 Courtesy: 1888 Media
Johnny “Chops” Richardson may best be known as the bassist with the Randy Rogers Band, but the artist is also a talented songwriter who has landed several songs on the band’s albums, including “Ten Miles Deep,” “Last Last Chance,” and “Shotgun," among others. Now, the singer-songwriter-guitarist is prepping to release his new album, JOHNNY CHOPS & THE RAZORS due March 23rd.
Produced with Reckless Kelly guitarist David Abeyta, the album is distinguished by a bluesy grit and soulful vocals brought forth by an all star band. In advance of the album's release, Johnny kindly took the time to answer his Essential 8 relaying the story behind the album's title, offering some key touring tips, his thoughts on drinking at gigs, and much more! With "Taking a Chance on Me," what was the “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect? That song actually had two “a-ha” moments. I had written a couple of verses and a chorus but just got stuck. The song seemed flat. So I text a friend of mine, Adam Hood. He’s from Alabama and has a great, natural, laid back, Southern vibe to his writing and singing that I’ve always admired. We had never actually written together but had talked about it some. So I asked if he’d be around Austin any, but unfortunately he wasn’t but said “Send me what you’ve got, I’ll take a listen”. A couple weeks later he text me back and bam. He had smoothed out a couple of chord changes, tweaked a few lyrics to make them a little more relatable and put that lilting, groovy flow to the melody and it was like a light bulb going off in my head. It’s the first song I’ve ever co-written by text message. The second “a-ha” happened in the studio. We were all listening down after we tracked the basic instruments and our studio guitar player, Eric “Ebo” Borash said, “you need male background singers on this. Like a Gospel quartet.” Everyone in the room perked up at that. It was different and no one had heard anyone do that in a long time. In fact, I guess it’s been so long since anyone attempted it that I had a hard time tracking down some singers to pull it off. But once we found the Gospel Starz and got them in the studio, I knew we had something special. It took the song to a whole other level. I’m incredibly happy with how it turned out and thankful for all the people that contributed to make it happen. What’s the story behind your album’s title? Every band has a self titled album at some point. Why not do ours at the beginning? It's a statement: “Here we are, here’s what we sound like.” It's a simple, recognizable blueprint of sorts. I really wanted this album to be a foundation of a sound that we make together. It’s our flag planted on our home turf. While I write the majority of the songs, they don’t sound the same with just myself and an acoustic guitar. They need a band to flesh them out and make them whole. I’ve always been a fan of that kind of writing and I love the process filling out those parts and listening to them come alive. What’s the best advice to give to a musician just starting out? If you’re a songwriter it's “Finish a song, then start another one.” I know when I was starting out, I would begin a lot of tunes and then never take the time and discipline to finish them. There is a feeling I get when a song is completed that always boosts my mood for the rest of the day, if not for several days afterward. But you also have to keep going. Not to be discouraging, but it's extremely rare that anyone has a “hit” with the first song they’ve ever written. You have to finish one and then another and another and another. The more you write, the better you get. 
Do you have any touring tips?
Who would you love to collaborate with? I have a few dream co-writes, notably Rodney Crowell, Steve Earle or John Hiatt. If I could get Emmylou Harris to sing with me on a track, I’d probably think I’d died and gone to heaven. Also, if Dave Grohl wants to write and produce his first country/blues/rock album together, I’m game. Is drinking at gigs a positive or a negative? To paraphrase my buddy and producer David Abeyta, it works until it doesn’t. If you can handle a few drinks and still pull off a great show, day in and day out, go for it. There are a few guys who work really well in that setting. That being said, I have never had a great show while sauced. There’s a pretty fine line between a social drink or two and full blown Gary Stewart. It’s all about finding what works best for you. Everyone is different. Have you met any of your heroes? If so, how did it go? I got to hop on Willie Nelson’s bus a few years ago, when Poodie Locke was still alive as his tour manager. After a few awkward hellos, he invited us to sit down and told a pretty dirty joke. Then he asked if we wanted to burn one. I don’t really smoke weed, but when Willie Nelson offers, you accept. I don’t really remember what happened after that, other than trying to just be cool and not to lose my mind over the fact that I just smoked weed with Willie Nelson. I think I ate all the snacks on the bus afterwards. It was awesome. Recent release you cannot stop listening to? JD McPherson’s Undivided Heart and Soul. It’s 50s style with more creative arrangement and songwriting. He’s a true artist making music that is classic yet modern. I’m a big fan of hot rod rock and style, but also enjoy well crafted songs from the heart. He does both with gusto. Website Purchase
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