Over these last few years, Czech artist Johnny Majestic has been seen as one of the more vibrant additions to the modern rock scene. And after a frenzy of praise and admiration for his work recently, he is now back once again to deliver his anthemic new single ‘EVERYBODY LIKES ME!’
So we decided to catch up with him to find out more about his background and influences, as well as his plans for the months ahead too.
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Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you got started in music?
I grew up in Central Europe. I’m bilingual since my dad is from America. Having the ability to understand music coming from the US and UK really early is probably a part of what made me favor the idea of going international rather than writing songs in the place where I grew up.
Who are your biggest musical influences and how have they shaped your sound?
Last couple of years I’ve been enchanted by hyperpop. It’s one of the first styles I’ve discovered where I’m like “wow this sounds fresh, and it’s happening right now!”. Other than that I usually take influence from anything that’s melodic and/or flamboyant in some sort of way. I like Nick Cave, Motley Crue, Lou Reed, Sam Smith, Queen, 100 Gecs, Gigi D’agostino, ABBA and Type O’ Negative. Very often I’m also more of a singles, rather than album, person, so there might be like a thousand songs that are all by different artists. I like mixing styles together, for example my new single “Everybody Likes Me!” Has a reggae section with lots of noisey hyperpop-ish string sounds, but overall it’s a punky rock song.
Was there a specific moment or experience that made you decide to pursue music seriously?
Wow, probably watching videos of 80’s glam bands on YouTube when I was around 10. I do recall drawing some pictures of a fantasy lizard band I was meaning to have with one of my childhood friends before that, but I’m not really sure what started that- I was already playing piano and writing some short instrumental things by then, and I always liked singing along to songs in the car a lot. I’m not really sure- but probably seeing all those huge stage setups of 80’s bands on videos, sometimes I see big concerts and am like: why are there no drum risers or explosions??? Such a waste.
Can you walk us through your typical songwriting process?
Hmm I’ve been experimenting with approaches a lot lately, my usual answer would be to record a voice memo and use that as a skeleton. But lately I’ve been trying stuff like tracking a full song on a different instrument (+my vocals) with every take I record, and seeing which one of the takes has the most potent energy. Or starting off by making an instrumental, usually based around drums, because I feel like that’s an area I’ve been wanting to get better at lately.
How do you find inspiration for your music and lyrics?
PAIN! And Meat Loaf
What themes or messages do you hope listeners take away from your music?
I honestly just want people to have a good time listening to my music. That doesn’t necessarily mean feel happy and excited EVERY time you listen to a song of mine. But more like “that was worth listening to”, that helped me feel and process something I’ve been dealing with, or “that gave me an escape or a positive moment that I wanted to get”. I guess a “quality time” would be the right term.
What challenges have you faced as an emerging artist in the music industry?
This isn’t very fun, but the reality of money is always uncomfortable in music.
It always has been for unsigned artists, but at this point It’s absolutely nonsensical. I make pennies from streaming platforms, and most local venues don’t pay enough for me to make any profit after paying everyone in the band. Money isn’t the goal, but being physically rewarded for your work means a lot, and lifts some anxiety off your shoulders. Some of my composing and session work has been really motivating in that sense, I make a song and actually get money to buy a new pink suit from it!
So! If anybody wants to support me, get my merch and my music on sound.xyz! Those are honestly the only things I have a good amount of control over.
What has been the most rewarding aspect of your musical journey so far?
Talking to people who my music means something to. When somebody writes to me about what one of my songs means to them, or what it helped them get through. It’s a nice fuzzy feeling haha. I’m also really stoked anytime we finish a project, that’s a vision from my head that we made a reality, that almost feels like life’s purpose. Other than that I loved traveling back to Europe this fall to do a tour, being on the road is super fun. Also auditioning for American Idol and being on TV ended up being a pretty big deal, I didn’t really know what to expect of it at first.
How do you stay true to yourself and your artistry in a constantly evolving industry?
Industry doesn’t really have anything to do with it. What happens outside of your vision doesn’t matter in my opinion, and a lot of other people’s opinions. I think it’s not something you should even think about. Just keep creating and don’t try to copy others too much- that’s the fastest trajectory to making authentic things.
What can fans expect from you in the near future? Any upcoming projects or tours?
I’m planning on finishing my EP by the end of this year. We have about 2 songs left to mix so I’ll be spillin’ dem beans on that soon. As far as tours this year, I might see you soon citizens of Mexico! Next year, I’d love to go back to Europe and the UK. Some of the shows I played there at the start of 2024 were the best I ever experienced.
Where do you see yourself and your music career in the next five years?
Big
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Watch the new video for Johnny Majestic’s new single ‘EVERYBODY LIKES ME!’ below.
