Exit: Music: Interviews: Brian Johnson of The Supertones

It was a dark and stormy night.

The winds whipped and whistled through the haze of early evening, battering the expectant, drizzle-soaked masses. And through the fog-blanketed air, a piercing cry rose and swelled from the mouths obscured by the purple-blackness…

“SKA, SKA, SKA!!!”

Well, so much for drama! Despite the creepy evening atmosphere, the night of November 6th found hundreds of spiky-haired skasters braving the great outdoors, biding time until their happy meeting with wallet-chained Destiny.

And that night, Destiny came to the Dallas Music Complex, taking the form of that momentous event music lovers affectionately refer to as “Skamania.”

And it was mania, indeed! What else can one expect when the big trio of Christian music’s most energetic and rapidly rising genre (that’s ska, for those of you who’ve been beamed up by the Queen Mothership for the past couple years!) unite for one incredibly skankin’ tour?!

Joining in the musical mayhem with the Insyderz and Five Iron Frenzy, and headlining the horn-blowing insanity was Orange County’s pride-and-joy prodigies, the O.C. Supertones. A little background info for those unfamiliar with the skinny tie-clad mavens of California cool (boy, have you been missing out!)…With two incredibly successful albums under their collective belt (the debut CD, Adventures of the O.C. Supertones, and the huge follow-up, Supertones Strike Back) and another new release just down the turnpike, the Supertones have roared into Christian music fame at breakneck speed. The past couple years have seen them ripping up our nation's major highways, touring endlessly behind their wildly popular BEC releases. Heck, they even have their own movie out now (aptly titled, The Orange County Supertones At The Movies!). All that to say that the headlining Supertones were enough to make even the mildest Skamania fan a little crazed!

And of course, wherever ska silliness has run amuck, expect EXIT to be there! On the eve after the big concert and before the release of their new album, EXIT caught up with Supertones lead guitarist Brian Johnson, in an exclusive interview, to get his thoughts on the performance, on the group’s upcoming third record, and on life as a Supertone.

“The show was very, very good,” he said with enthusiasm of the night's activities. “Just a lot of energy, a lot of worshipping God in here.” And unlike some musicians who shun the “Christian band” label, the Supertones embrace it – and publicize it! Acknowledging that the Supertones are “for sure” an evangelistic band, Brian commented on the frequency of the band’s on-stage worship time.

“We do it every time, and every time we pray before the show that the Spirit will help us and be there with us. But we do definitely do it every time.”

And this approach to music and ministry has not only garnered the Supertones a die-hard fan base of striking-back supporters, but has also opened some powerful avenues for sharing the Word of God. Brian elaborated on one particularly memorable experience with one of their fans.

“We get a lot of letters. We got one that sticks out in my mind…a letter from a Marine in Bosnia who happened to pick our CD up at some kind of merchant out there. And he said it just changed his life, and all the songs ministered to him. That one really sticks out in my mind. It’s amazing how it (the Supertones’ music) is out there in so many places.”

And the Supertones themselves are out in so many places! The band’s tours “average about ten months out of the year…well, probably nine, but then we’ve got a month or two of recording usually every year. So we’re away from home about ten months a year.” Proof yet again that being a rock star is not exactly an easy task. However, Brian said that it is made much easier because “we (the band members) just know that’s where God wants us to be, and we’re just glad to be out here. It’s amazing that we are.”

And speaking of amazing, the men in black received a pretty darn enthusiastic reception that evening with renditions of some new tunes from their fast-approaching February release, Chase the Sun. Asked to expand on the latest trip into super ska stylings, Mr. Johnson immediately assented.

“We’re really excited. We think it (the new album) is the best stuff we’ve ever done. We got a really good producer (Garth Richardson -- Rage Against the Machine, Voodoo Glow Skulls, Red Hot Chili Peppers) and worked really hard on it. It’s got some different styles. We’ve got one that’s all rap; we’ve got a couple that are all reggae. It’s kind of a reach for us; we’re trying to branch out into more areas. But it’s also got just the rockin’ ska songs, like that are on Strike Back and the first one. So it’s a lot of the same and a lot of new stuff.”

So how have things changed since the Supertones first ventured onto the music market?

“The first album, I would say, …is just like really fun, just upbeat everything. The second album, I think we got a little more serious, a little more deep thoughts…And the third album -- how I’m gonna explain it? It’s got exactly both. It’s got the fun, and it’s got the serious side.”

Just like the Supertones themselves! Though it’s easy to recognize the grinning, sunglasses-wearing faces dancing furiously on stage and rockin’ out on records, it’s even more important to recognize the reason behind the rhyme.

“The best part is just playing music for the Lord every night. It’s amazing; we love it!”

The Supertones Official Web site -| http://www.supertones.com

Get the Music!

Adventures Of The O.C. Supertones

Chase The Sun

Supertones Strike Back