So when Johnson answers the phone from his home “In the valley, outside of Los Angeles,” little time is wasted before discussing the band’s early days, when their heavy, nu-metal sound was broadcast to the world through mainstream pop television. Thefakesoundofprogress, the band’s debut, was remastered and re-released by Columbia Records and many accused Lostprophets of abandoning their underground roots for the sake of mainstream success.
Years later, however, Johnson doesn’t get defensive. Instead, he understands that it was simply an opportunity the band had to take.
“We’ve talked a lot about those days. Before I was in Lostprophets I had most of their records. We’ve talked a lot about the pressures they faced with that first record. They did a lot of poppy magazines in the UK. Top of The Pops, as much as it has a lot of poppy manufactured stuff on it now, was still a really good medium for a band to get out there. So when they did put an alternative sounding band out there, it was a great opportunity. It offered a lot of mainstream exposure in the UK on the first few records that the band wouldn’t normally get. Top of The Pops introduced a lot of sounds to the average household that they never would have heard otherwise.”
“They also did a magazine aimed predominantly at 15-year-olds,” continues Johnson. “So they did get a lot of flack from some of the heavier bands that they ended up touring with. Because you can cross over too much; it’s easy to alienate your fans when every household has heard of you. Hardcore rock fans might have took issue and the band might have gone too far. They’ve said to me before that it was a mistake to do some of those things at the time. There was a learning curve over the first few records about what was right to do and what was wrong to do. And they learned these things by making those mistakes.”
And it was those mistakes which turned Lostprophets into the band they are today. Now with four full-length records under their belt (And Weapons, their fifth, on the way in early April) the band are still garnering large audiences, but can do so with a sense of integrity.
“I think you will always spot an honest band,” says Johnson. “There’s something very crucial in maintaining your integrity. You won’t see us putting out a Christmas record. If that were put on the table by management, I think we’d all collectively say, ‘Are you crazy?’”
“But that being said, there’s a fine mixture to it,” Johnson says matter-of-factly. Integrity may be one thing to Lostprophets, but being keen on how to play the rock’n’roll game is another altogether. “You’ve got to be honest, but you can’t just roll with a punk rock integrity and alienate yourselves. You’ll become a band that’s martyred. You’ll become successful for being martyred and everyone will get on board with you, but you’ll still being eating ramen noodles.”
The balance that Johnson and Lostprophets have now found seems to be suiting them rather well. Weapons will inevitably mark a new chapter for a band that continues to chart their course. Now, Johnson is not the rock star who will sell his soul (And his rely solely on early successes) to make a buck. Instead, Johnson and Lostprophets are now considering every angle, all the time.
“We’ve evolved with every record. And we know there are some things we’re willing to do, and some things we’re not willing to do. We never want to sacrifice the music and reputation of the band. We just want to put out good music and keep our fans happy. Those fans in turn, keep us where we are. Make sure your fanbase is happy, that’s first and foremost. Then always try to incorporate new fans within the steady evolution of the band. If you take the first record and last record, you’ll hear a huge difference. But if you listen to them chronologically, you’ll hear an evolution. If we were to put out Thefakesoundofprogress now, it’d sink like a stone. It was right for the market at the time, and this new record is right for the market right now. It’s very important to know who you are and where you come from and you don’t want to keep rehashing the same record.”
BY JOSHUA KLOKE
