Artist description FREE YOURSELF FROM YOURSELF - Put away any preconceived notions and emotions you might have and open your eyes and ears to the world inside. THIS IS DISTORTED SOUL and the band is JACK JOHNSON.

Music Style Distorted Soul

Musical Influences Everything

Similar Artists Filter, Lenny Kravitz, Limp Bizkit

Artist History OKAY, HERE'S THE HISTORY LESSON: The boxer, JACK JOHNSON was the first black man to win the world heavyweight boxing championship. Now, we're talking 1908, almost 40 years before Jackie Robinson stepped to the plate in the majors, and the world was not ready for a baldheaded brother from Galveston to step into the ring and start swatting suckas like flies. They were definitely not readyfor his in your face attitude (JACK JOHNSON was the prototype for Muhammad Ali's trash talking bravado) or for his insistance that as a man he had a right to live and love whomever and however he wanted. Papa Jack simply did not fit into the confines and expectations that turn of the 20th Century American society held for Blacks... And don't think he didn't catch ten kinds of Hell for it. JACK JOHNSON, the band doesn't fit the concept of your everyday, ordinary thang either. Paul Cochrane and Kurtis McFarland started writing and recording music in 1993. The idea was supposed to be "What if Jimi Hendrix sang and played guitar with a hip-hop group," but the result was something completely different. They tried unsuccessfully to put together a band for over a year, but continued to record in their living rooms and garages and warehouses. Still opportunities kept coming at them. They performed at a showcase in New York in 1994 and worked with former Living Colour road manager Ian Carby. On the strength of their demos and live performances (including a gig at label head Corbin Dooley's wedding) they were signed to independent label PC! Music Company. In an effort to make a kick-ass first recording, they flew in the funkiest human being they knew, drummer Simone White, formerly of Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy (currently of Fuzebox www.mp3.com/fuzebox) and found a ridiculously fluid 20-year old bass prodigy in now Nashville session player Ethan Pilzer. These cats got together in the spring of 1995 to make "Round One," a defiant, political, funky, album in just four days of rehearsal and recording. From jump it seemed the planets were aligned against them. They rented rehearsal space in a rundown warehouse in Murfreesboro,TN where they were rained on (INSIDE!) and locked in by mistake. The engineer who tracked the album was on them snorts and got arrested leaving the studio after the second night of recording. Still they were on a quest to finish tracking in those four days while Simone was in town. You can hear the urgency and anger in the rhythm as they lashed out musically against the forces that were attacking them. Simone delivered a funk assault with an energy that rocked the house that is A Cut Above studio in Nashville. Ethan's slinky, silky bass grooves showed a maturity far beyond his years. Master guitarist Paul whipped the group into a frenzy ripping brilliant track after brilliant track. Kurtis McFarland's soul-dipped vocals shouted and whispered the rage and blues that burned inside him. The results were magical, a unique heavy rock sound dripping wet with Southern funk and alternative hip-hop. PAPA JACK was certainly smiling down on this young quartet, determined to scrap and fight through every inch of the adversity that faced them. These guys were ahead of the curve bringing the hip-hop loops to rock and making it swing. Socio-political statements and sweet love tunes... They couldn't call it rock cause it was too soulful. They couldn't call it R&B because of the distortion. Sitting around the kitchen table at the studio, Paul informs everyone "It's Distorted Soul." That phrase fit the music and the feeling that these young artists harbored about life. They enjoyed some local and regional success with the single "HIT" in the summer of '96. That song and another, "Blondie's Squad Car" were included in the movie BARB WIRE, Pamela Anderson Lee's bust-out cinematic performance. You always hear boxers and musicians alike say, "It's in my blood. I have to do it." The bumps and bruises along the way are medals earned in battle just like the awards and accolades we all work so hard to attain. Take a moment now to listen and enjoy the power and energy, the poetry and finesse that is JACK JOHNSON.

Group Members Simone White - Drums, Percussion, Vocals; Ethan Pilzer - Basses, Vocals; Kurtis McFarland - Lead Vocals, Guitars, Loops; Paul Cochrane - Guitars, Vocals; LATER MEMBERS: Tres Biles - Loops, Keys, Flute, vocals; Rico Campbell - Bass, vocals; Jerry Judd - drums, vocals; Hinkie Hamilton - bass, vocals; Tyronn Hamilton - drums; Steve Hazelwood - bass, vocals; Percy Person - keys, loops, vocals; Nate Jackson - drums; Rob Bargnesi - drums

Albums RoundOne

Press Reviews "The band's music packs even more punch than their namesake." - Friday Morning Quarterback "After experiencing Round One, JACK JOHNSON will probably send you to your corner wearing apunch drunk grin..." - Bone Magazine "Jack Johnson scores a KO with fans, critics" - Sunday Magazine "After a few other mediocre bands, Nashville's Jack Johnson brought out the heavy artillery -- from first note to last they pulled no punches. Every band that played Summer Lights could have been taught a lesson in how to play TO an audience rather than AT an audience. Funny things like the vocalist climing into the crowd letting the kids sing along, to some crew guy dancing on stage. Jack Johnson put on a great show." - Music Row Magazine

Location Nashville, TN - USA

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