Johnny Booth Release 'Deepfake' & Give Words of Wisdom
On October 1st, the band Johnny Booth released a new sick track and a music video to go along for “Deepfake”. This is a fresh new single that proves this band has been hard at work during the last year while the world went into chaos and disarray. I got the opportunity to chat with the guys to catch up with them.
Hey guys! It’s been a while since I’ve seen you all last. Can you tell our readers who you are and who each band member is? What genre do you consider your music?
Hey! Our members are Andrew Herman on vocals, Adam Halpern on guitar/vocals, Ryan Strong on guitar/vocals, Scott Owens on drums, and Nick Martell on bass. With our powers combined, we are Johnny Booth! Most people would consider us metalcore/hardcore, and we like to think we add our twist on that. Mostly, we just try to write aggressive music that we all like - we don't worry about sticking to a specific format.
How did you all meet? What made you start this band together?
Andrew and Ryan initially met in pre-school and grew up on the same block, houses apart. Later we met Adam in middle school after a snowball fight at a mutual friend's birthday party. Around that time, we discovered GarageBand on Mac and started making joke songs together. It wasn't until we went to the same college that we decided to form something more serious. At the time, we had a different drummer and bassist, but we played a show back in 2012 with Scott's old band and were very impressed; he busted his nose during the first song and bled all over his drum kit for an entire set, hard to forget. Halfway through writing Firsthand Accounts, we ran some bass auditions and met the handsome and talented Nick, and that’s when the band as we know it now was locked in. We couldn't be happier with how everything came together, but it was a long journey.
You guys kept things a bit quiet about new music during the pandemic. In what ways did the last year and a half impact you all individually and as a band? What were some things you experienced that you would like to share?
In many ways, for us as a band, we continued down the path we were already on with a heavy focus on writing, recording, and content creation. During the past year and a half, we recorded several singles, filmed music videos, filmed and released digital live sets, and wrote the majority of the next LP. Luckily we were able to stay productive as a group. On a personal level, though, the pandemic has changed a lot for us. Some of us have lost family members and friends to the virus, which was very challenging. Having an outlet like this to focus on is helpful in that way.
With keeping things quiet and lowkey, you managed to surprise your fans with singles like ‘Crowd Control’ and recently with a brand new single “Deepfake”, tell us about these singles and videos? What is the message behind them?
A band needs to build suspense and anticipation for its listeners. Sometimes pushing your presence when you don't have anything to promote can get stale, and we actively try to avoid that. Each single was written during the height of the pandemic and the presidential election. We saw a rise in delusional thinking, conspiracies, scams, and predatory behavior. All of these themes and their effects on us as people inspired the meaning behind each of these singles. We do have a final third single that will be released sometime in the near future that also covers similar themes.
Tell us about the next album, what should your fans expect? How was the process for this album compared to the last? And when do you think it’ll be ready for release?
The next album is shaping up to be the heaviest and most unique we've ever written. It won't be "Firsthand Accounts 2" - we're exploring and adding a lot of other sounds and ideas into the next album. We're not sure when it will be released yet, but we’re hoping it’s some time next year. In March, we're going back into the studio to finish recording the album before getting a release plan together. We do a lot of this on our own, and quality will always take priority, but I can assure you a new LP is coming soon.
You also announced your first show back since the madness of 2020. How does it feel to be able to get back on stage this December, especially at a very well known venue, the Gramercy Theatre in NYC? Any other shows/tours lined up you would like to announce?
It's an amazing feeling finally getting back to playing live. It's crazy to think our last show was right before the shutdowns in NY, and since then, it's been hard even to consider it. Gramercy is a dream venue. We're excited about the opportunity, especially to come back with many bands and people we consider personal friends. We will be joining Moon Tooth on a few dates before and after this show; stay tuned!
What has this last year taught each of you? Both, about each other as a band and personally? What got you through it all?
The biggest takeaway for us is to love and cherish the moments we have on this earth. All we have is humanity and other people in this world, and if you don't appreciate that or take it for granted, you will regret it. We also learned how important it is to keep this going, invest in each other, and believe in the collective that is Johnny Booth. Of course, the family you're born with should always be important, but we also realized the value of the family we chose in each other and the relationships we built as individuals and as a band.
Anything you want our readers and your fans to know? Any last words or words of wisdom?
We always want to take the time to thank every person who ever listened to our music, watched a video, saw us live, or commented on anything we've done. We truly wish we could shake all of your hands. Don't take the people and relationships you've built around music for granted - we appreciate each of them.
Thank you guys so much for allowing me to interview you! I can’t wait to see you all in December!
