Categories: written

JONNY COUCH interview with The Mic Mag / KJAG Radio

Indie rocker JONNY COUCH is back with “Where The Sidewalk Ends”, the title track from his first full-length release in seven years. Produced by JONAS WILSON (The Black Angels, Heartless Bastards, Sumbuck, Urban Heat), Couch continues to refine the melodic songwriting and emotional honesty that have earned him critical acclaim. Couch’s 2019 “Mystery Man” album received praise from Bandcamp Daily, High Times, Louder Than War, Connect Savannah and Rebel Noise, cementing his reputation as an independent songwriter.

A NYC rock drummer before launching his solo career in 2016, who is now based in Jersey City, Couch is an active player on both the New York and New Jersey indie music scenes through live performances, festival appearances and support slots alongside acclaimed artists. His album “Where The Sidewalk Ends” is his most ambitious work to date, arriving on July 24th alongside an album release show at Brooklyn’s Sleepwalk, followed by an East coast and UK tour dates through to September.

KJAGRadio.com/TheMic. Thank you very much for the interview and the opportunity! – Jonny Couch

1. Congratulations on Where The Sidewalk Ends! This is your first full-length album in seven years. What made this the right time to return with a new record, and what has changed the most in your songwriting during that time?

Hello James and KJAG! Thank you so much! I think anytime is a good time to put out a record, but this album was put together over a long period of time with different producers. And so it’s almost like a greatest hits of the material I’ve recorded since my last record. There are 3 songs that were previously released as digital singles but never made it to vinyl. The other 7 songs are brand new. I think what changed in my approach is the ability to just aggressively write a dance number. I mean, these are still rock and roll songs, but they are even more danceable than my last batch. Just check out the title track!

2. The title track has a cinematic feel inspired by the 1950 film noir Where the Sidewalk Ends. What drew you to that concept, and how did you blend that atmosphere with your signature power-pop and new wave sound?

My obsession with Neo-noir films like “Body Heat” drove me to the concept. It’s also on my last record Mystery Man, which has song titles like “Vertigo” and “Framed”. It’s the quieter dynamic of the verse along with the beat, the mood, and the lyric that gives “Where The Sidewalk Ends” the detective feel. And then it’s the buildup and explosion into the chorus that allows it to blend into new wave and power pop.

3. You’ve described this song as being about forgiveness, healing, and wondering whether someone is willing to meet you halfway. Was writing this track a form of personal therapy, or did it evolve from observing relationships around you?

Yes, the writing is always therapeutic. It comes from real relationships, struggles, mistakes, regrets. Pain! It’s always about me wanting to go back and fix something but not knowing if I’ll ever be able to!

4. Producer Jonas Wilson has worked with artists like The Black Angels and Heartless Bastards. What did he bring to these sessions that helped elevate the album beyond your previous releases?

All of the producers I’ve worked with have really elevated the material. Jonas is similar to producer Peter Mavrogeorgis, who produced my last full-length, in that they are both incredibly good bass/ guitar/ synth players as well as engineers and producers. The bass guitar really provides the magic on a track like “Sidewalk” and you can hear it in the groove.

5. Fans have already embraced singles like “Overwhelmed,” “Sweet Charlene,” and now the title track. How do these songs represent the overall journey listeners can expect from the full album?

“Overwhelmed” is more of a straight up power pop number, but it has a jangly and bouncy feel that I usually don’t have. “Sweet Charlene” is more of a straight-ahead rocker, and “Sidewalk” is a full-on dance number that is dare I say almost disco! So each song represents a different feel and vibe and there are many more on the full record! Other upcoming album tracks like “Magnifying Glass” and “Bitter Moon” have totally different feels as well.

6. Before launching your solo career, you were known as a drummer in the New York rock scene. How has your background behind the drum kit influenced the way you write songs and perform as a frontman today?

Well everything is done through the lens of the drumming. I even play all of the drums on my albums. So this in turn informs the vocals, the vocal performance, and my movement on stage. It’s all very percussive and rhythmic and is always executed with the drumming of each song in my mind.

7. Your music has been compared to artists like Matthew Sweet, Elvis Costello, Cheap Trick, and The Cars, while still sounding distinctly your own. Which influences naturally find their way into your music, and which ones do you consciously try to avoid copying?

All of those artists are very natural influences for me because they write beautiful songs. I don’t consciously try to avoid copying any of them. Instead, I let those influences inform me along with many other influences. For instance – Motown, 60s girl groups, 70s glam, 70s punk, 80s new wave, are all big influences (and there are more). I believe that it’s my willingness to draw from any genre while writing a song that potentially makes my music more unique. At least that’s what I’m trying to do. Instead of fitting neatly into a genre, I simply just try to draw from any good period of rock and roll both modern and older.

8. One of the standout elements of your music is the balance between emotionally honest lyrics and incredibly catchy melodies. Which comes first for you—the hook or the story you want to tell?

It works both ways. Sometimes there’s just a beautiful melody, and so then you fit the words into that melody like a puzzle. Other times there’s a powerful lyric, and the lyric inspires the melody. From there the story hopefully writes itself based on that original lyric!

9. You’ve become a fixture in both the New York and New Jersey indie scenes, sharing stages with artists like The Fleshtones, Josie Cotton, and Paul Collins Beat. Are there any performances over the past few years that stand out as defining moments in your career?

Sharing the stage with all of those bands were defining moments for me, because those are artists and bands that I have looked up to while growing up. My album release shows and festival appearances have also been extremely rewarding.

10. You’re heading out on an East Coast and UK tour following the album release. What are you most excited about when bringing these new songs to a live audience, and do fans have any surprises to look forward to during the shows?

It’s always great to play to a brand new audience. I’ve toured the UK twice as a drummer and the audiences there are fantastic. I’m just looking forward to being back there with such great people who love fish and chips! And yes we have a surprise cover song that we just did in Savannah, GA. We’re doing it in NYC at the album release and also on the UK tour!

11. The album artwork by Anne Muntges and the visuals for your videos create a very cohesive artistic presentation. How important is the visual side of your music, and how involved are you in developing that creative direction?

Thanks! I’m fairly involved in that I’ll give an artist or director a concept, but from there I usually just let them run with the concept. Of course a music video is very collaborative, and so I can be very involved depending on what story we are trying to tell. Of course it’s all very important because it needs to match the vibe of the album.

12. Finally, for listeners discovering Jonny Couch for the very first time through KJAGRadio.com/TheMic, what do you hope they take away after hearing Where The Sidewalk Ends, and where do you see this new chapter taking you over the next few years?

I hope that listeners draw the conclusion that it’s okay to let loose. It’s okay to listen to an album that isn’t afraid to blend genres. You’re allowed to have fun listening to music!! That’s what I want them to feel. Because many bands and artists are more interested in fitting into a neat little genre box instead of exploring variety! I see this new chapter taking me to exciting places where I can preach this gospel!

Bonus Question: Looking back at the seven-year journey between albums, if you could sit down with the Jonny Couch who released Mystery Man in 2019, what advice would you give him before he started creating Where The Sidewalk Ends?

Work faster and put out another album sooner!!

‘Where The Sidewalk Ends’ video https://youtu.be/US69kZtaY5g
Get the single https://idol-io.ffm.to/wherethesidewalkends
Bandcamp https://jonnycouch.bandcamp.com/track/where-the-sidewalk-ends
Spotify  https://open.spotify.com/track/3T8a5frSsikx1F1JAK5pXc
Apple Music  https://music.apple.com/us/artist/jonny-couch/1165631547
‘Overwhelmed’ single  https://jonnycouch.bandcamp.com/track/overwhelmed
‘Sweet Charlene’ video  https://youtu.be/L8Wwqcc5KCw
Album order https://jonnycouch.bandcamp.com/album/where-the-sidewalk-ends
Album pre-save https://idol-io.ffm.to/wherethesidewalkends-2