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Non-Prog Interviews

John Willoughby

Interviewed by Gary Hill
Interview with John Willoughby from 2024
MSJ:

Can you catch the readers up on the history of your involvement in music – sort of a "highlight reel?"

I started out playing in rock bands in high school, none of which were very good. I broadened my horizons in college, playing guitar in several rock bands, drums in a few punk bands, and even bass in a country/folk band.

I decided early on that my chances of being a successful rock star were slim, and the whole starving artist thing wears thin after a while so I went into engineering as a day job and music as a sideline. With job and family demands, late night weekday gigs lost their appeal quickly, so I backed off from the full-time band life. I spent some years playing occasional solo gigs locally – first guitar and vocals and sometimes bass and vocals. I also started writing and recording a few original songs under several different band names and using some of the people I knew in the area but without the attraction of forming a full time band it was hard to find the right people, and so I was limited in what I could do.

Covid changed things for me. When I was spending time at home and on the internet, I started meeting people I could collaborate with that were scattered across the planet, many of whom were available because they, too, were sitting at home looking for things to do since no one was playing out or touring during the lock down. This really opened up my options, and I decided to write and record some music under my own name using a line-up of people that could bring exactly what I needed. The first song I wrote and released under my name in 2021, “New Day Dreams," included some outstanding guitar work by Duke Levine who I knew from playing in bands in Worcester. Duke was one of the people available largely because of Covid and is normally in high demand, He’s touring with Bonnie Raitt at the moment. I ran across a bass player in Texas who I really liked, and after chatting a bit it bizarrely turned out that we had actually known each other as kids growing up in Ohio. Talk about a small world moment!

Having found a good working formula, I started cranking out some singles for the first few years, then two EP releases, and finally a full album. I’ve been fortunate to have had a great stream of musicians that I have worked with. It’s great to be able to use people with the right talents to help bring my songs to life!

MSJ: If you weren't involved in music what do you think you'd be doing?
Writing, I guess. I have written a few books which are available on Amazon. The most recent one is about a train trip I took all around the United States several years ago on Amtrak sleeper trains - kind of a travel guide, kind of an adventure narrative. But music is my passion, so I haven’t published much so far.
MSJ: Who would you see as your musical influences?
Oh… so many. Some that stand out for a variety of reasons: David Bowie first and foremost. Pink Floyd, Fripp, Eno, Sid Vicious, Todd Rundgren, Happy The Man, Thomas Dolby, Deadmau5, St. Vincent… ask me tomorrow and I’ll probably give you a completely different list (except for David Bowie).

I realize Sid kind of stands out in that lineup. No, he was definitely not a great musician, and yet was part of a band that became a flagship for an entire musical movement. He was a reminder to me that you don’t have to be a virtuoso to make music. It can be as simple as sneering at the audience and attacking your bass like a rabid woodchuck. Music can be intellectual, or music can be just emotional. It doesn’t always need to be clever, sometimes it’s just fun.

MSJ: What's the best thing that's ever been said about your music?
“Wow, that’s great - you should get an agent”
MSJ: You have a new album out. What can you tell us about that?
Something Wicked was inspired by the Ray Bradbury novel of the same name A few of the songs are directly drawn from the story, others veered off course and ended up not really related at all, like "My Zombie Girlfriend." I find with my music that it takes on a life of its own, and the song I may have in mind when I start out is often not at all the song that ends up getting recorded. This album is like that. I started off with all songs about themes and scenes from the book but other ideas crept in, like "...Girlfriend." I suppose I could have put those songs on the shelf for later but I hate to leave something unfinished like that.

I had some great collaborators on this album, including Julie Slick (of the Adrian Belew band) on bass and several songs with guitar tracks by Randy McStine (recently of Porcupine Tree). Not having a regular band means I have to do everything myself, but it also means I get to pick out musicians for each song that I think will contribute the right sound.

MSJ: What's ahead for you?
I’m into phase two of my last album – creating some music videos That’s always a lot of fun! And I’ve just started work on my next album. I took a break this spring while taking a grad course in advanced mixing at Berklee. I always strive to be better. It was an excellent course but pretty much consumed me for a few months.
MSJ: I know many artists hate to have their music pigeonholed or labeled, but how would you describe your music?
I always struggle with this, especially when releasing music and having to pick categories. I’d probably say "indie rock," which is a pretty big umbrella, I realize. On Something Wicked most of the songs fit in there I think, with one that is a little prog and one that is a little country, and “My Zombie Girlfriend” that’s kind of punk.

That’s kind of an ongoing challenge – to find my center, musically, and be a little more focused. I know some people like musical diversity, but most people listen to an album because they liked a song or two, and it’s not really fair to them to toss a song on there that makes them go, “What the hell was that?”

MSJ: Are there musicians with whom you would like to play in the future?
Can I pick people that are no longer with us? And people I know I’ll never get a chance to work with? I enjoy writing and recording on my own, but I’d love to have a great talent to collaborate with – like a McCartney/Lennon relationship. Not everyone works well with others, but some of the people who are great musicians and also great producers would be interesting. I guess Eno and Rundgren would be at the top of that list for me. It wouldn’t suck to work with Jack Antonoff. For individual musicians I’m actually pretty happy with the crew I used on my recent album and plan on using them for the next one if they are available.
MSJ: Do you think that unauthorized streaming or other copyright violating sharing of music is a help or hindrance to the careers of musicians?
I think authorized streaming is a big problem. Everyone loves to blame the leader (Spotify), and for good reason, but they are really a symptom not a cause. People think of streaming as a programmable radio station, and no one pays for that, do they? So the whole concept of “buying an album” has pretty much gone away. Unauthorized streaming? Doesn’t seem like such a big deal in comparison. Copyright violation is an interesting one today because it’s the AI music tools that learned from all music. Is the music they now generate a copyright violation, or not? It’s complicated and is currently being battled in court.
MSJ: In a related question, how do you feel about fans recording shows and trading them or posting them online?
I’ll turn to the Grateful Dead here as an example. No band has ever encouraged their audience to record shows more than the Dead. They still sold lots of records. They still had people come pack their concerts. The sky did not fall. I’m all for people recording live performances – preserve them! Share them. Encourage them. Take photos, take videos, whatever. It’s going to happen anyway. Embrace it. Having said that, nothing is more annoying than having a sea of cell phones in front of you so you can’t even see the band. The Dead had special sections reserved for people who wanted to record. Maybe bands should pick a few songs and say “please record these songs and take pictures” and then ask everyone to put down their phones for the rest of the show.

However, the artist is responsible for providing an experience to the audience. If that includes not having people waving phones around and annoying others, then that’s their right. Act responsibly and follow the rules, whatever they may be.

MSJ: If you were a superhero, what music person would be your arch nemesis and why?
Weird Al! He is so creative and a little whacked. I think battling with Weird Al would look something like a Minions movie. Bizarre gadgets, silly costumes, slapstick fight scenes…
MSJ: If you were to put together your ultimate band (a band you'd like to hear or catch live), who would be in it and why?
That’s a tough one. I won’t just pick my favorite musician from each category because that doesn’t always end up in a cohesive group. You need to know that they will all work together to produce something greater than the individuals. Not all super groups were actually super. So I’d have to go with a group of people who have already showed an ability to work together like The Beatles at their peak, or the Stones. Or I could just say David Bowie and then the rest of the band doesn’t matter.  Living people? If David Gilmour and Roger Waters could put aside their differences and do something together that would be awesome, but based on the public comments from each of them that has zero chance of ever happening.
MSJ: If you were in charge of assembling a music festival and wanted it to be the ultimate one from your point of view who would be playing?
Am I allowed to pick dead musicians? If I am, and if it’s just for my benefit then I’d go with icons of their time and pick a line-up with bands like Elvis, The Beatles, The Stones, Pink Floyd, the Sex Pistols, Madonna, Nirvana and Taylor Swift. Something like that – give or take. Probably a lot of people would be turned off by someone on that list. I’ll bet there isn’t much cross-over between Swifties and Sex Pistol fans.
MSJ: What was the last CD you bought and/or what have you been listening to lately?
Well, first of all – despite complaining about how bad streaming is for the musicians, it’s successful because it’s awesome for the consumer. I only stream music anymore and I can’t even remember buying a CD. But to answer your question, lately I’ve been listening to Spotify’s suggestions for “sounds like” my music. And it all kind of does! I start by listening to some of my music, and then Spotify picks a bunch of artists I’ve never heard of but are all pretty good. That’s probably how a lot of people are finding my music – except in reverse. I don’t know any of these artists and honestly none of them have made me rush out to listen to more from them. There is so much music out there that I try not to get bogged down on any individual artist. Mostly.

I did just score some tickets to see Duran Duran this fall and have been listening to them a lot lately. I like them a lot although I don’t think of them as a band that influenced my music, really. I just enjoy listening to them.

MSJ: Have you read any good books lately?
“You Like It Darker” by Stephen King. The “Stranger Times” series from C. K. McDonnell is very enjoyable and a lot lighter.
MSJ: What about the last concert you attended for your enjoyment?
The Preservation Hall Jazz band was playing down the street in a park recently. Fabulous! For indoor music venues that would be Silversun Pickups.
MSJ: Do you remember the first concert you attended?
Yes, Sparks. I also saw them again last year in concert. I was a little concerned about getting hit by a bus or something afterwards – what if they were my first and my last concert? It had a weird symmetry to it. Fortunately, I have seen other bands since so they can’t be the last band I see.
MSJ: Have you come across any new gear recently that you love?
The Trash plug-in from iZotope. It can be very heavy, but it can also be very subtle and the right distortion in the right place can really open up a sound. HW? I play with a guitar I built back in college, although many pieces have been changed over the years. That’s the only guitar I play or even own. It’s kind of Strat-ish. I play direct but if I have to use an amp I have a little 20-watt tube amp I designed and built. The only remotely recent piece of gear, and the only thing I didn’t build myself, is my Boss GT-1 effects combo pedal. That’s about it for hardware – those three things. I have a ton of sw plug-ins and that’s where the action is for me.
MSJ: Do you have a musical “guilty pleasure?”
More than a few! I like a wide range of music and appreciate music that is well done in any genre. And I actually love good pop if it’s catchy and has a good beat. I like Kesha, especially her more recent stuff. Sabrina Carpenter, produced by Jack Antonoff, is just flawless. Most of Taylor Swift’s music doesn’t completely click with me, but she is an ultimate professional, and her stage show, which I’ve only seen in her movie, is a study in how to give a perfect show. She is also, by all accounts, a genuinely great human who showers money on charities and is never too busy for her fans. Does that qualify me as a “Swifty”? I have no problem with that if so. We need more Taylor Swifts and Dolly Partons in the world.
MSJ: What has been your biggest Spinal Tap moment?
Several years ago I was playing guitar in a rock band. We played local bars and some private parties, including one party in a large old Victorian house that was now college housing. I won't say where. We set up in an alcove of the very large living room. The pay wasn't bad a,nd it was low expectation - basically come to this party, play, and we'll pay you in beer and money. You take what you can get. What we didn't know was that someone had scored a huge stash of some kind of tranquilizers and was handing them out like jelly beans. And there were a number of kegs. Not a great combination. It started off fine but about an hour or so into it, when the house was quite crowded, the whole audience basically turned into zombies. 

We were not on a riser - just in an alcove on the same living room floor. We took a break and realized this wasn't going well when it seemed like we had wondered onto the set of "Night Of The Living Dead." We started in playing again and had to start pushing people away from where we were playing - the "stage" area. They just had no idea where they were or what they were doing - totally blank and feeling no pain at all. And not listening to us at all.

Then some lady stumbled over a monitor and did a spectacular swan dive into the drum kit. She knocked over half the drums, got up bleeding, and just shambled away apparently completely unaware of what just happened or that she was bleeding. At that point we said "screw this, we're out of here," but the thick crowd just wouldn't move so there was no way to get out of there, especially with equipment. There were, fortunately, windows behind us and we ended up breaking down our set, forming a bucket brigade, and passing all of our stuff out of the window to get out of there. Everyone was so far gone by then I'm really not sure they even knew we had left.

MSJ: If you could sit down to dinner with any three people, living or dead, for food and conversation, with whom would you be dining?
David Bowie, Felicia Day and Nikolai Tesla. All three brilliant minds, all three creative. What a conversation that would be!
MSJ: What would be on the menu?
Grilled cheese sandwiches. With that crew I think you don’t want to try to get fancy, and you certainly don’t want to distract from the conversation. Modifications as needed for dietary restrictions.
MSJ: Are there any closing thoughts you would like to get out there?
A lot has happened or is happening that is dramatically changing the music business. Cheap, but high-quality, home recording equipment, streaming distribution, AI assistants… it has never been easier to make music and distribute it. Unfortunately, it has never been harder to make money from music. Musicians need to think about how to turn their music into a brand that generates revenue from other sources than just the music – merchandise, services, social media ads, commercial work, gimmicks like costumes and stage shows, whatever. Or they need to realize that their day job is actually their career and pay it some attention. It can be fun to play the starving artist when you’re 20. Not so much at 65. Of course, with AI and robotics, 5 to 10 years from now a lot of people may be wondering where their career went. We have some changes coming.
MSJ: This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2024  Volume 3 More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2024.
 
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