It’s been a surreal time for musicians. We’re starting to see some light filter back in now, but for long-time professionals like Rock Johnson, it meant one of two things: throw in the towel and focus on your day job, or use the downtime to explore different creative options. As you will hear on his fourth studio effort, The Bridge, there really was only one option all along.
Johnson, who has been making music since the early nineties, is an accountant by day, and it’s likely that skill set that allows him to steer so much of what he does himself. At some point along a successful band’s path, you run into the day-to-day tasks of making everything work smoothly. Writing, rehearsing, recording and arranging are only some of the things a musician needs to be good at these days. Marketing, social media, web design, and graphic work are equally, and in some cases, more important to your success, and something that Johnson takes in stride.
“You have to wear so many hats these days to make a dent. So I spend more time on business aspects than creating it seems, but that is more out of necessity than desire,” says Johnson. “It is reality. It was simpler before social media became so saturated and powerful. The fan connections, while slower growing, and less far-reaching, were stronger.”
It’s these connections that Rock, with a heavy dose of optimism, is counting on.
“I feel like people are ready to re-engage with people again. They are sick of the things that keep them home and complacent and are ready to be involved again.”
Having used the downtime well, Rock Johnson, armed with a new six-song EP is ready to start connecting.
The Bridge is a different record for Johnson. Born in a different headspace, and leagues different from his work with Halifax-based Chaos Theory, it shows a softer side.
“I guess somehow since Chaos Theory kind of got to be my more well-known act I got looped into the metal singer category, but I have other sides too,” says Johnson, who outside of the drumming on this record, played all the other parts. Jeremy Wilson (From All Sides) handled the drums, and the two recorded the whole thing in Johnson’s newly finished home studio.
The record itself drips with ’90s influence. Bands like Alice in Chains, and Big Wreck have left an indelible mark on Johnson and he, in turn, pays homage to them with both the music and production of this album. From the first notes of the opening track “Over the Edge”, we’re swept into that time and space. Nineties kids will feel right at home. It’s heavy, melodic, and edgy; the perfect opener.
Next up we get a slower, sweeter, and more thoughtful glimpse into Johnson’s world as he sings “Dear Child” for his nieces and nephew; an account of the quiet pride he feels watching them grow up.
Johnson doesn’t rest long on sentiment, however. The very next track, “Flavour of the Day,” dives back into a heavy, riff-driven soundscape that finds him singing “Hate always ends the same.”
“It’s a knock on apathy derived from following online trends rather than taking ownership of your own life choices,” Rock, although he tries his best to channel all his own negative thoughts into his music, and time on stage.
“The music is a healthy outlet for most negativity and I let it live there. I bring it out with the song then put it away so I don’t have to carry those things around with me every day. It keeps my mind healthier.”
Rock says that he also attributes a good deal of healthy heart and mind to the feeling of the community he’s found in the Halifax music scene.
“I feel 100% part of that community! I was welcomed with open arms almost from day one. I have been fortunate to play with so many talented acts that I have become good buds with. Being a good person will always trump having a ‘rock star’ attitude. We’re all in the same ship, let’s row!”
His next song, “I Have Imagined,” may just be a nod to this east coast community. It feels like it would be most comfortable sitting around a campfire under a million stars. An acoustic-driven strummer, this track calls to mind the old saying, “you can take the boy out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the boy.” Johnson, who is a self-proclaimed lover of east coast music, takes this as a compliment and adds that buying music and supporting local is very important to him.
“My Other Side” is another gentle narrative in amongst the chaos. It gives us, and Johnson a moment to pause and reflect on the many sides a person can have when dealing with the anxiety of meeting new people. It’s also the perfect example of his near-perfect approach to vocal harmony. By all accounts, it’s a trademark of his music. It runs deep through every song and gives us a glimpse of a man who has taken an education in music theory and applied it to an often loud and in-your-face environment. It’s tasty and rich. It’s layered, and it works. It works very well.
Like all good things this album too must come to an end, and it’s the title track of “The Bridge” that sees us to the door with a message to go in peace, move forward, and start new each day. It’s with this in mind that Johnson has begun to rehearse with his band; a hand-picked cast assembled to take this, and his other solo material on the road. The time is right, and the music is sounding fresh. Johnson & Co. think you will agree.