JOHN BOY’S COURAGE

Maybe, you say, maybe Todd Sarvies isn’t any different from all those other singer-songwriters. Maybe his goal of making music a career—the opportunity to earn a living doing what he loves—is, you think, just like everyone else’s. Maybe his talent—obvious at first listen—is just that: talent, not yet fulfilled. But then—what’s that? There’s someone onstage and he’s commanding your attention. As he sings and shakes his head and (sometimes) comes close to screaming, his voice, his face, his body language—all of these expertly convey hurt, pain, anguish, longing, hesitation, regret. It’s more energy than an entire band puts into their live show. All conversation has stopped; all eyes are on him.
“I put everything I’ve got into the songs I write,” says Todd, “and everything I do on stage echoes that.”
Todd has been pouring his words, heart and soul into his project John Boy’s Courage for four years now. Though the lineup’s gone through a few iterations, the beating heart of the band remains Todd: vocalist, lyricist, guitarist, and pianist.
The aim of John Boy’s Courage is simple: To feel music, not just manufacture noise without ample time or broken strings. To make one word mean more than the next. To tell a new story, a new song.
In 2007, JBC released its debut album, The Fall Precaution, a collection of chapters more than songs, a story about falling down…then pulling yourself back up. The music style—emotionally honest alternative pop-rock—often belied the depth of its tales, the songs’ intricate instrumentation.
Since then Todd has been taking the show on the road, hitting towns near and far. He has racked up an impressive list of festival appearances, including CMJ Music Marathon and Red Gorilla.
In 2009, JBC will return with its follow-up record, The Ghost of Santa Fe, a sequence of tales which perfectly capture the state of being haunted by regret. Whereas Fall was equally focused on words and music, Santa Fe is more stripped down, thinner in sound yet more lyrically driven.
“The new record has a lot more heart,” Todd says. “As a songwriter, I try to be honest. When I first started, I was writing stories; now I write from experiences."
"The truth behind the songs makes it more interesting. It’s where the passion comes from.”
READ MORE ABOUT JBC IN THE PRESS ...
The Albuquerque Tribune
BULLZ-EYE.com
METROMIX.com
MUSIC SNOBBERY.com
PLAYBACK: stl
PLAYBACK: stl - CMJ Review
The Riverfront Times
St. Louis Post Dispatch
St. Louis Sound
JBC one sheet ( pdf format )
"WHISPER" - 10.25.2007
"STILL" - 10.25.2007
"MATTER OF TIME" - 10.25.2007
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