TRAGIC JOHNSON - Songs About Ordinary Life... (France - Melodic HardCore - Interview with Tom).
- Hello ! Can you introduce yourself ? Who are you ?
Tragic Johnson is a band from Boulogne-sur-Mer (Pas-de-Calais). Members are Nico/vocals - me, (Tom)/guitar - Nico/bass - Arno/guitar - Jo/drums.
The band was formed by four friends: the two Nicos, Tom, and Arno. We've known each other since we were in our twenties, involved in the local punk/hardcore scene, forming bands, creating associations, organizing concerts... You know what I mean. We either play in the same band (The Drebbins, a punk/hardcore band from the early 2000s) or separately.
- Tell me about the band... How did you meet—the current lineup—past experiences—and most importantly—WHY did you feel the need to form THIS band?
Tragic Johnson started when we met Jo, our drummer. In 2021, we decided to start playing together again. Arno had written some songs to get us started, but we were struggling to find the right drummer. A friend told us about Jo, and from the first rehearsal with him, we knew we'd found the one. In 2022, we were ready to go. In October, we invited our friends Eternal Youth (Caen) to play at our place, which was a real treat for our first gig. In 2023, we met SAgdig from Rouen, which led to us releasing a split with them. It's a vinyl record with one side for each band, five songs recorded in the DIY-style.
We then tried to get out of our hometown, with or without Sagdig (Rouen, Caen, Le Havre, Lille). We took part in the second edition of Temple Fest in Normandy, opening for Burning Heads in a venue near us.
- Lyric and musical inspirations/influences? How important are lyrics to you? Are there any specific messages or thoughts you try to develop and share through your lyrics?
To compose, we start with Arno's demos, then we put them through the mill in rehearsals, each of us adding our own touch, our ideas for arrangements, until we're happy with it. Nico is in charge of the vocal melodies; that's his thing, he's a genius melodist. He starts by humming the melody, then writes lyrics based on what inspires him. There's no message in the lyrics, that's not our thing, or if there is, it's not overt. It's more like slices of life, feelings that we experience every day, good or bad.
- About your latest album?
In March 2024, we were motivated to go into the studio. We didn't think long about who to work with. We have one of the best for our style in our region, Romtomcat. And it went wonderfully well. Four days to record six tracks together in a studio in the Somme. A first CD pressing is available at concerts or via Bandcamp. A vinyl edition is planned for the end of the year with the Rouen-based label Ermergence Records.
The six tracks pretty much represent our influences from the past 30 years of making music together.
Stylistically, there's a touch of melodic punk rock, the golden years of 2000s emo, Hot Water Music, Samiam, but also the French scene. We celebrated the release of the album last December by inviting the Not Scientists to play at a new local venue.
- What is your wildest dream with the band?
As for dreams, it's simply to continue making music together for as long as possible. We consider ourselves lucky to have been able to live and enjoy our passion for 30 years now.
- Upcoming live shows?
We've got quite a few concerts lined up until the end of the year: July 9 in Lille, September 24 at home with Supermunk, and October 26 at home with The Pookies. And we can't wait to go on a five-date tour with our friends SAGDIG from Rouen in November (Rouen, Nancy, Epinal, Arras, Dunkirk).
- A few words about your local scene - bands you're friends with and would like to mention?
A quick word about the local scene. My friends November (Metal/Hardcore) are worth seeing live! They're awesome! besides, Nico (vocals) and me have a folk/punk band called Waiting Room. I also play guitar in Rusty Bloom, a Hardcore/Punk band that started playing gigs this year.
- The last word is yours...
Thanks for your interest, it's always appreciated, and don't hesitate to contact us if you want us to play live — we're always up for it!
Credits :
Live photo (B & W) : Mess With Me Photography
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