Jonny's "Knitar", his first serious knitting project
Jonny's crazybike
Jonny's crazybike again
Jonny and his bike
America is a country of followers. And American country music fans are exactly the same. When we were told to listen to Hank Williams, we did. When we were told to listen to Johnny Cash, we did. Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson; we listened to all of them too. But now, in 2009, who do we listen to? Toby Keith? Clint Black? Certainly not me. Old country is dead. In the words of Hank Williams III; "Well some say I'm not country and that's just fine with me 'Cause I don't wanna be country with some faggot looking over at me. They say that I'm ill-mannered, that I'm gonna self-destruct, but if you know what I'm thinkin' you'll know that pop country really sucks." The old music festival Fan Fair has now been changed to the CMA Music Festival presented by ABC, Chevrolet, Wal-Mart, and a bunch of other multi-national corporations looking to play the branding game with the country music demographic. People have all moved onto listening to other types of music. So are we simply stuck with music of the old or is there still legitimate artists out there doing good music? The answer is yes. Recently I had a chance to speak with one of the guys still holding true to the ways of real country and the way the music should be. He travels and tours like the old guys, plays what he feels from the heart, and is a Chevy man, through and through. He has upcoming shows all across the U.S. and is consistently recording new material. Here is the interview...
YOUR MUSIC HAS A REALLY FOLKY FEEL TO IT. WHAT DO YOU CLASSIFY YOUR STYLE OF MUSIC AS?
Country music, new country. I have never liked trying to classify my music but lately (the last 8 years or so) I have grown such an appreciation for country music that it's almost, exclusively, all that I listen to. In the last year it's been really shitty stuff too like Joe Diffie, Clint Black, John Michael Montgomery, Bonnie Raitt, Travis Tritt, Keith Whitley, Tompall Glaser, Randy Travis... I take it back, I listen to a lot of flamenco and Argentine music like Atahualpa Yupanqui (Argentina), Victor Jara (Chile) and Paco Ibanez (Spain).
WHAT HAS YOUR PAST BEEN LIKE, MUSICALLY AND NON-MUSICALLY?
I had a pretty standard upbringing. I grew up in rural Virginia, southern Albemrle County. A wide spot in the road called Esmont. My parents moved to VA from Montana, where I was born, in 1984. I went to public school until 10th grade when I finally stopped going or dropped out. I moved to Charlottesville Virginia when I was 17 and started playing music shortly thereafter. blah blah whatever whatever it didn't get interesting until the last few years.
YOU'RE SOMEONE WHO TOURS QUITE A BIT AND YOU'VE SEEN A LOT OF THE COUNTRY. WHERE DO YOU LIKE PLAYING THE MOST AND IF YOU COULD SEND ONE PERSON FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY TO VISIT ONLY ONE PLACE IN AMERICA, WHERE WOULD YOU SEND THEM?
This question is interesting and it's something that I've thought about a lot lately. I'm sitting in an internet cafe in Uduapir, India right now, right on the edge of the Thar desert. It's about 96 degrees and I'm teetering on the edge of vomitting or peeing out my butt at all times. I'm afraid to fart or move too fast, in fear that I might, quite literally, shit myself. All the time I think about bringing some of the people I grew up with here. Some of the shit head spolied rotten little pricks we've all known and been effected by, for better or worse, usually for worse. The poverty here is so intense it's hard to be here most of the time. Please be grateful to have all your teeth in your head and all your skin on your body. I don't remember what the question was, I'm trailing off. Give me a second to re-read the question....... okay, oops, "one person to the USA..." I would probably send a foreigner to North Dakota, Minot, North Dakota - home of the nicest people on earth. Probably, but maybe let me think....
BESIDES MUSIC, DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER BUSINESS VENTURES?
Actually, yes, I have recently gotten into hand tooling leather quite a bit! I made a leather covered guitar for myself and i would love tomaike some more of them to sell. I think people will buy them, the thing is badass. I'll send some pics... I also airbrush pet-portriats for money and I think I will eventually just open a stand in a flea market somewhere....
HOW DO YOU WANT TO BE REMEMBERED MUSICALLY?
well, if I were to answer this question honestly it would make me sound like The World's Biggest Asshole and the few people that have heard my music would stop listening to it and the ones who've never heard it would never even want to. So here's a good, generic, "Ms. South Carolina" answer. The way in which, I want my music to be revealed is for the good of all beings, to benefit one another, for better or worse, with the thought of super happiness inside our hearts.
YOU ARE LIVING IN NASHVILLE, TN NOW, RIGHT? NASHVILLE IS DIFFERENT FROM ANY OTHER PLACE IN THE WORLD, MUSICALLY. THERE IS SO MUCH HISTORY AND SO MUCH GOOD MUSIC HAS COME OUT OF THERE. HAS LIVING THERE HELPED YOUR CAREER AS AN ARTIST?
Yeah I guess so. It's definitely made me realize that Country music is a huge part of my life. Even if I didn't play it I would be thinking it all the time. I go for months and months without ever writing music but when I am in Nashville I feel so super connected with the music and the people that it doesn't matter. I am living it even if I am not producing it.That's the difference. Everywhere else I've lived, I always have to feel kind of embarrassed when I want to play my own music or just put a record on- Let's face it, outside of the south, Country Music in an embarrassment and if you like it or play it you are either: a faker, living in New York - desperately seeking a cultural face-lift or just some hipster, plugging in a formula so you can play at a new "down-home honkytonk saloon sushi tapas bar". Gross. This shit bums me out so much. Even Nashville has made a turn for the worse. The locals can't ignore it. They talk about it all the time but for me, I don't really care. It happened before I came. I'll finish by saying that there is no better city in the world for live music and musicians. So to answer your question, yes Nashville has made me realize that as far as music goes, I really only care about Country music. I don't care too much for much else, it's great to truly know it an be proud of it. I have Nashville to thank for that.
BEFORE MUSIC, WHAT WERE YOU DOING?
Not much, hammering nails, laying bricks, mixing mortar and fixing up motorcycles and working on junk cars.
IF YOU COULD PLAY JESUS ONE SONG, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Something in Hebrew so he could understand.
I KNOW YOU HAVE QUITE A LARGE FAN BASE IN THE SOUTH, DO YOU THINK THAT "YANKEES" WILL ONE DAY START TO FEEL YOUR MUSIC?
I actually think Yankees get it better than Southerners. The songs aren't exactly standard, everyday country songs. If they were I think I would be a little more popular maybe. I think anyone with a sense of humor can get it. Sometimes Southerners think I am making fun of them, I think. Yankees don't get this because I'm not mocking their way of talking...
ASIDE FROM YOUR LOYAL FAN BASE, HOW IS IT HAVING SO MANY GROUPIES? IS IT HARD HAVING TO FIGHT OFF SO MANY WOMEN EVERY DAY?
Man, I'll tell you what. It gets harder and harder everyday. Just to walk down the damn street, you know?
WHAT IS YOUR NUMBER 1 GUILTY PLEASURE?
I take pleasure in most things and never feel all that guilty about it. That's the complete truth.
DALE JR. OR DALE SR.?
Both of them dog dicks can lick my ass. Nah, I don't know. Maybe I'm holding out for Dale III
CHEVY MAN OR FORD MAN? IF YOU SAY FORD WE SHOULD JUST STOP NOW...
I'd rather walk over a world of hell than look in the direction that F____ may have once passed.
IF YOU COULD GIVE AMERICA A SLOGAN WHAT WOULD IT BE?
"Sorry for the last 8 years"
WHAT DO YOU HATE MORE THAN ANYTHING IN THE WORLD?
Ford.
For more information on Jonny, check out his myspace at http://www.myspace.com/thecorndawg or his website at www.corndawg.com. On his website he has some of his signature airbrushed shirts for sale as well as all of his albums, which you can buy through Paypal. Most of his older albums are out of print and sold out, and I am sure once the newer albums sell out they'll be impossible to find, so don't wait too long to buy the couple newer albums.
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