Jont
Encyclopedia
Jont is a British
Singer-songwriter
. First achieving prominence as a slow left-arm spinner for Middlesex County Cricket Club
, he then shifted focus to poetry then to music. He is perhaps best known for his song Sweetheart which appears on the soundtrack to the 2005 US comedy film Wedding Crashers
. Two tracks from his 2008 album Supernatural were featured in Season Five of US medical drama Grey's Anatomy
.
and Jonathan Williams
. Returning to England at age eighteen, Whittington began playing for Middlesex County Cricket Club as a slow left arm spinner and Phil Tufnell
's number 2. During this period he attended Manchester University to study English and American Literature
which he called Unlit. Over the next five years he would play host to and perform with such artists as Tom Baxter
, Polly Paulusma
, Solomon (later to become The Duke Spirit
), Boo Hewerdine
, Archie Bronson Outfit
, Adem and Antonio Forcione
.
During this time Whittington recorded his first albums, Life Is Fine and "28" on his own label Unlit Records.
In 2003 Whittington moved to New York whereupon he began regularly performing with artists such as Joan As Policewoman and Artanker Convoy
. During this period he was taken under the wing of Fleetwood Mac
manager Tony Dimitriades in Los Angeles and, after moving to Hollywood, began working with several producers including Tom Rothrock
, Bill Laswell
and Mushroom from Massive Attack
.
In 2005 he released the EP One Long Song which was awarded four stars from Q Magazine. The track, You Can Be The Stars, was given high rotation on Dermot O'Leary
's BBC Radio 2
show and Whittington appeared on the show to perform live. His cover of Goldfrapp's Number 1 was subsequently released on the compilation album The Saturday Sessions: The Dermot O'Leary Show
. The song Sweetheart from the EP was used during the end credits of the Hollywood comedy Wedding Crashers
. In the summer of 2006, Whittington toured the USA. Following this tour at the invitation of the BBC performed as part of the Electric Proms.
2008 saw the release of the album Supernatural, recorded in Paris and London. In September the track Another Door Closes, was featured in the Season Five premiere of the US medical drama, Grey's Anatomy
and received airplay from Jonathan Ross
on BBC Radio 2
.
In March 2009 the track Don't Waste All Your Tears was featured in Season Seven of CBS
primetime show Without A Trace
and the song Sweetheart was featured in Season Five of Grey's Anatomy in April.
Jont released his third studio album Set It Free in May 2010 followed by his fourth album Whole Again in November 2010 - the first to be released solely thoroughly through his own webstore.
entitled The State We're In.
From April to May 2008 Whittington and Depares filmed a second ten-part series of their video blog, this time entitled The House We're In and taking Unlit to Myspace user's houses in the UK.
Shortly after this UK telecoms company Orange commissioned a third series of the show, called The Road We're On, as part of their "I Am Everyone" campaign. Episodes were premiered on Myspace a week before being posted on Youtube. Eight episodes were posted, plus a twenty-minute retrospective documentary, which was posted on Dailymotion.
The Unlit series has been viewed by over two million people.
In October 2008 in conjunction with the BBC Radio 2's Dermot O'Leary show and the BBC's Electric Proms, the Unlit series culminated in an Electric Proms/Unlit event in North London.
"Unlit has developed from an underground movement to a viral phenonemon worldwide" - The Guardian
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
. First achieving prominence as a slow left-arm spinner for Middlesex County Cricket Club
Middlesex County Cricket Club
Middlesex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Middlesex. It was announced in February 2009 that Middlesex changed their limited overs name from the Middlesex Crusaders, to the...
, he then shifted focus to poetry then to music. He is perhaps best known for his song Sweetheart which appears on the soundtrack to the 2005 US comedy film Wedding Crashers
Wedding Crashers
Wedding Crashers is a 2005 American comedy film directed by David Dobkin. It stars Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn, with Christopher Walken, Rachel McAdams, Isla Fisher, Bradley Cooper, Diora Baird, Jane Seymour, and an uncredited Will Ferrell....
. Two tracks from his 2008 album Supernatural were featured in Season Five of US medical drama Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
.
Early years
Dividing his youth between the USA and England, Jont first started writing poems aged fourteen While still a teenager he toured the United States conducting interviews with a series of prominent American poets including Allen GinsbergAllen Ginsberg
Irwin Allen Ginsberg was an American poet and one of the leading figures of the Beat Generation in the 1950s. He vigorously opposed militarism, materialism and sexual repression...
and Jonathan Williams
Jonathan Williams
Jonathan Williams or Jon Williams may refer to:*Jonathan Williams , Welsh antiquary*Jonathan Williams , American businessman, military figure, politician, writer and engineer...
. Returning to England at age eighteen, Whittington began playing for Middlesex County Cricket Club as a slow left arm spinner and Phil Tufnell
Phil Tufnell
Philip Clive Roderick Tufnell is a former English cricketer turned television personality. A slow left-arm orthodox spin bowler, "Tuffers" as he was known played 42 Tests and 20 One Day International matches for England, as well as playing for Middlesex from 1986 to 2002...
's number 2. During this period he attended Manchester University to study English and American Literature
Music career
Frustrated with the limited reception his poetry was achieving, Whittington started performing as a musician in the groups Your Baby and Funnybone before going solo. After leaving University he moved to London, attaining a residency at the 12 Bar Club12 Bar Club
The 12 Bar Club is one of the smallest live music venues in London, England. It is located in Denmark Street, aka "Tin Pan Alley", just off Charing Cross Road and close to Soho....
which he called Unlit. Over the next five years he would play host to and perform with such artists as Tom Baxter
Tom Baxter
Tom Baxter is an English singer-songwriter based in London. He was born in Ipswich, Suffolk, and grew up in Cornwall with his sister Vashti Anna, two brothers, Jo Spencer and Charlie Winston, and parents Jeff and Julie Gleave...
, Polly Paulusma
Polly Paulusma
Polly Paulusma is an English singer-songwriter. Her first album, Scissors in my Pocket, was largely recorded and produced by herself at her home...
, Solomon (later to become The Duke Spirit
The Duke Spirit
The Duke Spirit are an English rock band based in London. Their sound has been seen as a melding of many influences ranging from the alternative noise of 1980s/90s guitar bands such as My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth and Spacemen 3, the tremulous rock n roll of bands such as The Gun Club and The...
), Boo Hewerdine
Boo Hewerdine
Boo Hewerdine is an English singer-songwriter. His work includes lead singer and creative force behind The Bible, formed in the 1980s, and reformed in 1994, as well as solo recordings and work for film. He lives in Ely....
, Archie Bronson Outfit
Archie Bronson Outfit
Archie Bronson Outfit are an English rock band. They met at Kingswood School, Bath .After leaving their native Somerset, the band moved to London where they were discovered by Laurence Bell, boss of Domino Records. The band were playing in Bell's local bar, "The Cat's Back" in Putney. The band...
, Adem and Antonio Forcione
Antonio Forcione
Antonio Forcione is an Italian guitarist, composer and performer. He started recording in 1983 and has appeared on dozens of albums....
.
During this time Whittington recorded his first albums, Life Is Fine and "28" on his own label Unlit Records.
In 2003 Whittington moved to New York whereupon he began regularly performing with artists such as Joan As Policewoman and Artanker Convoy
Artanker Convoy
Artanker Convoy is an American psychedelic rock group formed in 2000 that was one of the first bands to sign to the Brooklyn experimental music label, The Social Registry. Drummer/producer Artanker and bassist Joe Fiorentino played with James Murphy in the short lived Jinx Clambake Explosion in...
. During this period he was taken under the wing of Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
manager Tony Dimitriades in Los Angeles and, after moving to Hollywood, began working with several producers including Tom Rothrock
Tom Rothrock
Tom Rothrock is an international record producer, composer and musician. Tom Rothrock has produced albums with James Blunt, Badly Drawn Boy, R. L. Burnside, Yonder Mountain String Band, Athlete, Sloan and Roman Carter....
, Bill Laswell
Bill Laswell
Bill Laswell is an American bassist, producer and record label owner....
and Mushroom from Massive Attack
Massive Attack
Massive Attack are an English DJ and trip hop duo from Bristol, England consisting of Robert "3D" Del Naja and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall. Working with co-producers, as well as various session musicians and guest vocalists, they make records and tour live. The duo are considered to be of the trip...
.
In 2005 he released the EP One Long Song which was awarded four stars from Q Magazine. The track, You Can Be The Stars, was given high rotation on Dermot O'Leary
Dermot O'Leary
Dermot O'Leary is an English television and radio presenter. He established himself as a presenter of Big Brother's Little Brother on Channel 4 before moving on to The X Factor on ITV. O'Leary has also presented on the BBC and has his own radio show on BBC Radio 2...
's BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
show and Whittington appeared on the show to perform live. His cover of Goldfrapp's Number 1 was subsequently released on the compilation album The Saturday Sessions: The Dermot O'Leary Show
The Saturday Sessions: The Dermot O'Leary Show
The Saturday Sessions: The Dermot O'Leary Show is a 2-disc compilation album of BBC Radio 2 popular music recordings, released in the United Kingdom in July 2007...
. The song Sweetheart from the EP was used during the end credits of the Hollywood comedy Wedding Crashers
Wedding Crashers
Wedding Crashers is a 2005 American comedy film directed by David Dobkin. It stars Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn, with Christopher Walken, Rachel McAdams, Isla Fisher, Bradley Cooper, Diora Baird, Jane Seymour, and an uncredited Will Ferrell....
. In the summer of 2006, Whittington toured the USA. Following this tour at the invitation of the BBC performed as part of the Electric Proms.
2008 saw the release of the album Supernatural, recorded in Paris and London. In September the track Another Door Closes, was featured in the Season Five premiere of the US medical drama, Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
and received airplay from Jonathan Ross
Jonathan Ross
Jonathan Ross may refer to:* Jonathan Ross , English television and radio personality* Jonathan Ross , United States Senator, Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court* Jonathon Ross , former Australian rules footballer...
on BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
.
In March 2009 the track Don't Waste All Your Tears was featured in Season Seven of CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
primetime show Without A Trace
Without a Trace
Without a Trace is an American television drama which originally ran on CBS from September 26, 2002 to May 19, 2009. The series was set in New York City and concerned a fictitious FBI Missing Persons Unit.-Premise:...
and the song Sweetheart was featured in Season Five of Grey's Anatomy in April.
Jont released his third studio album Set It Free in May 2010 followed by his fourth album Whole Again in November 2010 - the first to be released solely thoroughly through his own webstore.
Unlit
In the summer of 2006, Whittington posted a message on his Myspace profile essentially inviting people to offer their homes as venues for his tour of USA - a concept simply tagged Unlit. Cameraman Dave Depares joined him to document the tour, and the resulting ten-part video blog series was posted on YoutubeYouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
entitled The State We're In.
From April to May 2008 Whittington and Depares filmed a second ten-part series of their video blog, this time entitled The House We're In and taking Unlit to Myspace user's houses in the UK.
Shortly after this UK telecoms company Orange commissioned a third series of the show, called The Road We're On, as part of their "I Am Everyone" campaign. Episodes were premiered on Myspace a week before being posted on Youtube. Eight episodes were posted, plus a twenty-minute retrospective documentary, which was posted on Dailymotion.
The Unlit series has been viewed by over two million people.
In October 2008 in conjunction with the BBC Radio 2's Dermot O'Leary show and the BBC's Electric Proms, the Unlit series culminated in an Electric Proms/Unlit event in North London.
"Unlit has developed from an underground movement to a viral phenonemon worldwide" - The Guardian
Studio albums
- Whole Again (Unlit Records) (2010)
- Set It Free (Unlit Records) (2010)
- Supernatural (Unlit Records) (2008)
- One Long Song (Everybody's Records) (2005)
- Everything You Need To Know About Life In 74 minutes (Private) (2002 Italy, 200 copies made for Italian tour)
- 28 (Unlit Records) (2002 Italy, 2008 Rest of World)
- Life Is Fine (2000)
Single releases
| Single/EP | Release date | Label | Format(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "All My Life" | May 24, 2010 | Unlit Records | Download | Accompanied by b-side "The Other Side" |
| "Enjoy The Good Times" | December 28, 2009 | Unlit Records | Download | First track from new album Set It Free - accompanied by b-side "Good Luck In New York" on itunes and extra b-side "Kasbah de Freija" on artist's webstore |
| "Sweetheart (Radio Mix)" | December 5, 2008 | Unlit Records | Download | New version of the track featured on the album Supernatural |
| "Let's Roll" | October 13, 2008 | Unlit Records | Download | Previously unreleased track taken from the Orange Unlit Tour series |
| "Candlelit (Radio Edit)" | April 21, 2008 | Unlit Records | Download | Accompanied by Indiestore-exclusive b-sides "City of The Sun" & "Mosque" |
| "You Can Be The Stars" | March 13, 2006 | Everybody's Records | CD, Download | Accompanied by b-sides "House Of Dreaming" and "We Are The Grapefruit" |
| "When The Time Comes" | 2000 | Cat Morning CDs | CD | Accompanied by b-sides "Taking My Time", "The Blackout Song" and "When The Time Comes (Live)" |
| "In Your Eyes" | 2000 | Peoplesound | CD | Accompanied by b-sides "Splendour" and "The Book That Never Touches The Ground" |
| "Spring 2000" | 2000 | Peoplesound | CD | Three tracks - "When The Time Comes", "The Book That Never Touches The Ground" and "Count To Ten (Live)" |
External links
- Official Site
- Official Profile on MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
- Official Page on FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
- Unlit Page featuring all three series of the video blog - The State We're In, The House We're In and The Road We're On
- Orange Unlit Tour central website