Band: JOHN
Country of Origin: United Kingdom

JOHN, the appropriately named duo comprised of two people named, well, John. John hails from London and is another example of what seems to really be a fantastic musical movement in the UK scene. I first learned of John from the IDLES Facebook fan group, the AF Gang. IDLES fans can’t stop raving about them and for good reason! They might only be a band of two, but their sound is full and robust. If you’re in Europe or going to Europe in November, be sure to catch them touring with IDLES. I’ll just stay here and be jealous of you, hoping JOHN makes it over to North Carolina (or close to it) sometime soon.

I also want to take a moment to talk about the photographer credited with capturing the image featured in this post. The picture was taking by AF Gang founder Lindsay Melbourne. Lindsay does a phenomenal job with band portraits and live shots, capturing the life of the vibrant scene in the UK. If you want to fall into a wormhole of amazing UK bands, start there and let me know when you find the exit; I haven’t.

John Newton provided answered the following questions on behalf of the band.

Five Questions

1. What is your desert island disc (the one album you couldn’t live without?)

There’s always too many to choose from, but for its sheer persistence across many smashed or stolen devices, I’m going to say ‘Saturate Every Atom’ by now-defunct Danish band LACK. I remember somewhat idly clicking on a link because I liked the album artwork. Little would I know that this index finger movement would lead to ten years of continued listening. I don’t like speaking on Johnny’s behalf but I’m pretty sure he would take something that John Reis has played on, maybe a Hot Snakes record that could double up as a sun shade for the demands of island-living (he burns pretty easily).

2. How did the band members meet?

Johnny (Guitar) and I (Drums/Vox) met whilst studying at university through living in the same rented accommodation. We spent a long time discussing and planning JOHN before finally getting in a rehearsal room after completing our studies. I think we were both a bit nervous that it might never happen after all the discussions. We started out renting a tiny basement room behind the now defunct 12 Bar on Denmark Street (Central London’s street of music shops), but like a lot of London, the building was recently knocked to the ground. it was an odd experience looking into the large muddy hole left behind, trying to recognize the remnants.

3. What is the underground music scene like in your home country?

Having both settled in deep dark South London (Crystal Palace), its nice to have found ourselves surrounded by a clutch of interested artists and musicians. Places like The Windmill (Brixton’s infamous unpretentious pub venue) have become hives of activity, and its great to be able to turn up alone and be assured of engaging music and conversation. These places are really important in a constantly shifting city. Overall, you’re pretty spoilt for choice, I could easily find a show to watch every night of the week, not that my bank balance would appreciate or allow it.

4. What are some of your biggest influences outside of music?

This is a particularly important question for us, as we’ve always found most inspiration in the subtle transactions of everyday life. The songs are like vignettes of these moments, each working together in the construction of an album. I felt like this was pretty evident on our debut ‘God Speed In The National Limit’, which felt like a collection of stories moulded from the most mundane experiences. In this sense, structuralist writers such as B.S Johnson or the OULIPO (French literary movement) have offered me a lot of food for thought when arranging and writing. Johnny is also a really talented furniture restorer alongside playing in the band, so we’re both very visual in the way we approach the presentation of JOHN’s music.

5. Tell us about your favorite show you ever played.

Recently, we’ve really enjoyed shows in support of internationally respected bands such as Metz and IDLES, but I think the most special have been our two recent headline shows in London (at the Shacklewell Arms and Bermondsey Social Club). It’s been great to see packed-out rooms in front of us enjoying these things that popped out of our imaginations. There’s also got to be an honorable mention to La Ferronnerie (an old ironworks turned venue) from our tour in South West France. It was amazing to see people come out of the woodwork in a place that we had never been to before. It felt like being in a really great film.