Interview With Sweep The Leg Johnny
questions answered by Steve
1. FIRST OF ALL, HOW DID THE BAND FORM? WHAT'S THE CREATION STORY?
2. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR MUSIC AND WHO ARE YOUR INFLUENCES?
3. DO YOU HAVE ANY PARTICULAR LOCAL BANDS THAT YOU LIKE TO JAM WITH
OR
DO SHOWS WITH? DO YOU FIND IT BETTER TO PLAY WITH BANDS OF THE
SIMILAR
STYLE (OR HEAVIER BANDS, LIGHTER BANDS, ECT.)?
4. I READ THAT SWEEP THE LEG JOHNNY WENT A TOUR FOR 62 (I HOPE THAT'S
CORRECT) DAYS IN A ROW. WHO SET UP THE WHOLE TOUR? DID YOU RUN INTO
MANY PROBLEMS ALONG THE WAY?
5. TELL ME ABOUT YOUR EUROPEAN TOUR THAT YOU HAVE COMING UP......
6. YOU ARE CURRENTLY SIGNED TO SOUTHERN RECORDS, CORRECT? HOW DID
YOU
GUYS GET HOOK UP WITH THEM? HAVE THEY BEEN TREATING THE BAND WELL?
7. HOW WOULD YOU COMPARE MUSICIANS IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS TO
MUSICIANS WHO WERE BIG IN THE 70'S AND 80'S?
8. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT BANDS WHO FOLLOW TRENDS? HOW ABOUT BANDS
WHO
TRY TO INVENT THEIR OWN STYLE OF MUSIC?
9. ANY ADVICE TO STRUGGLING BANDS ON HOW TO GET THEMSELVES
PROMOTED AND
KNOWN THE WORLD?
10. WHAT'S THE BIGGEST PROBLEM THAT YOU RAN INTO WHEN TRYING TO GET
THE
WORD OUT ABOUT SWEEP THE LEG JOHNNY?
11. WHAT MERCHANDISE DO YOU HAVE AVAILABLE TO THOSE WHO ARE
INTERESTED?
12. WHO DO THEY CONTACT TO GET YOUR MERCHANDISE AND HOW CAN THEY
GET A
HOLD OF THEM?
13. AND HERE IS THE QUESTION THAT EVERYBODY HAS PROBABLY ALREADY
ASKED YOU ALREADY, HOW DID THE BAND GET NAMED "SWEEP THE LEG
JOHNNY"?
14. ANY FINAL COMMENT?
copyright 2001 adrenalinzine@hotmail.com <---- e-mail
Chris and I met at the University of Notre Dame and near the end of our
senior year, after playing music for the past four, we decided to attempt to
try a rock band with a saxophone in the mix. I had played since the fourth
grade and after trying to play bass and guitar, I realized I was hopeless
unless I went back to the sax. I knew Scottie since I was thirteen. When
Chris and I moved to Chicago after graduation, we recruited him. John came
to sweep via Spanakorzo and the swing kids of San Diego. We knew John from
touring nonstop and when our old bassist quit, John had been dropped at our
doorstep by some bizarre stroke of fate. He moved to Chicago at the exact
instant we needed him and happened to move into the building right next door
to where Chris and I lived. The four of us have played together for a year
and it is going exceptionally well.
We try really hard to let the music speak for itself but if we had to label
it ... Sweep would fall somewhere in a realm of prog-punk-pissed off jazz.
to be honest, we have no direct influences.... Chris and I do a lot of the
originating of the musical ideas and we play baseball more than we listen to
music. He grew up on classic rock and I grew up on mid-eighties rap.
Until Lustre King broke up,
they were our brothers. We toured with them more than any other band. I
think we really like to play all different types of shows. Ideally, I would
like to play one night on a noise-jazz show and then turn around and play a
hard-core show. I think we break down a lot of barriers... musically and
interestingly, with audiences of different ages. I have always felt sweep
has something to offer kids and adults who appreciate music.
We still book most of our own shows, which include basements, the whole
gamut. That tour was a bruiser. We actually played 62 shows in 66 days
throughout the US and Canada. I guess the reason for such hard work is that
we would have it no other way. We've played nearly 400 shows and have never
had the chance to tour with "bigger" bands, so we figured we would try to
become that band that other bands want to play with. We have never been
good at riding coattails, not that we would not like to have a chance to
play huge shows, we just have never gotten close with the rock stars of the
indie scene.
Luckily, we have avoided major problems. We financed a new van in 1996 and
have put 130,000 miles on it. Oil changes every 3,000.
Same story, different continent. We are flying into Amsterdam on Monday to
embark upon 32 shows. our first release on southern, tomorrow we will run
faster, received critical acclaim in Europe and we decided that we wanted to
follow up on the opportunity. We are thrilled.
Southern recognized our touring schedule and I believe that was the major
reason for signing Sweep on top of their appreciation of our music. I think
they saw a good combination in a band that is unique and works harder than
most. Thus far, they are growing with us and there have been some pains.
however, the groundwork has been laid with the first LP and I feel that
great things will come from the new LP we are releasing in May 2000. We just
recorded 80 percent of it and are very excited about the music and
Southern’s new commitment to getting the word out.
I think most musicians today are lazy rehashes of years past. Many folks
think we are insane for practicing 25 hours a week as a unit and all of us
wish we had more time. I think a lot of artists these days do not take
enough time to perfect a craft... ourselves included, but I feel we have
distinct ideals: We work hard to work harder and be better. I think people
of this decade have settled for too little... they are fast food culture
about nearly everything including their art. This is not universal, in fact
Chicago has many great musicians, still I believe we are culturally and
artistically fading.
I think that bands that follow trends, especially if it surrounds their
clothing over their music, are awful.
Bands that are genuine are beautiful.
I think my advice is to be honest with yourself as musicians. The music
comes first. Push your limits as you grow. Practice hard. Tour hard.
Publicity is the most evil side of the music business. I think the best
thing to accomplish on that end is to keep it within your own means... play
shows, play well, and the word will spread. It may be slow, but it is worth
it on those terms. Audiences will like you for the right reasons if you
care about what you are doing musically.
Finding kids that were willing to break free of their niche. Sweep does not
fit into a category and many people are unwilling to let go of their safety
zone -- their scene.
Two LPs are still available. "4.9.21.30" is our first release on Divot
Records. I think it is a really strong debut. It does not capture
everything we pull off live, but the songwriting is very strong, especially
for a first release. "Tomorrow We Will Run Faster" is our second LP. It
is on Southern Records. I think this is a beautiful record... It really has
some nice moments and captures a lot of our strengths as songwriters. I
suggest turning it up very loudly and you will get a close representation to
our live show. Our new LP will be available in May on Southern as well.
We have bad-ass t-shirts ... black with a white "SWEEP" on the front.
simple and strong. all sizes. buttons as well.... via SWEEP/ 2443 W
Augusta No1 / Chicago, IL 60622. t-shirts $8 buttons $1 (checks to Chris Daly)
see above
From the great William Zabka.
We shall return. Come share a good rock show and a drink.
You can e-mail Sweep The Leg Johnny at sweep@pocketmail.com
back to the Adrenalin Homepage