Regular John

Mon 13th Jul, 2009 in Features

Having earned their stripes as a rollicking live band, Sydney four-piece Regular John has delivered the goods on debut album The Peaceful Atom Is A Bomb. At the tail-end of a national tour, the guys chat to FL about perfectionism and kicking arse onstage.

So the last time you spoke with us you were bright-eyed and bushy-tailed ahead of the release of your debut record. Now that you’ve let it loose on the world, how have things been for you guys?
Things have been better than ever. The response to the album has been really positive. During the making of the album, you get so lost in your own little world that it’s hard to tell if you are onto something good. So to receive such positive reviews has been a good confirmation for us. Some places and people have been hyping it up quite a bit which is great, but also a worry as that can make others extremely keen to put shit on it.

Listening to The Peaceful Atom Is A Bomb, have you guys had any of those last minute, “Oh why did we use that amp” moments?
No, have you? There’s no point worrying about that sort of stuff. We just got in there and did what we could and the result is the sound of us at that period of time. It’s not like we had a huge budget or months in the studio to be picky with our tones and amps. We generally had a specific sound in mind and roughly knew how we were going to achieve it.

Are Regular John perfectionists? Or is the beauty of this album just a result of the honest hard work you’ve all done?
We’re definitely perfectionists, but it’s not like we did each song 20 times. You’ve got to know when you’ve captured something. It might be rugged or not quite in tune but that can give it its charm. In the studio you’ve got to somehow play without making any mistakes yet be open enough to let the good mistakes and accidents happen. That’s where the personality or emotion can get through.

We know you had a ball recording the album; you said that you could “lock yourselves in a studio and never ever leave” in fact. How will it feel to play it live across the country?
It’s something we’ve been looking forward to since we started writing them. They take on a new energy when we play them live. I’m busting to get back in the studio as well though.

Regular John seem to be the captain of the ballsy, harder-edged rock ship at the moment. Who would you be happy to have aboard your whisky swilling vessel with you?
There’s a bunch of good bands flying the loud guitar flag. Violent Soho, Stature Statue, Talons, Shaman Son, Laurels, Dead China Doll, Dora Mar would all be welcome aboard. I think the Hard-Ons would have to captain the ship though.

You’re originally from country NSW. When you arrived in Sydney in 2006 it was probably at its fluoro/electro best (or worst). How has it been playing to crowds that are definitely returning to rock music?
I always knew they were out there. I know people dig rock music. I also know they are not getting exposed to enough of it. People get bombarded with such shit music on the charts and commercial radio that they probably aren’t aware that there is genuinely good stuff out there. We’re not done yet though, there are a still a lot of people to convert. It’s serious business; these people’s souls are at risk!

Is there an artist amongst you? You have some pretty trippy designs on your t-shirts.
That’d be me. I try to draw as much as possible. I do most of them while I’m working at the call centre during the week. I get the ideas from things I do on the weekends though.

Sticking to the topic of art, who designed the cover for The Peaceful Atom Is A Bomb?
That’s me again. Album art has always been important. It’s just a further extension of your music. The artwork allows a tiny world to be created around the record. People say it’s a dying trend but I’m still getting off on record covers and there are a lot of good bands who still put effort into it. Look at Mastodon, Mars Volta or Radiohead. Their artwork is tied in with the music. U2 don’t give a
shit – their latest record cover looks like a mobile phone ad. Actually, I guess that’s a pretty good representation of the music too.

For fans across the country, what can they expect from Regular John’s live show?
As a live band, we are kicking ass at the moment. I feel we’re at the top of our game on this tour. The new songs have all been worked into shape and we’re really enjoying playing. When we play together a lot, the hive mind begins to take over. I think we’ve hit that point.

A Peaceful Atom Is A Bomb is out now. Regular John is supporting Dananananaykroyd at their Splendour sideshows, before joining Monster Magnet on the road in September.