Satellites - Orbiting around music

I think “01” is an album about homesickness and being far from the people you love. There's a real sense of disorientation running through it. Am I right?

You're completely right. I moved to Copenhagen as soon as I found out I was going to become a father, so being in a city without speaking the language, as a fresh dad far from home with none of my family or friends nearby, made me really homesick. After about 6 months I left for a world tour with James Blunt, leaving behind the small bit of stability I'd managed to build. I felt a real sense of isolation. And that's when I started recording “01”.

Rough Trade backed you from the very start. How did that come about?

Rough Trade have been fantastic, and their support has been constant. It was my manager who pitched my music to them, and they've been behind me ever since. I think they "got it" right away. That was incredibly important to me. Especially with “01”, when, aside from friends, family and my manager, they were the first people to hear it, and their support helped me understand I was on the right track.

“02” came out a year later and, to paraphrase one of your songs, it's something bigger. It has a more imposing sound, as if you'd found a certain stability in your life. Do you remember anything in particular from the period when you recorded it?

I never stopped writing between “01” and “02”, so it comes from the same well of inspiration. The lyrics are slightly more direct. I was recording “02” while “01” was out, and the positive response it got, not just from the press, gave me a confidence that I think you can hear on the record. I sing more openly and I experimented a bit more musically. I wanted to push myself in that respect. To expand the musical landscape without losing its core value. On a personal level, I think “02” reflects the fact that I was starting to come to terms with being a father, and that I'd settled into life in Copenhagen by then.

A few months after its release, “02” now has worldwide distribution. Does that mean there will soon be a Satellites tour?

I hope so, yes. We're talking to some agents about the possibility of doing a few dates in Europe next year. There's nothing I'd rather do than get out there and play.

Speaking of touring, you play bass for James Blunt in his live band. Right now you're involved in a world tour and playing on huge stages. You've also played on Leona Lewis's "Run". I can't imagine two artists musically further apart from you. How do you reconcile these things with being an independent musician?

After many years as a jobbing musician, battling through open-mic nights and busking on the street, making a living playing music of any kind isn't something I take for granted. I'm in a very fortunate position where I can play to pay the bills. I remember the Budapest years, when I had to busk until one in the morning in Stratford Upon Avon just to pay the rent by nine the next morning, and then not eat for the following two days. I don't want that to happen again, and I certainly don't want that for my son. A lot of people I know, with their own musical projects, don't have the luxury of being able to make music their source of income. There's no longer enough money in the music business for an underground artist to provide for their family. It's not right, but it's the reality. Playing for other artists is what I have to do in order to be able to make my own music. For now, at least.

You've started keeping a blog, where you share your thoughts while you're out travelling the world. That's how I found out that "03" is basically ready. Can you give us a preview of the direction it's taking? I saw you're recording pretty much everywhere...

Yes, "03" is recorded. I'm mixing it as we speak. It's a really bold record. Here too, it doesn't bend to the rules of the music business. It's the album I wanted to make and, to be honest, the album I've always wanted to make. It contains elements from both "01" and "02", but in higher doses. Real horns, real strings, pianos, guitars, etc. I wrote it during the two months I spent in Los Angeles last year. I found the city incredibly inspiring, and the desperation, the "last resort" mentality of most people, added a special, unique energy to a place I already found fascinating. Unlike other professions, to make it in the music business you don't necessarily have to be the best at what you do. So the beggar on the street or the guy dressed as Spiderman getting his photo taken for money on Hollywood Boulevard could actually be just as good, if not better, than the people we see on TV or in the papers. Having LA as a theme sharpened the lyrics compared to the other two albums. I recorded the main song foundations, drums, piano, etc. in England. And then I recorded the rest on my laptop, while I was touring the world with James Blunt. I travelled with my mobile studio and set it up every day, wherever I was.

What's your favourite Satellites song? And why?

"Railway Line" is my favourite. Musically it's well crafted, for me; it has elements of everything I like. It also marks the moment in my songwriting when I left the past behind and the new Johnny emerged. I could already feel it while I was writing it. And while I was recording it. And I still get goosebumps every time I listen to it.

Thank you so much, Johnny. All the best for the future.

Anytime! And thanks again for your support.

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