“Hi, how are you?”
These aren’t just Daniel Johnston’s opening words as he prepares to tour Europe with his band, Danny And The Nightmares. They pretty much sum up the singer/songwriter’s entire philosophy of emotional openness, whatever the personal cost might be. It’s a phrase made famous, too, via the late Kurt Cobain, who, by sporting a Daniel Johnston t-shirt bearing the legend at the 1992 MTV awards, pretty much put this 40-something obsessive Beatles fan into a global public consciousness beyond the home-made cassettes he’d give away on street corners with titles like Songs Of Pain.
By the time the documentary, The Devil And Daniel Johnston, the unflinching and at times harrowing portrait of Johnston’s charting life, work and manic depression so far, wowed the Sundance Film festival in 2005, Johnston was a bone fide cult figure. With more than 20 albums to his name and his drawings of superheroes and other idols shifting for serious bucks, Johnston is even in danger of crossing over into the mainstream. If that ever did happen, you get the feeling he’s been rehearsing for it his whole life.
“I have about five albums worth of songs I’ve never released,” he enthuses, talking ten to the dozen down the line from his Texas home right next door to his parents house. “I’ve been working on those songs forever. I’m going to be working with Sparklehorse soon, and I’ve been working on one song for three years. We have plans to release a new album soon, but I don’t write as much as I used to.”
Nevertheless, there’s something about the raw emotional candour of Johnston’s songs that has seen him championed in these parts by the likes of The Pastels and Teenage Fanclub. The latter band even covered Johnston’s song, My Life Is Starting Over Again, with Jad Fair, on the tribute album, Discovered Covered.
Johnston’s only previous appearance in this country has been via his drawings, which were exhibited in a group show of cartoonists at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital in 2006. It’s drawings these days that occupy most of Johnston’s time.
“I watch horror movies a lot as well,” chuckles Johnston, clearly relishing being distracted so easily. “I don’t like the modern splatter movies. The ones I like most are the old monster movies; King Kong, Frankenstein, The Mummy. I just like that old style of movie-making, with Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff.”
Another of Johnston’s prevailing passions is The Beatles, who he discovered at an early age via picking up copies of Paul McCartney’s singles before picking up on the fact that McCartney had been in another band. After that, Nowhere Man, Yesterday and I Am The Walrus were his saviours.
“I’m the biggest Beatles fan in the world,” he exclaims. “The Beatles helped me so much when I was depressed and didn’t know what was wrong with me.”
Today, his tastes have widened, and the day we talk Johnston has been listening to ex Fleetwood Mac singer Stevie Nicks.
“She’s a fox!” he squeals, delighting in his own taste.
Johnston’s forthcoming tour would’ve been unthinkable a few years ago. Now, however, Johnston sounds every inch the seasoned entertainer playing sold out shows from Warsaw to Wisconsin.
“I never could’ve imagined being in this position,” he says with an ongoing sense of wonder at his position. “I’m earning money from my music now. I haven’t had to work since 1986. I was working in MacDonalds then. I’ve been able to build my own house, and I’m so happy about that. Now, I feel I want to get into my art more. I’m going to be building a studio in the back-yard with my brother as well. I’d love to have a hit single, and maybe a hit album too. I just love to make music,” he says, “and just keep on keeping on.”
Daniel Johnston headlines Indian Summer’s BBC 6 Music Hub Stage on Saturday
The Herald, July 14th 2007
ends
These aren’t just Daniel Johnston’s opening words as he prepares to tour Europe with his band, Danny And The Nightmares. They pretty much sum up the singer/songwriter’s entire philosophy of emotional openness, whatever the personal cost might be. It’s a phrase made famous, too, via the late Kurt Cobain, who, by sporting a Daniel Johnston t-shirt bearing the legend at the 1992 MTV awards, pretty much put this 40-something obsessive Beatles fan into a global public consciousness beyond the home-made cassettes he’d give away on street corners with titles like Songs Of Pain.
By the time the documentary, The Devil And Daniel Johnston, the unflinching and at times harrowing portrait of Johnston’s charting life, work and manic depression so far, wowed the Sundance Film festival in 2005, Johnston was a bone fide cult figure. With more than 20 albums to his name and his drawings of superheroes and other idols shifting for serious bucks, Johnston is even in danger of crossing over into the mainstream. If that ever did happen, you get the feeling he’s been rehearsing for it his whole life.
“I have about five albums worth of songs I’ve never released,” he enthuses, talking ten to the dozen down the line from his Texas home right next door to his parents house. “I’ve been working on those songs forever. I’m going to be working with Sparklehorse soon, and I’ve been working on one song for three years. We have plans to release a new album soon, but I don’t write as much as I used to.”
Nevertheless, there’s something about the raw emotional candour of Johnston’s songs that has seen him championed in these parts by the likes of The Pastels and Teenage Fanclub. The latter band even covered Johnston’s song, My Life Is Starting Over Again, with Jad Fair, on the tribute album, Discovered Covered.
Johnston’s only previous appearance in this country has been via his drawings, which were exhibited in a group show of cartoonists at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital in 2006. It’s drawings these days that occupy most of Johnston’s time.
“I watch horror movies a lot as well,” chuckles Johnston, clearly relishing being distracted so easily. “I don’t like the modern splatter movies. The ones I like most are the old monster movies; King Kong, Frankenstein, The Mummy. I just like that old style of movie-making, with Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff.”
Another of Johnston’s prevailing passions is The Beatles, who he discovered at an early age via picking up copies of Paul McCartney’s singles before picking up on the fact that McCartney had been in another band. After that, Nowhere Man, Yesterday and I Am The Walrus were his saviours.
“I’m the biggest Beatles fan in the world,” he exclaims. “The Beatles helped me so much when I was depressed and didn’t know what was wrong with me.”
Today, his tastes have widened, and the day we talk Johnston has been listening to ex Fleetwood Mac singer Stevie Nicks.
“She’s a fox!” he squeals, delighting in his own taste.
Johnston’s forthcoming tour would’ve been unthinkable a few years ago. Now, however, Johnston sounds every inch the seasoned entertainer playing sold out shows from Warsaw to Wisconsin.
“I never could’ve imagined being in this position,” he says with an ongoing sense of wonder at his position. “I’m earning money from my music now. I haven’t had to work since 1986. I was working in MacDonalds then. I’ve been able to build my own house, and I’m so happy about that. Now, I feel I want to get into my art more. I’m going to be building a studio in the back-yard with my brother as well. I’d love to have a hit single, and maybe a hit album too. I just love to make music,” he says, “and just keep on keeping on.”
Daniel Johnston headlines Indian Summer’s BBC 6 Music Hub Stage on Saturday
The Herald, July 14th 2007
ends
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