An Interview With Johnny Foreigner - “I felt like I’d kinda led people into talking about stuff I had no right hearing”

We caught up with Johnny Foreigner (who are playing The Garage, London this  Saturday as the last date of an extensive UK tour). They told us all about the making of Vs Everything, listening to people's conversations, and how being in Johnny Foreigner is like owning a water park.

- What are you proudest of as a band?

That there's a bunch of cites all over the world that we could go hang out in tomorrow; with friends and smokes and good music and adventures, and all because we write pop songs. Everything else, shows and tours and press and status, it's all super but still kinda fleeting; and it's when all that calms down for a few months and you take stock and think, shit, there's no way this would have happened  had we got real jobs.

- Your new album ‘Vs Everything’ is split into three sections did that happen naturally or was it planned from the start?

Yeh, totally from the start. We didn't know if we'd have 3 or 4 till kinda later on, I have a 4 part version playlist that includes all the songs that got used on the eps and single around it, but we scaled that back so the eps still felt special. We debated for ages, theoretically, about the tracklist but when it came to actually deciding we all came round pretty quickly to how it ended up

- Your track-by-track on DrownedInSound was really interesting, particularly the details of the people you’ve written about. How important is it to you to base your lyrics on personal experience?

Um, I think it's getting less and less. It used to be everything. Like, a lot of the stuff Vs Everything is 3^rd person. I mean, its all true (more or less) but it's more other folks stories thru my filter. A lot of people said they related to songs on Waited Up; that – i've been there man – empathy. Grace was just as self obsessed, but I think I lost that empathy; instead of pubs and nightclubs and last buses, Grace is full of soundchecks and hotels and air travel. I always had this ideology of pure singing from the heart, I kinda challenged myself to write about stuff I cared about without necessarily lacing it with my opinion or putting it into personal context.

- Have you ever not used any lyrics because they were too personal?

No, I just bury them in feedback..  I think I've crossed the line in a few songs and it annoys me cos I'm onstage repeating it each night, but that's my own stupid hangup to deal with, it's not like I write explicitly enough that other people are going to cringe. And i've had a couple of really awkward stare at the floor moments with girls being like, wait that's me isn't it.. but I never have any kind of self-censoryness, I think the edge of personal/too personal suits us well.

- How did creating your new album with Alcopop differ to working with your previous label?

So so so much easier. I mean, I guess we're older now and we've kinda proven we know what we're doing, but Jack gave us money to pay Dom and left us alone for a few months. Before, it was like, argue negotiate compromise, a month in New York, and a whole dark frustrating world after trying to co-mix via email. I wouldn't change what happened cos we learnt so much, both about  the industry and production. But Jack's completely on our wavelength, it's as if he runs Alcopop in order to accumulate cool stories to tell his grandkids. To disappear and come back 6 months later with a double album is the kind of thing he expects from us

- The way you’ve used the audio clips about cursed songs is extremely effective, how did that idea come about? 

The original plan was to build a bank of conversation samples ourselves, just recording people around us. it just seemed kinda natural to ask out instead of doing it ourselves, both for variety and cos we're hella lazy. Also, recording people's conversations is weird if they know and weirder if they don't. Musique concrete is this hideously avant garde style of meshed field recordings and found sounds, we started off thinking we'd slip samples into loads of songs but there wasn't really the space. And we knew we'd need interval tracks, so I crafted them using whatever sound files I could rob from dropbox in true sonic guerilla style.

- What was it like to listen to them, and the personal feelings and emotions they describe?

Weird. Totally voyeuristic and slightly uncomfortable. I felt like i'd kinda led people into talking about stuff I had no right hearing. Idk, tumblr generation innit; intimacies aren't necessarily a personal thing

- How did you decide which audio clips to include? 

Harriet totally stood out, hers was the perfect mixture of weary resignation and affected teen nonchalance, so the first one was built around her. I've never met her so I hope that isn't offensive. It's super hard to do something like this and not be kinda studied about it; and that awareness in inflection and tones – talking publicly about something so personal, is kinda what made them uncomfortable to listen to bare. For the second one I cut everyone up into sentences and phrases and got stoned and tried to piece them together semi-coherently. And the last one is literally everyone..

- How important is involving your fans in your music? 

Honestly, it's not that much of a big deal to us, all these stupid adventures cos naturally. it's just hella fun. It's like, if you own a water park, d'you try and build a bigger pool to fit more people in, or buy a wave machine and slides and fun stuff for the people already in? We're totally into doing the latter in this awful metaphor, but, if it was a shit water park and noone ever came, it'd still be our very own god damn water park.  Being able to involve people to the level we do is a fun perk of having those people care enough in the first place, and I wouldn't really trust bands that didn't want to be close to the people fucking paying their way. We formed a band cos we wanted a badass hxc gang that listened to pavement and capn jazz and smokes weed and we could hang out with in any city ever, not cos we think we're special, or  worse, separable. 

- I think it’s fair to say the NME weren’t particularly mature or fair about their coverage of Vs Everything, what’re your thoughts about what’s happened between them and the band? 

Meh. Feel like we were kinda set up, in that, a week before that review, they were like, sure we'll stream your record on our site and everyone's into it. It's just that Ricky guy really hates us cos my record store day blog spread around so much and I was really rude about him in it.  Whilst I wish it had got  an 8 or 9 instead, we probably got more publicity this way, so, from a business side, it was fine, and we both got our little ego trips out of it.  I stand by every word I said about Ricky, the fact that he's an editor of the NME says more about the NME nowadays than his review said about us. But really, a dying old magazine sponsored by a hair product, no way are we going to lose sleep over that..

- Where did your anti-leaking strategy for Vs Everything come from?

 

From seeing other bands do the first part and then still suffer the leak; it's easy to make a spazzed copy of the record, but it has to go viral (at least, in our tiny community) for it to have any effect. The people who're most into the band are the ones most likely to leak the record; kids with review blogs who love what you do so much they're compelled to share it. And bands are always, hey dont do this, don't leak it, don't tell anyone yet. It didn't seem that much of a jump to think, if you involve them in this, explain why it's important and how they can help, instead of begging them to go against instinct, then it greatly increases the chances of getting away with it.

- How much of a difference do you feel it made? 

Idk, it's impossible to quantitatively state innit. I'm not naïve enough to think there aren't people who had copies earlier than they should, but the endgame was to concentrate hype as opposed to win the internet. I mean, it didn't leak, (or if it did, it was so far from our channels as to make no difference)and now we're making money and have a summer of festivals to look forward to. I'd be very surprised if the links haven't died out now, and it was as easy to get as everyone elses records, but more than anything it reassured us that all the people that say they care about our band, really do care. 

- If you could change one thing about being in a band, what would it be?

 If you mean our band, we'd have learnt to drive. Same answer, every time, highlighted bold underlined. I mean, now it's not really practical, but we've spent so much, turned stuff down, missed out on parties, cos none of us has a fucking clue how cars work. If you mean, every band tho, we should all have to wear nametags. Audiences too.

- What’s in the future for Johnny Foreigner?

OMG ITS SO SECRET I CAN'T SAY BUT IT WILL BE PRETTY SPECIAL. Level up...

*One final thing, tonight, from 8-9pm, you can listen in to Spark Radio to hear me (Mel) talk about the interview, and Johnny Foreigner - as well as music from Los Campesinos!, Tall Ships, Summer Camp and Serengeti. If you want to discuss anything you've just read as well, make sure you listen in. Song requests are welcome too.*

Los Campesinos! + Tall Ships; Thekla, Bristol 21/03

Wednesday night at Bristol’s Thekla gets underway early and Tall Ships perform in a way that would be commendable for a headlining band. It’s rare to see a support band captivate the audience so fully, but completely understandable. The gently harmonised vocals are a contrast to the fast, sharp guitars; a powerful combination, strengthened by the vast crescendos overlaid with solid, lyrical melodies. ‘Vessels’ is a set highlight and a fitting track for the venue, not only in title (for those unaware, Thekla is a boat). The misleadingly slow and delicate opening melts into a thrumming drumbeat, filling the air and we all join in the chanting, “the vessel, that carried you and me, now sits at the bottom, the bottom of the sea…”


The boat was busy enough for Tall Ships, but waiting for Los Campesinos! it somehow manages to get even cosier; the balcony area looks fit to burst and down on the floor it’s already uncomfortably warm. That’s not a surprise. It’s a sold-out homecoming gig, as LC! are fond of reminding us they’re local (and definitely not Welsh).
Rocking back and forth to the beat, the entire band seems to be perfectly content with the newer songs. Coming after a few shaky first gigs with the new material, this is a positive sign. After the aching beauty of ‘To Tundra’, Gareth solemnly intones that quality is guaranteed from here on in, as “all the songs left have been featured on BBC3 programmes”. This is said with a wry smile, he’s fully aware that most people here are going to know the words to whatever they choose to play. With that, they launch into the infamous “beer song”. The days of bratty shouting and atonal glockenspiel are certainly long behind them, but the anticipation of the gradually building guitar on ‘You! Me! Dancing!’, comes only partly from nostalgia. It’s a testament to the band’s understanding of what they mean to their audience that they don’t leave this one out......

Read the rest on GoldFlakePaint

Xiu Xiu Bristol Fleece - 12th March '12

The first support band, Crash and the Bandicoots, shuffle onto a stage filled with fairy lights and paper lanterns. They're enjoyable and confident, using audio clips to introduce their songs (in much the same way as Fight Like Apes). The clapping, fairy lights and "ooh ahh"-ing looks on paper a bit twee, but that's not the case at all and they're a fun, interesting band to see. Up next are Trumpets Of Death; unlike their predecessors they don't stop between songs, each echoing note melding into the next. It's an impressive show, including some incredible saxophone playing, the only flaw being that they lack the immediacy of the other bands. Of course, the real trouble with supporting a band like tonight's headliners is that they are who we're all really here to see.

There's no talking between tracks tonight (as is usual with Xiu Xiu), but the band all seem perfectly content with the silence. Stewart speaks only twice - thanking the support bands at the start, and then thanking us in an equally hushed tone. His speaking voice is at odds with the raw power of his singing; he dodges between howls on 'This Too Shall Pass Away' (the only track they play from 'Dear God I Hate Myself'), and the beautiful, heart-breaking melody of 'Fabulous Muscles'. Silence falls almost completely for this track. The drummer, Marc Riordan, makes his way to the front of the stage to stand silently next to Stewart, hands clasped with a solemn expression, looking for all the world like someone in mourning. The crowd is unexpectedly small, especially for a band that's travelled so far to get here, but those that have come seem to be dedicated fans. There's a smatter of impolite talking over the start of a few tracks but that soon settles down as the songs develop. The set-list is clever and well thought out, the sublime refrain of 'Suha', "I hate my husband, I hate my children...when will I be going home?" is right at home next to the melodic "la la la"-ing on 'Joey's Song', one of the tracks from the new album 'Always'.

There's definitely something religious about the dedication of Xiu Xiu's listeners, and in the fairly small number of people here, there doesn't seem to be even close to a "type" of fan. If you just can't understand what makes people fall in love with this band, then seeing them live is probably the best way to appreciate the magnetism they undoubtedly have. I've seen Xiu Xiu casually dismissed in reviews on grounds of 'weirdness'. And yes, there can be some surprising and unusual moments in their music, but you soon come to realise there's nothing random about those crashing cymbals, or interjections of noise. It's all been crafted delicately together to form a powerful undercurrent; an unstoppable barrage of melodies that suck you in, wrenching at your gut, and all the while Stewart's lyrics, bizarre and startling at each turn, weave and float on top. They finish tonight's set with the magnificent 'I Love The Valley OH!', probably the closest thing they've got to a "hit single". As Stewart and the crowd roar out the infamous "OH!" of the title, I realize that (and it's completely clichéd) there's no easy way to put into words how a band like Xiu Xiu can make you feel. With those infamously unflinching lyrics, agonizingly catchy guitar riffs and drums that thump like a heartbeat, they were never going to be everyone's cup of tea, but that doesn't stop them being the most brilliant, surprising, and unforgettable band of the last ten years.

Perfume Genius - Put Your Back N 2 It

Mike Hadreas’ first album as Perfume Genius was ten short songs of pain, whispered out in his trademark delicate voice and recorded in his mum’s house without any particular intention to be released, it’s intimate in a way that can be almost difficult to hear at times. Hadreas himself is a shy, almost damaged seeming character, singing of awful things with a smile and a shaking voice, over a gentle piano. ‘Put Your Back N 2 It’ does not show much deviation from this effective formula, even using a couple of re-recorded demos from before ‘Learning’, the beautiful piano arpeggios and hushed vocals remain.

Hadreas’ words seem to be precisely shaped from an almost exquisite hurt, but they’re never complicated, no overwrought metaphors or vivid descriptions, instead, his words almost tumble out, and seem obvious once they’re said – the sign of a true lyrical talent. The second track, ‘Normal Song’ opens with an uncomplicated line that somehow manages to communicate a whole lot more; “hold my hand, I am afraid” he asks plaintively. It’s not all doom and gloom though; often what makes these songs seem so upsetting is the glimmer of hope they describe. For example, on ‘Dark Parts’ (written as a present for his mum) he promises “I will take the dark part of your heart into my heart”. This album also shows a little more instrumental variety than ‘Learning’; a dark bass riff that wouldn’t sound out of place on the Twin Peaks soundtrack opens ‘Floating Spit’, and the gentle pounding drums on ‘Dark Parts’ add a sense of urgency, when things could otherwise have felt a little too heavy. It closes with ‘Sister Song’, the Perfume Genius version of an arena-filling anthem – a reverberating guitar picks out a melody that sounds patriotic in some strange way, with typically revealing yet mysterious lyrics, and a sense of anticipation.

Bands like Snow Patrol and singers like Adele are often lauded for the ability their songs have to induce emotion (…and how well their songs go with sad montages on the TV). But true heartbreak, true grief – almost at the point where it seems cathartic, wretched and destructive – is to be found in this album.....

Read the rest on GoldFlakePaint

Yr Friends Have Already Left

Alexei Berrow of Johnny Foreigner is almost disgustingly productive, not six months have passed since the last EP from his solo project Yr Friends - and in that time Johnny Foreigner released their brilliant third album 'Vs Everything'. Such prolificacy would be annoying, except anyone who finds more music from Berrow/Jo-Fo to be a bad thing is clearly not listening properly, if at all.  This EP is in much the same vein as his previous release, 'Yr Friends Have Been Lying To You', which we described as "wrapping you up in gentle guitar melodies... addictive and affecting".

This time Berrow sighs his accounts of bills, exhaustion, late nights and hope over soft electronic humming and warm harmonies, rather than the gently plucked guitar of the previous EP. It gives you a fleeting glimpse, on a misty night, in to Berrow's world - he promises to "sing from the heart" and he does. The stories he weaves are given all the more weight for the authenticity they communicate. But it's not all beautifully worded realism, on the fourth track things get a bit more morbid "I wanna sea burial, I won't leave a mark". Tackling money woes, relationships and death in less than 17 minutes, it's a real gem and we can only hope there's yet still more to come.

Buy it for only £4

Live: The Twilight Sad - Bristol Fleece, Feb 13th '12

The Twilight Sad's latest album, 'No One Can Ever Know' is the result of a conscious decision to change the band's sound. Any decision that attempts to avoid stagnation, in a climate where bands often seem almost afraid to try anything different on the next album, is certainly admirable. So, gone is the crashing wall of wailing guitars. But at its heart, the album still has the confidence and individuality that make the Twilight Sad stand out, something they've maintained since their first releases. 

 They begin the gig with the heavy droning beat from 'Kill It In The Morning', the final track on the new album. The unsettling feeling that their music has always induced in their audience so well is even more powerful live, and as the first synth melodies shiver out it's clear that this 'new sound' is going to be even more potent live. Lead singer James Graham barely opens his eyes throughout, contorting his face as he shudders along to the beat. His vocals are one of the best things about the band - consistently strong, clear and melodic - in fact sometimes on record they aren't quite given the spotlight they deserve. Graham's intense concentration may be contributing to the fact that tonight his voice is something of a magnet, grabbing the audience's focus and holding it. Although that's not to say that the rest of the band aren't equally talented; the echoing thrum and fuzz of the surrounding sound contrasts well with the solid beauty of his voice. 

 The between-song chat is kept to a minimum, Graham mumbles with a smile in reply to a heckle of "I love you", that "you wouldn't, I'm a total nobhead" and aside from their murmured words of gratitude, that's it.  Each song is blended into the next; they are clearly comfortable playing the new songs, side-by-side with some of their older stuff. The melodic hum of 'And She Would Darken The Memory' swells around, as Graham howls "the rabbit might die" then, without missing a beat the next track is reverberating around the dingy, fairy-light lit interior of The Fleece. The constant barrage of sound is arresting, but in a consuming, intense way and the open (if slightly chilly) interior of the venue suits their sound well. They seem genuinely surprised and grateful at the turnout, modestly calling themselves "only a tiny band from Scotland. The Twilight Sad may only think of themselves as a tiny band, but they are a band guaranteed to give an atmospheric performance and in the context of tonight's show their latest album has really starts to make more sense for me. Captivating, engaging, and well worth watching.

The Fleece have got some really great gigs coming up, take a look (the Xiu Xiu date in particular should be incredible).

Benjamin Shaw - There’s Always Hope, There’s Always Cabernet

Audio Antihero Records, November ‘11

In much the same ways as a wise old man might sit down by a fire and impart his wisdom, Benjamin Shaw uses ‘There’s Always Hope…’ to tell tales of everyday trials and tribulations with flair and a humorous sense of gravity. ‘Interview’ details the inevitability of stressing out about a job interview, knowing that even if you got the job it’d only make you more miserable. His self-deprecating humour is one of the reasons this never even begins to sound like the work of ‘just another bloke’ with an acoustic guitar, no mean feat when you’re a bloke with an acoustic guitar making music. He may be keen on chaotic clamour, but you’d be a fool to let Shaw’s talent for melodies pass you by. These melodies sink their claws into you, refusing to let go as they ride the ebb and swell of the surrounding fuzzy mess. That’s not to say that we’ve not been shown this talent before, the opening track on his EP ‘I Got the Pox, the Pox Is What I Got’ gives us over a minute of beeping and unintelligible voices, before the gentle guitar strumming begins and his characteristically heart-wrenching, yet simple, lines are mumbled out. It could be suggested that Shaw is trying to disguise an ability to make very listenable and pleasant music, behind a barrier of noise and dissonance. But that would be unfair and inaccurate at best. The droning and creaking that begins ‘HULK’, the closing track of ‘There’s Always Hope, There’s Always Cabernet’, only adds to its absolute, aching beauty. This track pulls at you, it’s addictive and there’s a bizarre sense of joy permeating through the pain. And as Shaw declares in his dejected but strangely powerful voice that “I can’t control…what it does to me”, you’ll begin to wish that not only is there hope and cabernet, there’s also more to come from this (self-confessed) ‘singer-songwanker’.
Buy it