Caleb Johnson was the rocker singer/songwriter who won Season 13 of American Idol in 2014. The album, Testify, was immediately released following his victory. It was recorded in three weeks and it was the quickest album an American Idol winner had released a debut album. Johnson was less than thrilled with the support from Interscope Records after the album’s release. Soon after the release, Johnson parted ways with the label.
The Ashville, North Carolina native has spent time since his win opening for bands like KISS, Cheap Trick, Sammy Hagar, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, and Black Stone Cherry. The follow-up album to Testify has finally been completed and Johnson is excited to release Born From Southern Ground on June 14. It was recorded at Zac Brown’s Southern Ground Studio, where he enlisted the help of his three-time Grammy-winning multi-instrumentalist cousin, Bryan Sutton, to co-produce the album. Glide was able to catch up with Johnson for a phoner and here’s what he had to say.
You’ve been busy preparing for the release of the new album? How excited are you for your new album?
I’m very excited. It has been in the works for four years now. It’s finally going to see the light of day. I’m really excited about the future.
Are you in North Carolina as we speak?
Yes, there are primarily two places that I reside in. One is North Carolina or Nashville, TN. I’m originally from Ashville. Ashville has a very eclectic, wonderful music scene. It has really grown in the past four or five years, exponentially. It’s a melting pot of all kinds of different genre. You’ve got Americana, bluegrass, funk, soul, jam band, rock ‘n roll, R&B, hip-hop, everything. It’s a very inspiring place to live. It has a cool vibe and it’s tucked away in one of the most beautiful parts of the country. It’s right in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
My family resides here. I was borne and raised here for 28 years.
I won’t ask how old you are. Are your family musicians as well?
None of them are musicians at all. The first spark that ignited my music, specifically rock and roll music, was when a buddy of mine gave me a Queen CD when I was 15 or 16. I was completely blown away by Freddie Mercury’s voice, band, and music. I wore that CD out and from there it just became a domino effect. It went from Queen to Led Zeppelin, Rust to Black Sabbath, Van Halen to Guns N Roses. From there it evolved to me listening to soul music, Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding.
You have a gospel vibe to your vocals as well. When did you pick that up?
That came later after I became involved with soul music.
Can we talk a little about your American Idol experience?
Being on American Idol was an amazing experience. It’s something I will forever cherish and it will truly have a special place in my heart. After the show, the people working behind the scenes did not have my best interests at heart. The year after was a real struggle for me. Unfortunately, I was under a lot of contracts. I couldn’t really do anything because I was locked in. Luckily. the time was just right. The show was canceled and all of my contracts were null and void. Two years later, I was touring with KISS and Joan Jett, Sammy Hagar, Black Stone Cherry, Cheap Trick. I’ve been on the road for the past three or four years and I’m just wrapping up a tour with Trans-Siberian Orchestra. It’s been a blast and I’m looking forward to touring and playing rock and roll music for people.
How long have you been working on this new album?
I’ve been working on this record for close to four years. I originally started working on it the year after I won Idol. I went to Nashville and started writing. I started crafting the songs that would eventually go on the record. I spent a lot of time on it to make it right and make the record I always wanted to make. Talking about the negative stuff that happened afterwards, the label and the producers and stuff really didn’t have my best interests at heart. I didn’t have control over that record. It was a product that they wanted people to consume at that moment. As a result, I actually consider this record to be my first record. It was two completely different experiences. It was like night and day. Making this record was an absolute treat and a blast. Hopefully, I’ll get to continue to make records this way. It really ignited me to get inspired again and rekindle my love for music. The first process was not that enjoyable. The new record really put my outlook in a positive place in music. I’m super thrilled for people to hear this record. I think it’s a knock out album.
Have you written all the songs on this album?
Yes, I have co-written all the songs on the album with my buddies in Nashville.
Can you tell me about The Ramblin’ Saints?
The Ramblin’ Saints is my band. We decided to add the band name to my name and that would take it more into that rock direction. We used people like Bob Seeger and the Silver Bullet Band or Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers as a template. The musicians are from Nashville. I have two separate bands a studio band that I use based out of Nashville and my touring band is based out of Ashville.
And the record label is Big Johnson Records?
Yes, I wanted to be a bit silly there. We created my own label. This will be the first album released off of that label. It’s been really exciting because I have been able to have complete control over everything. I hope to continue making albums like this in the future because it’s my vision. I have complete control over the whole process.
It sounds like you’ve become more savvy since your experience with American Idol.
Absolutely, that was like a crash course in music business 101. I learned a whole lot.
Let’s get to know Caleb a bit better. I have some off the subject questions for you. If there was someone that you could meet dead or alive, whom would that be?
I would love to meet Freddie Mercury, Aretha Franklin, Chris Cornell. Those are my top three people.
Who would you like to see perform, then?
Freddie Mercury, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, and Janis Joplin.
If you weren’t a musician, what would you be?
I think I would be a filmmaker or a chef. I just love to eat and I love watching the food network. Cooking is a very relaxing process.
If you could remake or star in any movie, what would it be?
There’s a couple of movies I would like to remake. They are older movies. One movie that was made in the 50s is called The Brain That Wouldn’t Die. It’s a cool movie and it’s a long forgotten cult classic. I thought it had some cool premises that would translate well to today. Another cool movie that was made in the 70s called The Valley of Gwangi. It’s about cowboys and dinosaurs.
What music are you listening to in your car right now?
It changes with the day. Today’s music is Sam and Dave, Prince, Credence Clearwater Revival, and Toto.
What inspires your music?
Other music inspires my music. One of my favorite things to do is bring a bunch of CDs with me when I’m traveling my car. It’s about a four-hour drive from Ashville to Nashville. I’ll get inspiration from whatever I’m listening to on my trips. I love driving and listening to music.
What is the best advice you ever got?
I’m not sure what the best advice I have gotten. What I have learned from doing all of this is you have to stay true to yourself and be honest throughout whatever process you are going through. In the end, everything turns out for the best, both internally and externally.
The best advice I could give anybody getting into the music business or any type of business is to stay true to yourself and be honest. That has come from performing for people. You feel so much better when you are not thinking during a performance and being natural.
That is true when you are recording an album and when you are writing. You can take that further when you are connecting with people and meeting fans. If you are disingenuous, people will not connect to that. You have to be 100% honest and committed to what you are doing. I’ve learned that from being around other people.
In going back to dealing with the other record label, I was being pushed and pulled in all kinds of directions. Instead of putting my foot down and saying what I wanted to do, I kind of let them do that. In that moment, it hurt me. I wasn’t being true to my self and I was not standing up to what I believed in. That was when everything clicked for me. From here on out, I’ve decided to be true to myself and put my foot down, be 100% myself and not let anybody change that.
If you had a superpower, what would that be?
I would fly. I think it’s cool. I see birds and I think they are incredible how they just lift off the ground and go anywhere you want to go.
Is there anything that you would like to say to your fans before we conclude?
I want to say that this record is visceral, bombastic, over-the-top southern rock and roll. I have poured my heart, soul, sweat and tears into it. I’m really excited for people to hear it. I truly believe it is my first record and hope to continue to make many more this way. The record comes out June 14. Please check out the singles “Born and Raised” and “Solid Gold” on YouTube and Spotify. I’ll be out on the road this year and so come out and see me. I’ll be doing headline dates and some other bands like Buck Stone Cherry.
