Jonny Buckland

Jonathan Mark Buckland (born 11 September 1977) is an English-born Welsh musician and songwriter best known as the lead guitarist and co-founder of the rock band Coldplay. Raised in Pantymwyn, he began to play guitar from an early age, being influenced by acts such as the Stone Roses, My Bloody Valentine and U2. Noted for sparse and delicate arrangements, he uses slide bars and delay pedals with a stylistic chiming and ringing timbre that has led to comparisons to the Edge.

Jonny Buckland
A man wearing a dark cap and a green jacket plays the guitar
Buckland performing with Coldplay in 2021
Born
Jonathan Mark Buckland

(1977-09-11) 11 September 1977
London, England
Alma materUniversity College London
Occupations
  • Musician
  • songwriter
Years active1997–present
Spouse
Chloe Lee-Evans
​
(m. 2009)​
Children2
AwardsFull list
Musical career
OriginLondon, England
Genres
Instruments
  • Guitar
  • keyboards
  • vocals
Labels
Member of
Websitecoldplay.com
Signature

Buckland has a degree in astronomy and mathematics at University College London, where he formed Coldplay with Chris Martin, Guy Berryman and Will Champion. The group signed with Parlophone in 1999, finding global fame through the release of Parachutes (2000) and subsequent records. He won seven Grammy Awards and nine Brit Awards as part of Coldplay. The band have sold over 100 million albums worldwide as of 2021,[lower-alpha 1] making them the most successful group of the 21st century.[3]

Early life

Jonathan Mark Buckland was born on 11 September 1977 in Islington, London, England,[4] being the second child of high school teacher John Buckland and his wife Joy.[5] The family moved to Pantymwyn, Flintshire, Wales when he was four years old.[6] He attended Ysgol y Waun primary school, while secondary education was held at Alun School, learning guitar notes and chords in the former and taking A-level music lessons on the latter.[6] His teacher, Margaret Parr, mentioned that Buckland was "always extremely interested" on the subject and had particular strength for composition.[6] He listened to numerous Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton records owned by his parents during his childhood, being encouraged to attain further experience on the guitar by his brother Tim, who introduced him to My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth, the Stone Roses, George Harrison, U2 and other similar artists.[7]

Before that, when Buckland was seven years old, he had piano lessons but did not enjoy them. At 10 years old, he was part of a rap group and experimented with computer music using beats consisting of dog barks.[8] He joined the Scouts when he was 11 years old and mentioned still liking the uniform in 2008.[9] He then added that, one night when his friends were playing on a field, they had an encounter with an angry sheep which ran over and attacked him multiple times.[9] The experience caused him to not wear wool or eat lamb since then.[9] In October 2019, he remembered taking a holiday job at North Wales' Daily Post which consisted on placing photos of houses for sale in the pressings.[10] His education was continued at University College London, where he attained a 2:1 degree in astronomy and mathematics and formed Coldplay with Chris Martin, Guy Berryman and Will Champion.[11]

Career

Coldplay
Main article: Coldplay
A man wearing a dark cap and a jacket with colourful details plays the guitar
Buckland performing at Viva la Vida Tour in 2009. The band are known to change their costume and instrument designs according to each album.[12]

Buckland was responsible for co-founding the band along with Martin; they met each other during UCL's orientation week in 1996.[13] Both resided at the university's Ramsay Hall,[14] where Champion mentioned there were "a lot of musicians and a lot of show-offs", but "Jonny was not one of those show-offs", he further added that "the bloke who turned out to be the best guitarist out of all of us was the bloke who had his guitar hidden in his cupboard and who never got it out or was pushy about his guitaring".[15] Martin stated meeting Buckland was "like falling in love".[7] They began to write their first songs together in early 1997 and practised every night.[7] By November of that year, Berryman had already joined them and the trio was called Big Fat Noises.[16] Champion completed the line-up in 1998.[16]

The previous group name was dropped when Champion scheduled their debut live performance at The Laurel Tree only a few days after he became part of the band, with Starfish being chosen "in a panic".[17] In Coldplay, Buckland is usually regarded as quiet, friendly, unassuming and "the wise owl" of the group.[18] During an interview, Martin commented spending his "entire life trying to drag him out of the shadows, because I know that he is a guitar hero – to me anyway".[19] The band used his bedroom for rehearsals in their early years, being near the neighbors who "were able to tolerate the noise".[20] They stated in 2019 that Buckland is usually the first to either disapprove or give his input on Martin's initial song ideas,[21] although he was responsible for starting tracks like "Adventure of a Lifetime" on his own, which was released as the lead single for their seventh album A Head Full of Dreams (2015).[22] Despite not being the group's most prominent backing vocalist, he can be heard in many songs and provided lead vocals in "Don't Panic", the opening track of Parachutes (2000).[23]

Other projects

Buckland guest starred on Ian McCulloch's third album, Slideling (2003), by playing guitar in the songs "Sliding" and "Arthur".[24] In the following year, he made a cameo appearance on the comedy horror film Shaun of the Dead (2004) along with Martin.[25] They later recorded "Beach Chair" for Jay-Z's ninth album, Kingdom Come (2006),[26] and were featured in Slashed (2010), an independent horror film directed by Northern Irish band Ash.[27] He is also known to support food and wine magazine Noble Rot and became an investor of their namesake restaurants.[28] In October 2019, the guitarist assisted Jodie Whittaker in her cover of "Yellow" for BBC's Children in Need album along with Champion.[29]

Musical style

Buckland usually uses a Fender 72' Telecaster Thinline, which is known to have a fuller sound compared to the usual models.[30] He is occasionally seen with Jazzmaster, Jaguar and Gibson ES-335 guitars as well; the latter was used when Coldplay recorded A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002).[31] While he has two Fender Hot Rod DeVille amplifiers, there are conflicting reports on whether they are the 2x12 or 4x10 version.[32] His pedals include Fulltone OCD, which is used for boost; the Electro-Harmonix Micro POG, Pro Co RAT (vintage model) and Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer, which are combined for distortion; the BOSS RV-3 for reverb; and BOSS TR-2 for tremolo.[32] He also makes extensive use of the Line 6 DL4 pedal, while a MXR Phase 90 model can be heard in "Fix You".[32] His favourite Coldplay guitar riff is "Hurts Like Heaven".[33]

Noted for sparse and delicate arrangements,[34] Buckland affirmed that "I've never gone in much for the solos. I was always more interested in atmospherics. Listening to bands like Mercury Rev, My Bloody Valentine, or even the Verve, the way those guitarists played. There's no Van Halen in me".[7] His use of slide bar have a stylistic chiming and ringing timbre which has led to comparisons to the Edge,[35] who commented during an interview at Glastonbury that "Jonny is an inspiration to guitar players everywhere, I am proud to know that I was one of his main influences. It makes me feel like a real rock star".[7] In 2020, he shared on social media playlists with some of his favourite tracks and artists from each decade, including the Velvet Underground, Carole King, Joy Division, Talking Heads, Kate Bush, Donna Summer, Björk, Beastie Boys and various others.[36]

Personal life

According to The Times, Buckland has an estimated wealth of £113 million as of May 2022.[37] He is a lifelong supporter of Tottenham Hotspur.[38] After being vegetarian for a few years, he gave up while traveling to Japan, where he was not able to communicate his options to the waiters and was served beef, finding out "he really liked it".[39] However, he still does Meat Free Mondays along with his bandmates.[40] In 2007, his older brother Tim founded alternative rock group The Domino State, which supported Coldplay at the O2 Arena shows from Viva la Vida Tour.[5] He married jewelry designer Chloe Lee-Evans in 2009.[41] The couple have two children.[42]

The family currently resides in the Hampstead area of Camden, London, but they own two apartments in Manhattan, New York as well.[42] Buckland purchased the first of them for $3.4 million in 2008, while the second was bought for $4.5 million in 2016.[42] He is godfather to Martin's daughter Apple along with English actor Simon Pegg.[43] During an interview for BBC Radio 2, he mentioned that his favourite non-musical activity is reading books.[44] His great-grandfather formed a band named Big Buckland's Dance Orchestra between the late 1910s and early 1920s, a photograph of them was used as an inspiration for the album cover and vintage aesthetics seen on Everyday Life (2019).[45]

Discography

With Coldplay
Main articles: Coldplay discography and songs

Solo credits

See also

Notes
  1. The term "records" is for album and single sales combined.[1] Coldplay, however, sold 100 million copies in albums alone, while Parlophone have not disclosed the amount of records.[2]

References
  1. "What's The Difference Between A Record And An Album? 5 Things To Know". The Sound of Vinyl. 30 March 2021. Archived from the original on 15 December 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  2. "Coldplay Re-ups with Warner Music Group for Long-term Deal Via Parlophone". Variety. 6 October 2021. Archived from the original on 8 January 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  3. "Coldplay, Wembley Stadium, Review: Chris Martin's Infectious Joy Is Impossible To Resist". The Telegraph. 13 August 2022. Archived from the original on 13 August 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  4. "Latest Coldplay News". Capital FM (Press the "View More" button on the "Facts" column). 2023. Archived from the original on 27 February 2023. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  5. "No Coldplay Split, Says North Wales-Based Mum of Guitarist". North Wales Live. 28 November 2008. Archived from the original on 2 February 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  6. "Jonny Buckland Gives Coldplay Disc To Pantymwyn Village Hall Restoration Fund". BBC News. 26 April 2012. Archived from the original on 2 February 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  7. (Wild & Croft 2018, pp. 110–113)
  8. "Beginnings of Coldplay – Full Documentary Bigger Stronger BBC Radio 1 Steve Lamaq". YouTube. 9 March 2020. Archived from the original on 3 February 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  9. "Coldplay's Jonny Buckland Vs. Sheep – Best Story Ever". YouTube. 24 September 2014. Archived from the original on 22 May 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  10. "Coldplay Reveal New Album Tracks In Local Paper". BBC News. 24 October 2019. Archived from the original on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  11. "The Importance of Being Earnest". The Guardian. 27 May 2005. Archived from the original on 3 December 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
  12. "Coldplay Review: Ed Sheeran Joins The Stadium Titans For A Rousing, Intimate, Homecoming". The Telegraph. 13 October 2021. Archived from the original on 16 October 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
  13. "Coldplay's Quiet Storm". Rolling Stone. 25 August 2005. Archived from the original on 4 February 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  14. "Hours of Idleness". The Guardian. 12 September 2004. Archived from the original on 3 February 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  15. "Coldplay Recall UCL". UCL News. 29 June 2005. Archived from the original on 3 February 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  16. (Wild & Croft 2018, pp. 13–16)
  17. "The Live Debut". Coldplay Timeline. 16 January 1998. Archived from the original on 15 April 2021. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  18. (Spivack 2004, p. 24)
  19. "Chris Martin – The Rolling Stone Interview". Rolling Stone. 26 June 2008. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  20. "Coldplay – Behind the Scenes with the Band". YouTube. 4 September 2008. Archived from the original on 1 January 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  21. "Everyday Life Q&A From Jordan". YouTube. Minutes 4:19 to 6:40. 21 November 2019. Archived from the original on 27 September 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  22. "The Creation of Adventure of a Lifetime by Coldplay (A Head Full of Dreams Documentary)". YouTube. 8 January 2021. Archived from the original on 5 January 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
  23. "Coldplay Play Career-spanning Royal Albert Hall Gig at First Night of Their Last Shows For a While". NME. 2 July 2014. Archived from the original on 21 December 2016. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  24. "Happy 2003" (PDF). Coldplay E-Zine. January 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 January 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  25. "Shaun of the Dead". Coldplay Timeline. 4 April 2004. Archived from the original on 14 July 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  26. "Beach Chair". YouTube. 20 July 2018. Archived from the original on 3 January 2023. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  27. "Interview: Ash's Tim Wheeler". Coldplay Timeline. 27 May 2010. Archived from the original on 4 February 2022. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
  28. "From Pages to Pouring: Noble Rot Magazine Team Launch Bloomsbury Wine Bar". Evening Standard. 11 November 2015. Archived from the original on 28 March 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  29. "Yorkshire's Doctor Who Jodie Whittaker Records Coldplay Song Yellow For Children In Need Album". The Yorkshire Post. 22 October 2019. Archived from the original on 22 June 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  30. "The Sound of Coldplay". Professional Music Technology. 21 January 2009. Archived from the original on 3 February 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  31. "Help Regarding Coldplay's Guitars". Coldplaying. 15 March 2009. Archived from the original on 3 February 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  32. "How To Capture The Magical Tone of Jonny Buckland". Siren Pedals. 3 November 2020. Archived from the original on 3 February 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  33. Coldplay [@coldplay] (9 June 2021). "Hurts Like Heaven. JB" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 7 February 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2022 – via Twitter.
  34. "Coldplay Surprises With Midnight". The Observer. 25 February 2014. Archived from the original on 3 February 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  35. "Interview With Coldplay Guitarist Jonny Buckland". The Des Moines Register. 7 May 2009. Archived from the original on 9 July 2011. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  36. Coldplay [@coldplay] (8 April 2020). "Hi everyone. Hope you're all doing ok. I made a playlist of (mainly) 1960s songs to give you something to listen to while we're (mainly) all stuck at home. JB" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 16 September 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2022 – via Twitter.
  37. "The 40 Richest Musicians In The UK". The Times. 20 May 2022. Archived from the original on 20 May 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  38. "Coldplay Guitarist: I'd Give It All Up For Tottenham Hotspur". NME. 23 October 2008. Archived from the original on 3 February 2022. Retrieved 24 October 2008.
  39. "Coldplay – Boombox All Access". YouTube. Minutes 9:40 to 10:30. 21 July 2011. Archived from the original on 7 March 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  40. "Meet The Other Members of Coldplay". Globe Telecom. 20 August 2016. Archived from the original on 7 March 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  41. "Interview With Chloe Lee Evans". Taryn Cox The Wife. 12 November 2009. Archived from the original on 3 February 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  42. "Coldplay's Jonny Buckland Could Be Your Neighbor and Landlord". Observer. 3 February 2017. Archived from the original on 3 February 2022. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  43. "Candidate Crush: From First Wife To His Favourite Coldplay Song: 5 Interesting Facts About Chris Martin". Pinkvilla. 30 September 2021. Archived from the original on 3 February 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  44. "Coldplay in Session". BBC Radio Two. 28 November 2019. Archived from the original on 12 February 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  45. "Coldplay to Play Sunrise and Sunset Shows in Jordan". The National. 2 November 2019. Archived from the original on 3 February 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2022.

Further reading
  • Wild, Debs; Croft, Malcolm (2018). Life in Technicolor: A Celebration of Coldplay. ECW Press. ISBN 9781787391093.
  • Roach, Martin (2011). Viva Coldplay: A Biography. Music Sales. ISBN 9780857125941.
  • Spivack, Gary (2004). Coldplay: Look at the Stars. Pocket Books. ISBN 9780743491969.
  • Roach, Martin (2003). Coldplay: Nobody Said It Was Easy. Omnibus Press. ISBN 9780711998100.
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