Guy Picciotto (born September 17, 1965) is an American songwriter, musician, and record producer from Washington, D.C. He is best known as the guitarist and co-lead vocalist in Fugazi and as lead vocalist of Rites of Spring.

Career

Rites of Spring and early projects

Picciotto's career as a guitarist and vocalist began in 1984, with the group Rites of Spring. A part of the D.C. post-hardcore scene, Rites of Spring increased the frenetic violence and visceral passion of hardcore while simultaneously experimenting with its compositional rules. Picciotto, as the band's lyricist, as well as singer and guitarist, shifted hardcore into intensely personal realms and, in doing so, is generally credited with creating emo. Picciotto's early musical resume includes the bands Insurrection (1982) where he only played guitar, One Last Wish (1986), Happy Go Licky (1987–1988), Brief Weeds (EPs released circa 1991–1992), and The Black Light Panthers (ongoing sporadic project since 1982), the last two bands both being projects with Brendan Canty. He created a record label called Peterbilt Records, which released limited-quantity vinyl record albums for the bands Rain, Happy Go Licky, and Deadline, then years later was involved in releasing the album 1986 by One Last Wish, along with Dischord Records.

Fugazi

Though not in the original lineup of Fugazi, Picciotto joined very early in the group's career, singing with them by their second show and appearing on all the band's studio recordings. From the Repeater album on, he took up second guitar duties, playing characteristically trebly Rickenbacker guitars. After seven albums and several tours, Fugazi went on "indefinite hiatus" in 2003.

Side projects and production work

Picciotto has collaborated and performed with Mats Gustafsson, Vic Chesnutt, and members of the Ex among others. He has produced numerous albums including the Gossip's breakthrough record Standing in the Way of Control as well as Blonde Redhead's Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons (2000) and Misery Is a Butterfly (2004), The Blood Brothers final album, Young Machetes, and Downtown Boys' Cost of Living (2017) as well as two records for The Casual Dots, their self-titled debut album and the follow-up Sanguine Truth (2022). Additionally, Picciotto has produced five albums by the duo Xylouris White: Goats (2014), Black Peak (2016), Mother (2018), The Sisypheans (2019) and The Forest In Me (2023). Picciotto also co-produced the drummer Jim White's first solo album All Hits : Memories (2024). Picciotto played on the Vic Chesnutt albums North Star Deserter (2007) and At the Cut (2009), and accompanied him on tours of Europe and North America. He co-produced the films Chain and Museum Hours with Jem Cohen (who made the Fugazi film Instrument). In 2012, Picciotto was interviewed on stage at the Pop Montreal festival by Howard Bilerman about his experiences in the music industry. On January 24, 2020, Guy appeared on an episode of Live From the Barrage for a wide-ranging discussion that was his first long form interview in quite some time.

Personal life

Picciotto was born to an American mother and an Italian father. He holds a BA degree in English from Georgetown University and is a graduate of the Washington, D.C. private school, the Georgetown Day School. Picciotto married musician Kathi Wilcox from the bands Bikini Kill and the Frumpies; in 2013 the two were reported living in Brooklyn with their child.

Equipment

Guitars

Amplification

Discography

Rites of Spring

One Last Wish

Happy Go Licky

Black Light Panthers

Brief Weeds

Fugazi