Pro Audio Bio

John's Bio

Who are you?

John, son of Carl, Jr., grandson of Carl. Human.

What do you do in this band?

Write songs, sing songs, play songs, draw robots.

What do you do as a day job?

Currently a political philosophy and 2D design student (looking toward a law degree) and part-time assistant to an architect. Previously a film/TV editor for nine years.

Hometown:

Fenix, AZ

Do you consider yourself an adult?

I've always sort of felt like a very old man inside. At 27 I started to feel like other people just might take my shit seriously. At 30 I had an early mid-life crisis and partied my ass off. At 33 I'm ready to grow a beard and mean it.

How old are you in age?

33.

Why do you live where you live?

I came to Los Angeles to change the world through the power of mass media. 14 years later I'm still here because there is something about this land. This is a very spiritual place, although that seems like a funny idea to people. But I don't think the weather is the only reason the early filmmakers and artists flocked here.

Favorite weeknight activity?

Reading. Listening to music. DJing. Hiking.

Favorite weekend activity?

Reading. Writing. Hanging out with Katie.

Weird hobby?

Aerial acrobatics.

Current musical obsession?

Damon Albarn

All-time overarching favorite band?

The Kinks or Guided by Voices.

First album you owned?

Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack, with "The Heat is On" and "Axel F."

Favorite viral video?

"Chocolate Rain"

Favorite blogs, if any?

www.realitysandwich.com

Best restaurant in the world, (or LA):

La Noria, a little French restaurant with 4 things on the menu, all delicious, in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Favorite bar in the world, (or LA):

I hate bars. But Mr Ts Bowl is pretty OK.

Has a band ever changed your life... or your perspective of music?

The Flaming Lips showed me that music could be sophisticated, playful and enlightening all at once.
The Beastie Boys did the same thing.
Ween proved you could do whatever the hell you wanted, stylistically, all on the same record.
Radiohead proved that you could be experimental as hell and still sell records.

Weirdest/most embarrassing music phase you've gone through:

3rd-4th grade - musicals
5th-8th grade - easy listening
9th-10th grade - heavy metal cock rock hair bands
10th-12th grade - prog rock (not really embarrasing, except the hammer over the head Ayn Rand philosophizing)
college - punk, ska
post-college - excellent musical taste in many genres!

Most embarrassing album you own and still listen to:

George Michael "Faith"

Album that you own just to make you look cool:

Some John Coltrane live album that I never listen to

Pop culture: love it or hate it? Why?

Hate it. But I keep thinking it has the power to help.

Something weird about you or your family or how you were raised:

My parents never went on a single getaway by themselves, leaving me at home to throw a party. Not that I knew how to throw a party back then.

Were you in band in school? Go to band camp? Cool musician/dorky musician?

Trumpet and Baritone Horn in 5th grade. "Vocal ensemble" and musical theater 6th grade thru high school. Joined a metal band as a singer in high school. Joined a ska band as a singer in college. Learned to play bass guitar after college and formed the band I always wanted to be in.

Has being a musician ever gotten you laid? Gotten you married?

I did apparently impress my first wife when I sang for the ska band. But she quickly got tired of ska, long before I did. Actually, I'm not really tired of ska.