' by Jim Guthrie (2002) * "Library" from ''

Has a Good Home ''Has a Good Home'' is the first album by the Canadians, Canadian musician Owen Pallett, released under the name of their solo project Final Fantasy. Track listing ''All songs written by Owen Pallett except where noted.'' # "None of You Will Ev ...

'' by

Final Fantasy is a Japanese video game, Japanese science fantasy anthology media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi and developed and owned by Square Enix (formerly Square (video game company), Square). The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and ...

(2004) * "Bring My Father a Gift" and "Take Me Down to Yonder River" from '' Little Heart's Ease'' by

(2004) * "Reward and Respite" from ''Attic Salt'' by

Kepler Johannes Kepler (; ; 27 December 1571 – 15 November 1630) was a German astronomer, mathematician, astrologer, natural philosopher and writer on music. He is a key figure in the 17th-century Scientific Revolution, best known for his laws o ...

(2004) * "Hotline Operator" from ''

Tournament of Hearts The Scotties Tournament of Hearts (''french: Le Tournoi des Cœurs Scotties''; commonly referred to as the Scotties) is the annual Canadian women's curling championship, sanctioned by Curling Canada, formerly called the Canadian Curling Associat ...

'' by

Constantines Constantines is an indie rock band from Guelph, Ontario, Canada. History Constantines was formed in 1999 by vocalist and guitarist Bryan Webb, drummer Doug MacGregor and guitarist Paul Bright, all of whom had played together in the emo band Shou ...

(2005) * "Blizzards" from '' Swift Feet for Troubling Times'' by

(2007) * "In the Beginning" b/w "Stars" from ''Unreleased'' by Isis Salam (2010) * "Smalltown Boy" from ''Cenotaph'' by

Buck 65 Richard Terfry (born March 4, 1972), better known by his stage name Buck 65, is a Canadian alternative hip hop artist. Underpinned by an extensive background in abstract hip hop, his more recent music has extensively incorporated blues, country, ...

(2010)Buck 65 Talks 20 Odd Years EP Series, Gets Gentleman Reg to Help Cover Bronski Beat on Next Instalment
''

Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...

'', 13 September 2010. * "Wait & See" from '' Special Affections'' by Diamond Rings (2010) * "Flare Gun" from ''

Heartland Heartland or Heartlands may refer to: Businesses and organisations * Heartland Bank, a New Zealand-based financial institution * Heartland Inn, a chain of hotels based in Iowa, United States * Heartland Alliance, an anti-poverty organization i ...

'' by

(2010)

As a member of The Hidden Cameras

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

The Smell of Our Own ''The Smell of Our Own'' is a 2003 album by The Hidden Cameras. Track listing # "Golden Streams" – 4:28 # "Ban Marriage" – 4:15 # "A Miracle" – 2:50 # "The Animals of Prey" – 4:04 # "Smells Like Happiness" – 3:08 # "Day Is Dawnin ...

'' (2003) *'' The Hidden Cameras Play the CBC Sessions'' (2003) *''

Mississauga Goddam ''Mississauga Goddam'' is a 2004 album by The Hidden Cameras. The title is an allusion to Nina Simone's civil rights anthem "Mississippi Goddam" (from the album '' Nina Simone in Concert''), suggesting suburbia (Mississauga is a suburb of Toro ...

'' (2004) *''I Believe in the Good of Life'' CD single (2004) *'' Awoo'' (2006)

References

External links

Gentleman Reg
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vermue, Reg Year of birth missing (living people) Living people People from Quinte West LGBT singers from Canada LGBT songwriters Canadian folk singer-songwriters Canadian male singer-songwriters Canadian pop singers Canadian indie rock musicians Canadian indie pop musicians Musicians from Ontario Canadian gay musicians