Martin Johnson of Boys Like Girls on Recording Crazy World
- Photo of Martin (center) and the band courtesy of Cameron Rad1/5
It's been three years since you've released an album. Why did you decide to take time off from recording?
"It's challenging—how do we stay relevant to ourselves sand our fans, but at the same time create something new, fresh, and relevant? The first time we recorded this album, it felt contrived and fake, and it didn't feel like us. We got discouraged and completely threw the album away."
"We wanted to regroup and take a little time to pursue other ventures. I went to Nashville and started writing songs over the course of the year. In 300 songs, there was a Boys Like Girls album hiding in there somewhere. I sent the guys about 24 songs, and two days later, it was time to rock. It lot of soul searching, but what we ended up with was an album that takes chances and is organic and different, especially for us. In a musical climate that's shifted to electronically creating music, we chose to go with real instruments, and I think that was a brave step. I'm really proud of the album that we've created."
- Photo courtesy of Cameron Rad2/5
You've recorded with artists like Taylor Swift. Are there any collaborations that we can look forward to on this album?
"We're not doing any specific artist collaborations; we wanted it to be a special record in that way. I wrote a song 'Stuck In The Middle' because I love 'Stuck Like Glue' by Sugarland, so I went down to Georgia because I really wanted to write with [Sugarland band member] Kristian, and I had him play mandolin on the song. One of the guys from The Wallflowers plays B3 organ on some of the songs. There are cool appearances on the record, and I think down the line, we'd be interested in doing remis with different artists. Sometimes I feel like, especially in modern music on the radio, a rapper is forced onto a song that doesn't even make sense. We just wanted to make the best Boys Like Girls record we could."
Which artists influence and inspire you?
"I love music of all kinds. I'll be listening to musical theatre, and then country and hip-hop. I draw from everywhere. I think the storytelling of country is interesting. Some of our older songs like 'Two is Better Than One' have a similar feel. I like to think about tapping into more Americana influences like Traveling Wilburys, Neil Young, John Mellencamp, and Tom Petty."
- Photo courtesy of Cameron Rad3/5
Do you have any words of advice for aspiring musicians?
"First and foremost, the thing you have to worry about is the music. Social media and self-promotion is key, but no one is going to care if your music stinks. Don't give up. When I was in high school, I got beat down for doing music theatre. I got made fun of, but I thought it was cool because it was what I wanted to do. Don't let that stuff bring you down. No matter what people think about you, it's what you think is cool and what you want to do that's most important. None of it's going to matter when you achieve it at the end."
- Photo courtesy of Cameron Rad4/5
What do you have planned for the upcoming months?
"We're doing a tour with The All-American Rejects this coming fall. We love those guys! They took us out on tour in 2006 when we were a baby band. We just put out a three-song sampler, which is called The Crazy World EP. Those are songs that are going to be featured on The Crazy World LP."
- Photo courtesy of Cameron Rad5/5
As you've gotten older and developed as a group, how has your music changed?
"It's gotten more dynamic. When I was eighteen, I just wanted to play in a basement for 50 kids going crazy. In 2005, when we started the band, the album was drums, stereo guitars, and a big chorus vocal. Music's changed so much since then, so we're bringing different instrumentation into the mix. There are a lot more things to listen for and the repeat listen value is different. It's more of an experience than in-your-face music."
Can you describe your songwriting process?
"Every song is its own beast. You have to humble yourself before going into record. I like to mentally prepare by watching movies, reading, and having heavy conversations with people so my brain in on tap and ready to go. Then, I can regurgitate a wonderful line someone told me, or something I saw in a movie. When you're vibing, a melody pops out, and you're just singing gibberish freestyle. You hear a line or a word, and all of a sudden, you have a stanza, and there's your concept! You follow it until you find gold, and once you strike gold, you keep digging."





