For anyone in the alternative scene, Jonny Craig is a name that sends shivers up the spine of whoever hears it. The renowned vocalist, known for being in popular post-hardcore bands such as Emarosa, Dance Gavin Dance, Slaves, and Isles and Glaciers, is equally praised and hated by most in the alternative scene. From scamming his fans to his intemperance, Jonny Craig doesn’t fear controversy – he embodies it.
Craig’s career began when he was only 14 years old, after he dropped out of high school in Washington State. In 2001, he formed the Tacoma-based band westerHALTS – marking the start of this musical journey. The garage band was short-lived, with Craig only releasing one single, titled “Change, Leisure, and Retirement.” Craig noted that it “wasn’t really serious” and “the band was just to pay for weed,” marking the start of his battles with drug addiction.
In 2002, Craig auditioned for the Seattle post-hardcore band Ghost Runner On Third, where he served as the lead vocalist. He later released their only EP, Speak Your Mind, alongside the rest of the band. Unfortunately, due to Craig’s worsening addiction, he left the band, causing Ghost Runner On Third to disband. Craig sought bigger and better gigs after the last two bands, eventually joining the post-hardcore band Dance Gavin Dance in 2005. Alongside vocalist Jon Mess and the rest of the band, they released their first two albums – Whatever I Say Is Royal Ocean and Downtown Battle Mountain – in 2006 and 2007, respectively. Both albums received critical acclaim, particularly for the diversity of Mess’s and Craig’s vocals and the jazz-emo fusion of the genre. Craig stayed in the band up until 2007, when he left the band due to “personal conflicts,” which were later confirmed to be related to his harmful drug addiction. Kurt Travis replaced Craig during his absence, while Craig filled in for the vocalist of A Skylit Drive for a few shows during their tour.
Later in 2007, Craig joined the band Emarosa and created their second album, Relativity, the following year. Similarly, Craig joined the supergroup Isles and Glaciers alongside Craig Owens and Vic Fuentes to release their only record, The Hearts of Lonely People. Three years after Craig departed from Dance Gavin Dance, Craig replaced Travis after he departed from the band. Craig recorded Emarosa’s self-titled album in 2010, as well as Dance Gavin Dance’s fourth studio album, Downtown Battle Mountain II, the following year.
The year 2011 marked an important year for Craig, as his infamous MacBook scandal was brought to light. Craig used his fame to sell nonexistent MacBooks to fans on Twitter, ranging from six hundred to eight hundred dollars per MacBook. This money, supplied by fans, was used to fund his heroin addiction. Craig initially rejected any responsibility for the scam, claiming that “his Twitter was hacked,” but ultimately apologized months later. Amidst this controversy, Craig was jailed in October 2011 for several drug-related counts. Craig was released from jail several weeks later and was ordered a 30-day detox. Because of his various offenses, Craig was kicked out of Emarosa and Dance Gavin Dance in 2011 and 2012, respectively. After this incident, Craig was replaced by Tides of Man’s Tilian Pearson in Dance Gavin Dance.
Onward, Craig stuck to producing his solo work and working on his sobriety. In 2014, Craig created the band Slaves. Later that year, they released their debut album, Through Art We Are All Equals, which received favorable reviews. During this time, Craig was involved in an incident where he sexually harassed a worker at Warped Tour, ultimately getting them kicked off the setlist of the festival. Craig released two albums in his time with Slaves – Routine Breathing and Beautiful Death in 2015 and 2018, respectively. However, in 2019, Craig stepped out of the band due to his relapse. Slaves put out a statement on Craig’s departure, stating, “We all have struggles in our daily life, but for some, those struggles are personally and physically dangerous. It is no secret that Jonny has battled with addiction in his personal life; sometimes those battles are won, and most recently lost.”
After his relapse, Craig has worked hard to better himself. Most recently, in 2024, Craig released his new project, Old Flame, where he released 4 different singles for the band. As he currently relishes fatherhood, the problematic singer has continued to stay motivated in maintaining his sobriety. Jonny Craig’s erratic behavior has earned him the spot as one of the most scandalous vocalists in the alternative scene.