Craig Northey | |
|---|---|
 Craig Northey performing at the CBC Toque Sessions | |
| Background information | |
| Born | February 9, 1962 |
| Origin | Port Moody, British Columbia, Canada |
| Genres | Alternative rock, post-punk, power pop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, film and television composer |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar, vocals |
| Website | oddsmusic.com |
Craig Northey (born February 9, 1962) is a Canadian musician and film and TV composer. He is one of the founding members of the band Odds, which released four albums between 1991 and 1996.[1] They were best known for the radio singles "It Falls Apart", "Eat My Brain", "Heterosexual Man" and "Someone Who's Cool".
Like many musicians, Northey praises the Tragically Hip's generosity to up-and-coming bands, specifically the Odds: "Last year, they paid for us to come down to Seattle to see them play and then play ourselves...then, they invited us to play with them on Canada Day at Molson Park in Barrie. It really paid off for us."[2] In 1996, Northey composed his first score for a feature film, The Kids in the Hall's Brain Candy.[citation needed]
In 1997, Northey wrote the entrance music for Bret Hart after he joined WCW.
After the breakup of Odds in 1999, Northey embarked on several other ventures, including working with Colin James, Rosanne Cash, Glen Phillips, Bruce McCulloch and many others. He released a solo CD entitled Giddy Up. In 2003 he collaborated on a CD with Jesse Valenzuela of Gin Blossoms, under the band name Northey Valenzuela.
In 2004 he was part of a side project, Stripper's Union, with Rob Baker, Doug Elliott, Simon Kendall and Pat Steward.[3][4] The group produced an album, Stripper's Union Local 518, which was released in 2005.[5][6]
With Valenzuela he co-wrote the theme "Not a Lot Goin' On" for the hit TV comedy series Corner Gas. The song was later included on the Northey Valenzuela album.
When the Odds reunited in early 2007 they included the end credit theme from Corner Gas "My Happy Place" on their album Cheerleader.
Currently Northey, along with Murray Atkinson, Doug Elliott and Pat Steward comprise the reunited Odds. Concurrently he has composed all the episodes for the Kids in the Hall's CBC/IFC series Death Comes to Town and CTV's Hiccups.
Northey continues to collaborate with other artists. He co-wrote songs on ex-Barenaked Ladies singer Steven Page's first solo album Page One and toured with Page in 2012. His collaboration with Rob Baker in Strippers Union yielded another album The Deuce in 2012.[7][8]
In February 2014 Odds released an EP called The Most Beautiful Place on Earth.[9]
After performing a show in Niagara in July, 2016,[10] Northey toured Canada in 2017 as part of The Trans-Canada Highwaymen with Page, Moe Berg of The Pursuit of Happiness and Chris Murphy of Sloan.[11] In 2018, he composed and performed music for the web series This Blows, created by his children Cole and Aleita Northey.[12]
Northey is the father of actress Aleita Northey, star of the CBC series This Blows.
