Interview: Johnny Foreigner

June 16th, 2008 · 1 Comment · Interviews

Every so often a band will come along, grab you by the scruff of the neck and shake you until you either a) Die of exhaustion or b) Get converted into a fan. Thankfully for me, and many others, Johnny Foreigner have been siding more with Mr. B.

With the fantastic Waited Up Til It Was Light recently being released, The 405 caught up with lead singer/guitarist Alexei and quizzed him on a few things!

Congratulations on your latest release! It seems like it took forever for you to release the album, did it feel like a weight off your shoulder when it finally got released?

Not really, we always knew what the timescale would be. Since this time last year we’ve had a split 7″, signed a proper deal, released the Arcs EP and two singles out before the album, there’s been plenty to keep us busy. It feels good to be planning then next one though.

What’s your ultimate direction for your band? Are you seeking fame and fortune?

Nah, were cynical enough to know that’s fairly unlikely…As long as we make enough monies to keep putting our records and keep playing whilst still being able to afford dinner and a roof, that’s enough for now…

How has your music evolved since you first began playing music together?

Um, I think we’ve got better at writing songs in a technical sense probably and we’re a lot more confident of our own abilities too. There’s never any conscious decisions to how we write songs but we’re always going to be a pop band at heart…

Who would you consider are your biggest influences because your list on Myspace is HUGE!

Ha, the list is huge because we’re constantly changing our minds and finding new stuff that bedazzles us. If I had to pick some RIGHT NOW it would be Gerling, Dananananaykroyd, Cap’n Jazz and Copy Haho, Fight Like Apes and Sunset Cinema Club and that’s just music stuff…

Finally, if there was a movie made about Johnny Foreigner, what would the title be and what would the tag line be?

Shotgun not!
Turning heartbreak into sentiment to pay the rent

A full schedule of JF’s live shows can be found below.

18 Jun 2008