| Thomas D'Arcy | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1979 Guernsey |
| Genres | Indie rock |
| Occupations | Musician |
| Instruments | Vocals, bass |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Labels | Various |
| Associated acts | The Carnations Small Sins All Systems Go! |
Thomas D'Arcy, (born 1979) is a Canadian singer and songwriter born in Guernsey, Channel Islands. He has been part of such bands and indie rock acts as The Carnations, All Systems Go!, Small Sins (formerly known as The Ladies and Gentlemen), Another Blue Door, The I-Spies and The Suspenders,[1] among others.
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D'Arcy's family immigrated to Toronto, Ontario in 1981, and in 1994, when he was 15 years old he learned to play the bass guitar. In 1995, he formed a band called Pseudonym with three other high school friends, which would later transform into The Carnations, of which D'Arcy was the lead singer and principal songwriter. They played in nightclubs they were not yet old enough to get into (due to the legal drinking age in Ontario being 19) and turned their love of bands like Weezer, Supergrass, Buzzcocks and Television into a power pop sound all their own.
In 2000, John Kastner (ex-Doughboys) saw The Carnations play a show at Toronto's Horseshoe Tavern, and later invited D'arcy to join his new band, All Systems Go!, which he accepted. He also continued to play in The Carnations, as well as a band called Another Blue Door.
In 2001, D'Arcy conceived Small Sins (formerly known as The Ladies and Gentlemen) as a self-contained solo unit. A veteran of the vital Toronto indie scene, D'Arcy was burning out on the band dynamic's pseudo-democracy, wanting to take more of the reigns himself. As a result, D'Arcy not only sang and played nearly every instrument on the Small Sins' debut, but also wrote, produced, and recorded it almost entirely on his own.[2] When he put together a touring band he called on four exceptional musicians - Steve Krecklo (fellow member of The Carnations) on guitar, banjo, and keyboards as well as Todor Kobakov on keyboards, Brent Follett on drums, and Kevin Hilliard on percussion and handclaps.
The Carnations called it quits, announcing on their website that they would be dissolving, in 2004. Thomas D'Arcy continues to record under the Small Sins moniker.
D'Arcy has also been a DJ at Toronto's Cloak & Dagger pub, a producer, and a student of philosophy.[3]