Johnny Touch may be a new name in the world of heavy metal but the guys have been for several years in Australia’s scene playing and making music. The time to release their debut has finally come so we took the chance and talked to the band’s founder and drummer Denimal about Johnny Touch and heavy metal music – what else?! Check below…
Hi Denny… do give us a brief bio of the band and also tell us how you came up with the name Johnny Touch…
D: Hey mate! The name Johnny Touch was the imagining of a street gang leader from post-war city of the future. You know, a wolf-pack of young men struggling with other gangs for territorial supremacy? I envisioned the name of that leader to be Johnny Touch. Imaginings aside, it was a “hard-to-forget” band name, and that was important too!
The band has been around since 2008 but it wasn’t until now – 6 years later – that you released your debut album. Why’s that?
D: JT was a project I decided to start over the course of 2008, because I had been writing small amounts of heavy metal since the mid-90s, but I found my writing had increase and showed no sign of abating. The reason for a debut album 6 years later was due to a demo, 2 split 7" records and securing a line-up of worthy men to take the band where it needed to go. I’d rather take a little longer to produce something qualitative than just pump out a series of mediocre albums for the sake of appeasing label contracts!
Which was the inner need that led you to form Johnny Touch? To honor your metal roots? To pay tribute to the 80s metal era… or simply to play the music you grew up with and love the most?
D: As I said earlier, it came about do to the fact I was writing the music! I listen to and enjoy a vast array of music styles and metal styles, but I don’t necessarily write enough other styles to warrant forming a band, you know? Johnny Touch pays tribute to the 70s and 80s metal era in a fashion, but moreover, it continues the awe inspiring legacy! Not only are we influenced by those great bands from our childhood, we are also influenced by the same bands that influenced those classic metal bands!
So coming to the album’s title… which are the “Inner City Wolves”?
D: Hunters from a post-apocalyptic city; cunning street gangs… inner city wolves.
Do tell us a few things about each track…
D: “It’s Alright”: The title is the soothing promise of pedophile priests whom take advantage of the young members of the congregation.
“The Metal Embrace”: I believe this song is a track about the presence of heavy metal music the first choice in hell! Our split EP with Stryker features an early rehearsal version of this song.
“Lady Stutter”: This song was a quandary. I wrote about 4 minutes of the song, then we ended up stretching it out to its current length. A very dynamic song full of subtleties and overt complexities. Jamie’s long-ass guitar solo in the breakdown is the best on the album. The song is about a young girl born into European royalty, a family involved in satanic ritual, slavery, abuse and ultimately, sacrifice. Based on truth.
“Radiation Axeposure”: Good old fashioned guitar solo based track with a cowbell solo gracing the end! Where could we possibly go from here??
“Dishonourable Discharge”: A driving song. Kinda reminds me of Racer X and late-80s Riot for some reason. It has that edgy pace I guess.
“End of Daze”: This is a strange track I think, which aids in rounding out the album. It has a little Queensryche influence, a bit of Grand Belial’s Key, and the outré that Pahl and Jamie play is amazing, in my opinion. You just don’t hear that shit on heavy metal albums anymore.
“Bitch of a Son”: A song I finished in the late 90s. Ironically, we didn’t make any alterations at all! Pahl put together some great lyrics after I gave him the title. A hermaphrodite street-whore, murderess… I mean… fuck.
“Black Company”: A very Ozzy Osbourne inspired song, with a slightly stereotypical black cult lyric. Jamie wrote this song and the opening riff could easily could have featured on “Diary of a Madman”. Easily.
Where did the recordings take place and who took care of the mixing, the production and the mastering of the album?
D: Much of the recording was laid in Against The Grain Studio, a local studio run by a man, Andy Kite, who knows his metal. He was dutifully, and painfully aware of our particular demands! Guitar solos, some vocals and the bass guitar was recording in our respective homes. Mastered by Damon Good at The Cave.
Why did you want to have an 80s-like sound on the album? If I didn’t know it was a 2014 release I would bet it was a late 80s release…
D: Ha yeah well we were aiming for a late 80s sound! There were some interesting productions floating around that time. Some think early 80s, some say late 80s. That’s how we sound live and in the jam room. Our production isn’t perfect, but then, why should it be? Often the most classic albums do not boast a so-called “perfect” production. Frankly, most modern metal productions are plain offensive to the ear. Every instrument fighting for the same frequency space, no room for dynamic at all. This irks me, as a drummer, drums are often triggered to be heard in the mix. What are we playing, acoustic drums and cymbals slaved over by master craftsmen, or playing electric typewriters???
What are your further plans for the album’s promotion? Do you consider giving any live shows or even arranging a tour at your country first? I think you could easily be a part of the Keep It True Festival (and you will soon)…
D: We haven’t needed to do any promotion! That’s been taken on by the label and a fantastic PR company. Doing a great fucking job at that! Yes we have been booking very select appearances around Australia and we even fly to New Zealand to play a couple shindigs soon. I fucking hope we can represent Australia at the KIT Fest. I have seen the videos and know many a man whom has travelled abroad for that show, and all reports are excellent.
Which are those bands that influenced Johnny Touch in order to sound the way they do?
D: Many of the same proto-metal and metal bands that influenced the 80s metal bands; Alice Cooper, Ted Nugent, Grand Funk Railroad, Gary Moore, Judas Priest, Loudness, Queen, Ozzy Osbourne, Scorpions, UFO, Kiss, Black Sabbath, Rainbow etc. Plus, obviously, bands from the 80s onwards. We are definitively influenced by Racer X, Crimson Glory, Cities, Twisted Sister, Dio, Yngwie Malmsteen, WatchTower…
D: Hey mate! The name Johnny Touch was the imagining of a street gang leader from post-war city of the future. You know, a wolf-pack of young men struggling with other gangs for territorial supremacy? I envisioned the name of that leader to be Johnny Touch. Imaginings aside, it was a “hard-to-forget” band name, and that was important too!
The band has been around since 2008 but it wasn’t until now – 6 years later – that you released your debut album. Why’s that?
D: JT was a project I decided to start over the course of 2008, because I had been writing small amounts of heavy metal since the mid-90s, but I found my writing had increase and showed no sign of abating. The reason for a debut album 6 years later was due to a demo, 2 split 7" records and securing a line-up of worthy men to take the band where it needed to go. I’d rather take a little longer to produce something qualitative than just pump out a series of mediocre albums for the sake of appeasing label contracts!
Which was the inner need that led you to form Johnny Touch? To honor your metal roots? To pay tribute to the 80s metal era… or simply to play the music you grew up with and love the most?
D: As I said earlier, it came about do to the fact I was writing the music! I listen to and enjoy a vast array of music styles and metal styles, but I don’t necessarily write enough other styles to warrant forming a band, you know? Johnny Touch pays tribute to the 70s and 80s metal era in a fashion, but moreover, it continues the awe inspiring legacy! Not only are we influenced by those great bands from our childhood, we are also influenced by the same bands that influenced those classic metal bands!
So coming to the album’s title… which are the “Inner City Wolves”?
D: Hunters from a post-apocalyptic city; cunning street gangs… inner city wolves.
Do tell us a few things about each track…
D: “It’s Alright”: The title is the soothing promise of pedophile priests whom take advantage of the young members of the congregation.
“The Metal Embrace”: I believe this song is a track about the presence of heavy metal music the first choice in hell! Our split EP with Stryker features an early rehearsal version of this song.
“Lady Stutter”: This song was a quandary. I wrote about 4 minutes of the song, then we ended up stretching it out to its current length. A very dynamic song full of subtleties and overt complexities. Jamie’s long-ass guitar solo in the breakdown is the best on the album. The song is about a young girl born into European royalty, a family involved in satanic ritual, slavery, abuse and ultimately, sacrifice. Based on truth.
“Radiation Axeposure”: Good old fashioned guitar solo based track with a cowbell solo gracing the end! Where could we possibly go from here??
“Dishonourable Discharge”: A driving song. Kinda reminds me of Racer X and late-80s Riot for some reason. It has that edgy pace I guess.
“End of Daze”: This is a strange track I think, which aids in rounding out the album. It has a little Queensryche influence, a bit of Grand Belial’s Key, and the outré that Pahl and Jamie play is amazing, in my opinion. You just don’t hear that shit on heavy metal albums anymore.
“Bitch of a Son”: A song I finished in the late 90s. Ironically, we didn’t make any alterations at all! Pahl put together some great lyrics after I gave him the title. A hermaphrodite street-whore, murderess… I mean… fuck.
“Black Company”: A very Ozzy Osbourne inspired song, with a slightly stereotypical black cult lyric. Jamie wrote this song and the opening riff could easily could have featured on “Diary of a Madman”. Easily.
Where did the recordings take place and who took care of the mixing, the production and the mastering of the album?
D: Much of the recording was laid in Against The Grain Studio, a local studio run by a man, Andy Kite, who knows his metal. He was dutifully, and painfully aware of our particular demands! Guitar solos, some vocals and the bass guitar was recording in our respective homes. Mastered by Damon Good at The Cave.
Why did you want to have an 80s-like sound on the album? If I didn’t know it was a 2014 release I would bet it was a late 80s release…
D: Ha yeah well we were aiming for a late 80s sound! There were some interesting productions floating around that time. Some think early 80s, some say late 80s. That’s how we sound live and in the jam room. Our production isn’t perfect, but then, why should it be? Often the most classic albums do not boast a so-called “perfect” production. Frankly, most modern metal productions are plain offensive to the ear. Every instrument fighting for the same frequency space, no room for dynamic at all. This irks me, as a drummer, drums are often triggered to be heard in the mix. What are we playing, acoustic drums and cymbals slaved over by master craftsmen, or playing electric typewriters???
What are your further plans for the album’s promotion? Do you consider giving any live shows or even arranging a tour at your country first? I think you could easily be a part of the Keep It True Festival (and you will soon)…
D: We haven’t needed to do any promotion! That’s been taken on by the label and a fantastic PR company. Doing a great fucking job at that! Yes we have been booking very select appearances around Australia and we even fly to New Zealand to play a couple shindigs soon. I fucking hope we can represent Australia at the KIT Fest. I have seen the videos and know many a man whom has travelled abroad for that show, and all reports are excellent.
Which are those bands that influenced Johnny Touch in order to sound the way they do?
D: Many of the same proto-metal and metal bands that influenced the 80s metal bands; Alice Cooper, Ted Nugent, Grand Funk Railroad, Gary Moore, Judas Priest, Loudness, Queen, Ozzy Osbourne, Scorpions, UFO, Kiss, Black Sabbath, Rainbow etc. Plus, obviously, bands from the 80s onwards. We are definitively influenced by Racer X, Crimson Glory, Cities, Twisted Sister, Dio, Yngwie Malmsteen, WatchTower…
What are the things you wanna achieve with the band in the near future?
D: More great albums and a chance to play overseas, meet all our brothers out there we have yet to meet!
How’s the heavy metal scene in Australia? I’ve seen that in our time more and more acts are coming from down under and they too find their way both in Europe & the US market…
D: Small but good. There’s a bit of a modern Power Metal scene here, but I don’t know if we fit in there. I have no experience with that scene, so I will speak of Traditionalist Heavy Metal bands…: Convent Guilt, TT Rock, The W'zard, Dracula, Bengal Tigers, Pale Sage… a couple of bands have seemingly disappeared, but we’ll see what happens in the next couple of years with the ashes of such bands.
It’s time for the Weird Questions!!! How do you see all this “metal/rock revival” thing of our time? Is it just a trend or something deeper?
D: The scene is slowly making its way back to its roots, in order to rediscover itself, reinvent and reinvigorate.
Best heavy metal band of all time?
D: Probably Judas Priest.
What’s your opinion about the “free downloading issue” of today?
D: I know and remember well the days when it was common to make cassette copies of albums. At least then someone had to buy an initial copy. Nowadays it’s not just the ease of sharing free/pirated copies, worldwide, it’s also that some sites offer free downloads of albums us musicians slave over! Do you think playing in a band is cheap?? Buying instruments, paying for lessons, practicing, writing songs, renting rehearsal rooms, playing live, updating equipment, recording in the studio, paying for artwork and layouts, promoting the band… shit brother, the list goes on. Then some fucking little bastard just offers the album for free on their shitty fucking pirate website for the entire world to download! In my mind, and in fact, you are stealing!! If I could find those people, I would beat them with my drum sticks. I think samples and promos are fine, but these pirate sites have really killed album sales.
Are funding platforms like Kicksatrter, Indiegogo etc. the answer to the “free downloading issue” of the 21st century? It’s kinda weird. On the on hand, the fans get the music for free without caring that much about the artist/group and on the other hand, the fans pay for an album that they haven’t even heard… and most of the times it hasn’t even been recorded! What’s your say?
D: Yeah it’s a kind of median to free download and support! It’s better than nothing. I’ve supported a couple of films through Indiegogo. A movie about Dungeons & Dragons I haven’t seen yet!! Should get onto that! Hahaha…
What do you think about this “Views, tweets & Likes” mania of our time?
D: All for wimps who spend too much time in front of screens.
If your wife/girlfriend caught you cheating on her… what would you do in order to calm her down?
D: Invite her to join in? (i.n.: How cool is that?!!!
)
Imagine that your wife/girlfriend is selling your whole album-collection just to buy an expensive ring for herself. How would you react?
D: I’d sell her to slave traders.
Finally, we come to an end Denny. Thx for talking to Grande Rock. Say anything you like before we close. Keep the metal flag high dude! Take care!
D: Thanks for the support and great interview! For those whom thought the classic heavy metal had not resurfaced, think again! Join: www.johnnytouch.com.
D: More great albums and a chance to play overseas, meet all our brothers out there we have yet to meet!
How’s the heavy metal scene in Australia? I’ve seen that in our time more and more acts are coming from down under and they too find their way both in Europe & the US market…
D: Small but good. There’s a bit of a modern Power Metal scene here, but I don’t know if we fit in there. I have no experience with that scene, so I will speak of Traditionalist Heavy Metal bands…: Convent Guilt, TT Rock, The W'zard, Dracula, Bengal Tigers, Pale Sage… a couple of bands have seemingly disappeared, but we’ll see what happens in the next couple of years with the ashes of such bands.
It’s time for the Weird Questions!!! How do you see all this “metal/rock revival” thing of our time? Is it just a trend or something deeper?
D: The scene is slowly making its way back to its roots, in order to rediscover itself, reinvent and reinvigorate.
Best heavy metal band of all time?
D: Probably Judas Priest.
What’s your opinion about the “free downloading issue” of today?
D: I know and remember well the days when it was common to make cassette copies of albums. At least then someone had to buy an initial copy. Nowadays it’s not just the ease of sharing free/pirated copies, worldwide, it’s also that some sites offer free downloads of albums us musicians slave over! Do you think playing in a band is cheap?? Buying instruments, paying for lessons, practicing, writing songs, renting rehearsal rooms, playing live, updating equipment, recording in the studio, paying for artwork and layouts, promoting the band… shit brother, the list goes on. Then some fucking little bastard just offers the album for free on their shitty fucking pirate website for the entire world to download! In my mind, and in fact, you are stealing!! If I could find those people, I would beat them with my drum sticks. I think samples and promos are fine, but these pirate sites have really killed album sales.
Are funding platforms like Kicksatrter, Indiegogo etc. the answer to the “free downloading issue” of the 21st century? It’s kinda weird. On the on hand, the fans get the music for free without caring that much about the artist/group and on the other hand, the fans pay for an album that they haven’t even heard… and most of the times it hasn’t even been recorded! What’s your say?
D: Yeah it’s a kind of median to free download and support! It’s better than nothing. I’ve supported a couple of films through Indiegogo. A movie about Dungeons & Dragons I haven’t seen yet!! Should get onto that! Hahaha…
What do you think about this “Views, tweets & Likes” mania of our time?
D: All for wimps who spend too much time in front of screens.
If your wife/girlfriend caught you cheating on her… what would you do in order to calm her down?
D: Invite her to join in? (i.n.: How cool is that?!!!
)Imagine that your wife/girlfriend is selling your whole album-collection just to buy an expensive ring for herself. How would you react?
D: I’d sell her to slave traders.
Finally, we come to an end Denny. Thx for talking to Grande Rock. Say anything you like before we close. Keep the metal flag high dude! Take care!
D: Thanks for the support and great interview! For those whom thought the classic heavy metal had not resurfaced, think again! Join: www.johnnytouch.com.