An agressive and passionate mix of rockabilly and punk rock, Wales’s own pyschobilly kings, Graveyard Johnnys are an awesome proposition. Debut album ‘Songs From Better Days’ garnered some great reviews when it was released in 2011 and the bands live shows are legendary, full of high energy and snarling aggression.
The band are currently demoing the second album with view to a summer release and have some UK and European dates booked for March, including The Moon Club in Cardiff on the 20th. We spoke to Joe to give us the lowdown on Graveyard Johnnys.
Who are you and what do you do?
I am Joe and I sing and play bass in the band Graveyard Johnnys
How did you get started?
We did a gig once and enjoyed ourselves so we thought we’d do another one. We haven’t stopped since.
What have you got going on at the moment?
We are writing our second album, booking up festival season and organising our biggest tour yet.
Favourite music and why?
Bhangra, and why not?
Best experience in the business?
Travelling the world with my mates. Pushing the van up the road in exotic locations.
Why should soundscape readers care?
I don’t care if they care
What’s the best and worst things about touring?
Touring is amazing until you get home and realise you’re just another dickhead in a band.
What’s the bands writing and recording process like?
We don’t really know yet, the way we write songs changes all the time. Usually there is a riff or a drumbeat to start and then we just jam things until something works. Lyrics normally come out in one big rant, sometimes before the music and sometimes at the very last moment before recording.
What inspires you?
Anger, happiness, honesty and fried chicken.
Whats the hardest thing about the current business?
I don’t know, maybe just business in general. We have the internet now which is the best promotional tool in history, but then every lad and his dad is making music now with a professional recording studio in their spareroom and a million followers on Twitter. Things have definately changed in the past decade or so and by making some things easier it has just created more problems in others. Like the self-service checkout in the supermarket putting people out of jobs, it’s the same principle. The computers are going to take over and bitchslap us to the ground. We created this monster, the signs have been there all along. Think about it.
Finally, one question we ask everyone, who is your favourite Batman actor?
Rob Lowery.
http://www.facebook.com/graveyardjohnnysUK
http://www.twitter.com/gyjarmy
http://graveyardjohnnys.bigcartel.com/
