Having recently released Garden Snake, his new EP, John-Robert joined TGEFM for a roll of the dice interview. We discussed the new EP, getting inspiration from Ed Sheeran’s Song Kick sessions and what’s next.
Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview! Congrats on the release of the EP Garden Snake. What should our readers know about you, your history and your sound?
I’m not a confrontational person. You could spill soup on me and I’d apologize. Writing songs is a way for me to feel like I truthfully told someone how I’m doing. I’m originally from Virginia and now live in Los Angeles. For this project, I wanted to go back to basics. I wrote most everything alone on an acoustic guitar. Then when it came time to do tracking and arrangement – I worked with my friends and explored my love for the Appalachian stylings of the Shenandoah Valley. It started as a solo passion project and turned into a celebration of the community I have here in LA.
What album or band or significant singles made you go “Yeah, this is what I want to do” Not just an influence but who or what was the catalyst for your musical journey?
I‘d obsessively watch live performance videos. Watching Freddie Mercury do a call and response with the audience during his Live Aid performance in 1985 was wildly inspiring. The way he takes charge, created a moment, and his playfulness… I love it. However, what was truly pivitol was watching early Ed Sheeran with a looper station in the song kick sessions. I couldn’t find people to start a band with in my hometown growing up. Then I saw Ed being a one man band, and building full arrangements from scratch. So I got a looper station and would recreate his live performances step by step. It was like learning choreography.
We’ve all got a few, what is your biggest regret? A gig you turned down, advice you didn’t take, what one thing do you wish you handled differently as a musician?
I wish I was better about reaching out to artists I admired when I first moved to LA. I was deeply insecure about my musical ability and production know-how. I always felt like a bother reaching out to people, so I just kept to myself. Later I learned I can’t grow in a vacuum. It’s been through positive reinforcement that I feel better about reaching out to people and making friends. Practicing being social is like working out a muscle. Each text I respond to is another rep. At least that’s what it felt like to me.
Going from Edinburg, VA to LA to grow your music career must have been a culture shock. What have been some of the most memorable moments or experiences within the music scene so far? What’s been the most unexpected? The weirdest?
I personally love the different scenes out here. There are grassroots events that are put on by people who love music and want to create a safe space for their community. This was most evident when I went to a punk show in a vacant lot. I saw Horror Show play. The lead singer dressed up as a bloodied Ronald McDonald, and gave his whole body to the performance. I got the living shit beat out of me in the mosh pit. It was invigorating. I’m glad there’s a space for that in LA.
One of our obligatory questions in these interviews also tends to be the one I have found most important on a personal level. Who are some bands on your radar that TGEFM readers may not know about, but you think they should?
Feeble Little Horse is a band out of Pittsburgh PA. They were one of my top listened to artists this year. Their guitar tones, arrangements, and songwriting is incredible! Too many people are sleeping on them!
Squid has been pretty experimental lately. I love the lead singer. He is my vocal idol at the moment. He’s theatrical without feeling too theatre kid. I love watching the faces he makes in his live performances. My favorite song is hands down “Houseplants”.
Lastly, The Dare has made some fresh pop bangers. To me, his music is reminiscent of the early 2000’s “LMFAO” era. I adore his sense of humor, and his lyrics could not be anymore fun and playfully shocking.
What’s next for John-Robert?
Getting my wisdom teeth taken out and going on tour with Bailen in February. Making music with some friends in Virginia and juggling a couple of projects. It’s too early to tell what will be released.
Was there anything I missed that you’d like to share or dive deeper into with our readers?
This Garden Snake EP means a lot to me. Making and releasing these tunes has been a cathartic experience. Music is a safe space for me, and everything I do is in service of this labor of love. There’s nothing else I’d rather be doing. I set the intentions for this project to meet me where I was at. I wanted to build a foundation in recording live instruments with Ableton, and learn to work a studio space. I took it back to basics and saw the magic in simplicity. More chords doesn’t necessarily make for a better song. I wanted more of the emphasis to be on storytelling and that’s why folk music really resonated to me. Folk music takes the simplest chords and makes them more intricate with the application of a simple picking pattern. It’s a special genre.
Roll of the Dice is a short interview format with a variable amount of questions. A pair of dice is rolled and the total, between 2 and 12, is the amount of questions we can ask. All questions are given to the interviewee(s) at once, and no follow-ups are allowed. The interview may be lightly edited for content and clarity.
Bad Dad (occasionally called Ed) has been on the periphery of the punk and punk-adjacent scene for over twenty years. While many contributors to this site have musical experience and talent, Ed’s musical claim to fame comes from his time in arguably the most punk rock Blockbuster Video district in NJ where he worked alongside members of Blanks 77, Best Hit TV and Brian Fallon. He is more than just an awful father to his 2 daughters, he is also a dreadful husband, a subpar writer, a terrible dresser and has a severe deficiency in all things talent… but hey, at least he’s self-aware, amirite?
Check out the pathetic attempts at photography on his insta at https://www.instagram.com/bad_dad_photography/
