Artist Interview: Johnny Football Hero
Johnny Football Hero. (Left to Right: Misha Datskovsky, James McGill, Addison Rider) Photo Courtesy of Johnny Football Hero
Despite a a tumultuous year, 2021 brings exciting news for the young Philadelphia Emo/Punk act, Johnny Football Hero as they welcome new member, Addison Rider (Vocals/Bass) to the fold AND tease new music on the horizon! We took a couple minutes to introduce this rising bundle of energy and download ourselves with the latest on what this addition means for the outlook of the project - so dive in!
Artist: Johnny Football Hero
Members:
James McGill - Vocals / Guitar
Addison Rider - Vocals / Bass
Misha Datskovsky - Drums
Johnny Football Hero. Photo Courtesy of Johnny Football Hero
Digital Interview with Johnny Football Hero by Nic Beardsley from Dear Untitled:
Nic Beardsley (Dear Untitled): You've recently added the talent of local musician, Addison Rider, (bass/vocals), to the fold - what led to this addition aside from purely necessity for a bassist? What clicked specifically?
Misha: We were looking for someone who would add heaviness to our sound and when Addison played with us, it was clear almost immediately that she brought that to the table. Additionally, she is a great singer and musician all around, not to mention a blast to hang out with.
James: Totally. I think first and foremost I really wanted someone that was just a joy to be around. You’re gonna be spending so much time with your band mates, so it’s best that you can find someone you gel with. So Addison came in and it was like BOOM. It felt so natural and so right. And on top of that, she’s a super competent musician and able to pick up on things like instantly. Which is always amazing.
Nic (DU): With backgrounds in a handful of other local Philadelphia bands and projects, do you feel that there is a cohesive wavelength between the 3 of you when it comes to writing or is it too early to tell?
Misha: There is definitely cohesiveness in our musicianship. We all have similar ways of learning songs and a shared understanding of what we want to sound like. Furthermore, we are currently recording a new EP and Addison has come in and creatively contributed to those songs.
Addison: We’re still learning each other's processes, for sure, but I do think we all have pretty good chemistry when we work together. I like feeling that I’m able to contribute something of value to a group, but I also really benefit from creating with people that I am able to learn from, and JFH has been perfect in that regard. James and Misha are both seriously talented musicians, and I’m glad to get to be involved.
James: As far as writing, I’m not too sure yet! The cool thing about this lineup is that, Addison and I can connect on the post hardcore/emo from when we were teens (Attack Attack, Paramore) while Misha and I connect more with raw/visceral bands (At the Drive In, Sunny Day Real Estate). So it feel very balanced out in a way!
Nic (DU): Who would you say is your personal musical influences/inspirations to be? (Band or personal)
Addison: Ah! I always have such a hard time with this question (I’m really bad at picking favorites, haha). Personally, I always really connected to a lot of the emo, pop punk, post-hardcore and alternative bands of the mid to late 2000s growing up, and those were foundational in my approach to creating when I was starting out. I think that’s part of the reason I initially connected with JFH. I really love some of the threads of early emo and post-hardcore influence you can hear in our overall sound.
James: For the record we’ve been working on, we were heavily influenced by newer upcoming DIY bands. Carly Cosgrove, Dogleg, and Guitar Fight from Fooly Cooly to name a few; as well as bigger more established bands like Sunny Day Real Estate, Remo Drive, and Dryjacket. Personally, I’m also super influenced by bands like Dance Gavin Dance, Hail the Sun, and Chon. I hope to find away to mend that post hardcore mentality with the emo mentality and have a perfect cohesion. I’m also obsessed with 80s City Pop artists like Miki Matsubara, Junko Ohashi, and Mariya Takeuchi. That music is probably my favorite music ever, so I wanna see what I can incorporate from that sound in to whatever we do next!
Misha: My drumming has been influenced by ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead as well as At The Drive In, particularly their album ‘In Casino Out.’ I try to emulate their heaviness and emotion in my style.
Nic (DU): Johnny Football Hero officially came to be ~2018 and so far you've released a rousing 2019 LP, ‘Long Walk Off the Short Pier’ - what does the future hold in terms of new music and direction for the project? Any specific 1 - 3 year goals you can let us in on?
James: We’re just about done recording our follow up EP actually. So hopefully the plan is to get that out around summer time. With that I really wanna start touring whenever possible. I wanna live that band life ya know? Buy a van, go on tour, crash in some random persons bathtub, burn down an Arby’s, buy a toilet, return the toilet. It’s all something I never did before COVID, and now I’m just so ready to do.
Misha: What will happen in the next 1-3 years is hard to say. Right now we just want to release songs and other content to connect with our audience. Hopefully shows will come back relatively soon, we are excited for when they do.
Nic (DU): What is the current activity through the Covid world which keeps you personally sane?
Misha: Books, video games, and my dog.
Addison: Oof, hmm.. I go from thing to thing. I’m not very consistent, but I’m trying to work on that, haha. In 2020, I REALLY put a lot of focus in upping my understanding of my gear, maintaining my own instruments and building up what I would consider to be my ideal rig. In 2021, I’ve been reading a lot more, nerding out over comics, and taking music production classes when I’m not working.
James: Life has pretty much just been that one scene from Spongebob where he spends hours just working on “The.”
Nic (DU): Is it possible to describe Johnny Football Hero in one word?
James: “oh..?”
Misha: “Who?”
Addison: “*Wilhelm Scream*”
Nic (DU): What's your favorite basement to play in Philadelphia?
Misha: Ooooh that’s not a fair question, they’re all so much fun! (Definitely not that one though...you know the one I mean)
James: Honestly, I’ve had the most fun at Delaware houses! Specifically places like House of Mouse, the Tea House, and The Temple, all in Newark.
Addison: I unfortunately haven’t had the opportunity to play a Philly basement show yet, darn COVID!
Nic (DU): What is one topic you can't get off your mind and want more people to be aware of?
Addison: I would encourage anyone feeling discouraged after all the chaos that was 2020 to take a deep breath and start small when it comes to making progress. Figure out ways to assist people in your community today rather than wait for a system you have no control over to eventually get things resolved. Start learning about what resources people in your community have been putting together, and get involved! How can YOU make things better for the hurting people around you today?
Misha: If you feel frustrated and/or helpless with regard to politics, getting involved will help relieve that feeling, whether it be by volunteering for an organization you support, helping your community, or campaigning on behalf of a politician you support.
James: Class solidarity is the most important thing we can do on an individual level right now. And even though we’re in a world where half of the political discourse is culture war bullshit, like the gender of a fucking toy potato, taking action in your communities is a great step. Always be mindful that your friend working for Amazon is probably peeing in bottles because they won’t let them take a bathroom break, and has no collective bargaining power for better working conditions. So anything we can to push for a society where that shit isn’t happening, we should do.
Nic (DU): All this is fantastic and I am grateful to you three for taking the time to answer questions for this interview! This is absolutely a succinct download for anyone interested in checking Johnny Football Hero out for the first time OR hopping back in! Please keep in touch, especially with new music! -NB
FFO: Weezer, At The Drive In, Castle Black, Sweep Echo, Knolling Bones