Courtney Gains, the actor best known for his memorable roles in Stephen King’s Children of the Corn and the Tom Hanks cult classic The ’Burbs, is stepping into the spotlight as a solo recording artist with the release of his 10-song album, “Liberation Day.”
Scheduled for release Aug. 24, the album highlights a creative side of Gains that has been part of his life for decades. While audiences may recognize him as Malachai from Children of the Corn or Hans Klopek from The ’Burbs, music has remained an important part of his artistic identity.
“Liberation Day” blends classic rock and pop influences with personal storytelling. The album includes the singles “Been Forgotten,” “Wander & Dream” and “Fear the Boogie.” The songs have already begun attracting attention, with “Been Forgotten” reaching No. 61 on the Top 40 radio chart and “Wander & Dream” reaching No. 52 on the SMR chart.
Gains is also returning to the horror genre with The Barn Part III, which features his rock song “Fear the Boogie” during the end credits. The track will also appear in the upcoming video game Sound System, developed by Echo Foundry, a studio founded by veterans of the Guitar Hero franchise.
The projects allow Gains to bring together two sides of his career that have developed alongside one another: acting and music.
For more than four decades, Gains has built a devoted following through his work in horror, cult films and television. His performances in Children of the Corn and The ’Burbs have helped make both films enduring favorites among genre and cult-film audiences.
The Barn Part III will screen at horror festivals in the United States, Canada and Europe, including the Houston Horror Film Festival, B Movie Underground Trash Film Festival in the Netherlands, Night Crawler Film Festival in Pennsylvania, Illinois Horror Movie Festival and Toronto Indie Horror Festival.
The film’s festival run will be followed by live performances throughout the Southeast and Midwest in support of “Liberation Day.”
Gains’ continued connection to horror also reflects the enduring popularity of practical effects, cult cinema and the passionate fan communities surrounding the genre.
With a new album, upcoming live performances, a horror festival run and music featured in both film and gaming, Gains is expanding his creative reach while continuing to embrace the worlds that helped define his career.
For fans who first discovered him through cult horror or ’80s and ’90s cinema, “Liberation Day” offers an opportunity to hear a different side of an actor whose career has long extended beyond the screen.