Stephanie Anne Johnson, Interview
Stephanie Anne Johnson
Give us a brief history of your musical background and what your goals were when you first started?
I was lovingly pushed on stage at a piano bar called Grounds For Coffee when I was 15 or so. I sang Blue Skies. I was very scared.
How have those goals changed now versus who you were back then?
Eh, I kinda. Younger me just wanted to sing and I've been doing that and a whole lot of other shit too
I'm listening to "Can't Go Home" right now - great track & tones! Tell us where you recorded it, how you tracked it, and how the song came about.
We recorded it the second time I think my producer Jeff Fielder and I hung out. In the past I've been married to recording guitar and vocals together for authenticity but Jeff really wanted clean takes. He has a system which I won't say too much about but I love the way it turned out. I sound evolved with shows the growth I've personally been working on.
When you write, is it primarily a solo effort, or collaborative?
This set of songs were mostly finished so the work with Jeff was mostly in arrangement.
How does your thought process change when you are writing with others, versus writing alone?
When I'm writing alone I like to think about the story I'm trying to tell. I like to make noise with the pieces of the song I have until I find the way to bring the pieces together.
What instrument do you do a majority of your writing on?
Guitar. It's more of a pen for me than an instrument. I don't imagine myself as a soloist as a guitar player and I don't mind that at all. There's plenty of amazing guitar playing folk in the world and I'm lucky enough to know quite a good few.
When you write, is it the same structured process every time, or is it like a bolt of lightning thing?
The goal is unusually lightening in a bottle so the process protects that, I think.
You're obviously very in tune with how our society is changing today. There are "artists" who are purely entertainers, and Artists who are affecting change (like you, thank you!). What advice would you give to someone who's afraid to put their innermost feelings out in their artwork, even if it's "ahead of the curve" and beyond what some would accept right now?
A friend of mine told me this several years ago (and I'm paraphrasing) if you let your freak flag fly (as it were) the freaks like you are more likely to find you. Thanks Joe Kelly.
How did the COVID lockdown affect your efforts - what did you do during that time?
During the pandemic a former bandmate of mine was kind enough to turn a room in his house into a tv studio and we did one broadcast after another for a long time.
If you had the opportunity to place "Can't Go Home" into any TV show, or movie, what would it be and why?
Oh man, well, to be completely honest a part of me wants it to be in a lifetime holiday movie. I really liked “Menorah in the Middle” from last year. I thought it was really cute.
What musical guilty pleasure do each of you have? ;) (Mine is the Spice Girls, sorry, not sorry.)
Ah, Dave Grohl (who's name I spell wrong frequently) tells us, "That whole guilty pleasure thing is full of fucking shit!" If you like something just like it. I enjoy pop-punk from the early 2000s including select ICP tracks.
What excites you about the music industry today, and what makes you angry the most?
I mean it's just capitalism. Okay?! Like I want a living wage for what I do but I don't necessarily want to feel and act and conduct myself like a capitalist in business either.
Tell us about your gig with KNKX and being a DJ - that must be very rewarding?!
My radio show is a source of a lot of learning in my life. Every week I get to research new artists and new songs. Also learning how an NPR station works, how to navigate the various computer systems has been and continues to be a journey. It's also good exercise for rule number one which is: stay calm.
Did you always know what type of music you wanted to create, or has it changed over time?
The kind of music I want to make has changed over time but also I've always wanted to sing and breathing into that is really good for me, emotionally.
If you could play any venue in the US, what would it be?
Ooh, Red Rocks as an every other year thing. I'd love it.
Same thing for the UK, Europe, Africa, Australia and South America.
I'd love to go make more music in Ireland and I love to go back to the Caribbean. I'd love to sing in some of those European buildings made for singing. Cathedrals and opera houses are a big thrill.
What's been the best gig you've been a part of and why?
The best gig I'm a part of is the next gig I'm a part of. It's important to look forward. Mark the past, say thank you and keep it pushing. I've been treated better or worse at certain venues but no venue really is any better or worse.
Tell us one of your funny / horror stories from a gig - something that other musicians can relate to. ;)
If you could be a mentor to a teenage band, what would you work with them on - how could you help them?
Oh shit, I had a full circle moment the other night. As a child (like 12 or 13) I went to see Lisa Loeb and she told a story while she tuned her guitar and I remember thinking how cool that was and while I was tuning last time I was out in Yakima I told the story of being amazed by her while turning my guitar. It was pretty great.
If you could go back to when you were a teenager - a young person realizing that they wanted to make a life out of music - what would you tell them now?
Breathe baby, it'll still going to happen whether you breathe or not so choose air.
How have your musical goals changed from when you started, to where you are now?
Kinda. I still wanna sing with Muppets and be on Saturday Night Live but now I also wanna feel the feeling of being invited to do cool things with musicians whom I respect like Brandi Carlile and Allen Stone. I've opened for him twice and I'd love to be on tour with that man and his fabulous band.
Who do you think is the greatest representative for your particular style of music? Not the best musician, per se, but the best representative of the genre?
Probably Bonnie Raitt crossed with Aretha Franklin.
When is your next gig, and what performances do you have in store for 2023?
The April gigs are the album specific shows and I'm really looking forward to those. Jeff Fielder has great stage energy and I'm looking forward to showing our work to more folk.
Where can we find you on the interwebs, what are your socials?
@stephanieannejohnson on Instagram and Stephanie Anne Johnson on Facebook are really where I'm at the most. https://www.stephanieannejohnsonmusic.com
Any clue as to why "hot chicken" is a thing here in Nashville? Seriously, it's awful. Why anyone would choose to do that to their body is beyond us. Any help you could give would be most appreciated. ;)
I don't eat hot food. Acid reflux is a real thing. ;)