Interview: Johnny Foreigner @ Deadpunk Special
Johnny Foreigner
In our final Deadpunk Interview, we catch up with one of my all-time favourite bands, the legendary Johnny Foreigner. Known for their infectious energy and DIY ethos, this Birmingham-based band has been a staple in the indie punk scene for years. When I reached out to the band via Instagram DM for an interview, I honestly didn’t think we’d manage to make it happen. It wasn’t until I found myself packed into the cosy confines of Exchange’s control room with Alexei, Junior, Kelly, and Lewes that I truly believed it was real.
I managed to mostly quell my nerves and chat with a band that means a lot to me and to many others out there. If you've ever caught them live, you know how beautifully chaotic a Johnny Foreigner set can be. Our conversation was just like that, with tangents flying left, right, and centre. Yet, amidst the chaos, the band showed great warmth and genuine joy to still be doing what they love.
We talked about what to expect from Johnny Foreigner for the rest of the year, the joys of doing things on their own terms, and the game-changer that is having their own hotel rooms when they tour.
How’s everyone doing today?
Lewes: Good vibes, lots of good vibes.
Alexei: We’ve seen a lot of people we haven’t seen since we were young.
Junior: Yeah, it’s a proper nostalgia fest at the moment.
Alexei: It’s been really nice. Bristol always has such a chill vibe, and everyone here seems to have their sh*t together. It’s been unexpectedly wonderful to reunite with so many old friends.
Kelly: It’s a happy little reunion.
Have you managed to catch any bands yet?
Lewes: We're really bad at that.
Kelly: We’ve been catching up with so many people we haven't seen in ages, so we haven't had time to watch any bands yet.
Alexei: Talking to people without any of the noise or melodies is better than watching bands, isn't it?
Lewes: I find it hard to watch shows before we play. I need to get out of that zone before I’m in it. We're definitely gonna watch Tellison because it's been too long. And The Weakerthans covers set—if they don’t play “Night Windows,” I’m leaving.
What does the rest of your year look like?
Lewes: Excitement!
Junior: Alexei, what can we talk about?
Alexei: I don’t think there's anything we can’t talk about.
Junior: Okay, let's talk about it all.
Alexei: We have one more UK show, then eight shows in Japan. After that, we'll be back in the UK for the album release in September, with shows in Birmingham and London. That’s as far ahead as we’ve planned.
Lewes: That’s probably the busiest we’ve been in six years.
So I take it the albums are finished and there's nothing left outstanding?
Alexei: Everything’s done. The last piece was the press release, which we finished last night. So now the artwork’s done, everything is filled and sent off. We’re in that waiting period, like after your school report is done but before your parents read it.
What kind of sounds have you been listening to at the moment?
Alexei: The same three bands I’ve listened to for the last twenty years. Whenever I get into a new band, people tell me they recommended it ages ago. I’m on a constant band wave, justified by being old and grumpy with a huge music collection.
Junior: What about you, Lewes?
Lewes: Cassandra Jenkins.
Junior: For me, it's been Oso Oso, Origami Angel, and I’ve been revisiting Lali Puna. Their presets are great for remixes. Anything else, Lewes?
Lewes: The latest Everything Everything album.
Junior: What about you, Kelly?
Kelly: I've been listening to Origami Angel, Prince Daddy & the Hyena, Palehound, and The Vernon Spring—really piano-based and chill, with interesting collaborations.
How does it feel to be one of the elder statesmen of the scene now?
Kelly: Oh no…
Alexei (laughing): It was all going so well until you said that.
Kelly: We’re fresh, we’re new—it’s fine.
Alexei: We are a new band.
Lewes: I’m wearing shorts, so I’m doing alright.
Kelly: I’m wearing a baseball cap sideways... We’re in denial, basically.
Alexei: What’s nice is that we spent 10 years trying to make a career and failed. Now, there’s no pressure. We’re not worried about retaining an audience or balancing the books on a four-week promo tour and all that sh*t stuff that made being in a Povo band really not fun. We’ve got proper jobs now, it's fine we can pay the bills. so this is just like a summer job.
Lewes: So we can do what we want.
Junior: We set the gigs we want, and make sure it's worth it. We don’t waste time anymore and get to do the exciting things. It’s nice but we feel ancient.
Kelly: Wow, wow, wow—I don’t feel ancient. I’m full of energy.
Alexei: It's a very privileged position, but we spent ten years wrecking ourselves for barely enough money. Now, all that goodwill is paying off. We can still be a band but without the sh*t stuff.
That means you can do things you want to do, like tour Japan?
Junior: Yes, like a select tour with people we chose. Because of what we did back in the day, people who used to watch us now run their own labels and are taking us over there. It’s going to be much more fun than previous tours. Our friend Ben is coming over from South Africa to do visuals, and we’re playing with people we met on our first Japan tour, like Hiro from Eupholks. It’s a big journey, and we’re pretty privileged.
Kelly: Privileged, I would agree with that.
Lewes: It keeps getting more fun.
Junior: More fun and comfortable. We get a hotel room each now.
Kelly: That’s a big thing because we spent years on floors and sofas—the standard band thing.
Alexei: Even sleeping in the same bed.
Junior: We once woke up being stared at by a cat with one eye, and now we get our own hotel rooms.
Kelly: It’s a game-changer.
Johnny Foreigner’s sixth studio album, How To Be Hopeful, is set for release on 13 September, via Alcopop! Records catch the band live at their London and Birmingham release parties.
