Jon Courtney

Jon Courtney is a British musician best known as a singer, guitarist, keyboard player and songwriter for the progressive rock band Pure Reason Revolution. He also performed with Bullet Height, KC Blitz and as a DJ under the pseudonym Cedo Simplex.

Life and career Courtney and his brother and former bandmate Andrew Courtney grew up in Reading, Berkshire, as did fellow Pure Reason Revolution members Chloe Alper and Jamie Willcox. In an interview, Courtney said he wanted to be a musician after seeing Nirvana on the MTV Awards in about 1991. Courtney said, "rom that point on it was like "wow!" – I was transfixed by the TV – "this is what I've got to do, there's no question." He and his brother were involved in the punk band Gel, which was scouted and signed by Seymour Stein, the founder of Sire Records. Uncut magazine reviewed their first (and only) album Sparkly Things (produced by Julian Standen of The Lemonheads), describing it as "dulcet adolescent vocals, and a thorough grasp of commercial rock dynamics producing an appealing sound redolent of the early Undertones". The band played Reading festival 1998. Courtney enjoyed the experience of touring and recording, and teamed up with his brother, Alper and several others to form the indie pop band The Sunset Sound, which received some airplay before the band members dissolved the band as not representing their style. The band's music had been inspired by a project Courtney was involved in while studying at the University of Westminster, creating new original music for the 1960s television show The Prisoner. The band's name was inspired by Courtney's thesis on the nature of genius and its application to Beach Boy Brian Wilson, for which he studied Critique of Pure Reason by Immanuel Kant.

Pure Reason Revolution reformed in 2019, with Courtney, Alper and Jong performing new shows and releasing new albums Eupnea and Above Cirrus in 2020 and 2022 respectively, both on InsideOutMusic.

Songwriting According to Alper, the music of Pure Reason Revolution "grew organically from Jon's songs and influences". The band's prevalent use of harmony, described by Disorder Magazine as a "trademark", is credited to Courtney. while Classic Rock Magazine, speaking of Amor Vincit Omnia, commented, "once other-worldly, PRR now sound like some mutant offspring of The Chemical Brothers & NIN". According to Rock Sound, Hammer and Anvil "retained most of [the band's] heavy hooks to create a great crossover record". Prog magazine called Above Cirrus "densely packed...a multi-faceted beast that revels in Floydian waves of intoxicated bliss before erupting into an apocalyptic fury".

Courtney acknowledges that his lyrics are often directly inspired by his dreams, which he frequently writes down. KC Blitz: Along with Jamie Kossoff (K), Courtney (C) made remixes for the likes of Asking Alexandria, The Word Alive, Boxer Rebellion, Norma Jean, and Bring Me the Horizon. The remixes were released on these bands' respective albums, including on Bring Me the Horizon's all-remix album Suicide Season: Cut Up! and Asking Alexandria's Stepped Up and Scratched.

Equipment Guitars Sunburst Fender Jazzmaster Candy Apple Red Fender Jaguar Blue Fender Jaguar Blue Fender Telecaster – Rarely used. Often used by PRR guitarist Jamie Willcox.

Basses Salmon Pink Fender Bronco Bass – only used live for "Asleep Under Eiderdown".

Strings Ernie Ball Regular Slinky's (tuned to either Drop D or C) Ernie Ball Skinny Top, Heavy Bottom for "Deus Ex Machina" and "In Aurelia" (tuned to Drop B)

Effects/Amplification Binson Echo Unit Boss Effects Line 6 Effects Marshall Amplification

Synthesizers Teisco 110F