'Genius' BC Camplight to play Nottingham dates

With influences ranging from Harry Nilsson, Todd Rundgren and the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson to the outer fringes of experimental rock, BC Camplight – real name Brian Christinzio – was born in New Jersey but has lived in Manchester for most of the past 13 years, lending his music a unique quality, with various British cultural references dotted throughout his often tragi-comic songs. He has been championed by various presenters on BBC Radio 6 Music, most notably Marc Riley, who frequently hails BC Camplight’s “genius”.

His latest single, Two Legged Dog, features vocals from Abigail Morris of The Last Dinner Party, while his new album, A Sober Conversation, is due out on June 27. It follows his 2023 album, the critically celebrated The Last Rotation Of Earth (his first Top 40 album), a record centred around the agonising break-up of his long-term relationship. It received the most ecstatic reviews of his career - “A masterpiece” (Sunday Times), “Masterful” (Uncut), “An extraordinary record” (MOJO) - and his biggest headline shows up to that point at London Shepherd’s Bush Empire and Manchester’s Albert Hall. His new songs confront his childhood trauma while embracing his new-found sobriety.

BC Camplight plays an in-store solo piano-based show at Rough Trade on July 1, and returns to Nottingham with his full band to play Rock City on November 1. Visit dice.fm or rock-city.co.uk to book.