Recently I was able to catch up with lead vocalist/guitarist of Highly Suspect, Johnny Stevens, to discuss the band’s great new album that released today, called As Above, So Below. In this interview, I asked Johnny about where the album title originated from, the lyrical inspiration behind key tracks, and the songs he feels will translate best to the live setting. Today, Highly Suspect has released a music video for “Plastic Boxes,” and the band will be on tour starting this September with tickets on sale here.
Your new album, called As Above, So Below, releases on July 19th. What is your range of emotions as your band gets ready to release these songs to your fans?
So I got on the bus to Nashville today and listened to it front to back and broke out in tears. I don’t know how I’m feeling but it didn’t feel real until today. Listening to it, and knowing the world is listening to it with me…I guess I didn’t realize how much pain I’ve endured these past few years. Like I knew but when I hear it all summed up…it was a really powerful experience. I know for a fact this album is gonna help some people heal. But yeah, it’s been a tearful day. Tears of sorrow. Tears of joy. I can’t believe it’s finally out, I feel like I’m watching my life as a movie from the outside when I listen to this album and I understand why everyone is having such a meaningful and positive response to what they are hearing. It’s out of body, I’ve never felt this during a release.
I love the single from the new record called “The Blue-Eyed Devil.” Can you share what was the lyrical inspiration behind the track?
Thank you. Well on that one in particular I was in a mood where I was really fed up with not having control over my life, and in that song you hear me taking the power back. I had just met the woman that would soon be my girlfriend and the song starts off kind of about me and her being Bonnie and Clyde on a dirt bike. For some reason at the end the song switched up and I was crying out to my father who I hadn’t spoken to in seven years. I don’t know why the song went there but it did and I wasn’t gonna argue with myself. Just said what I needed to say.
At this stage of your musical career, what are you most proud of accomplishing and what do you feel like you’d still like to achieve?
A. This album. hands down, it’s not even close.
B. A solo album and a year by myself backpacking through Asia.
How does Highly Suspect do most of its songwriting? How has that evolved since the early stages of the band?
Honestly there is no rhyme or reason. A lot of times I’ll get a song done on an acoustic guitar or demo it out on Ableton and bring that to the band. Sometimes we rent out air bnb’s and set up makeshift studios and jam together. Sometimes Matt will have a cool riff or Ryan will have a beat or something or Mark or Rich will have some piece of a song and we will go from there. Sometimes shit comes out at sound check, so we’re all over the place. But the lyrics usually are written after the music is fleshed out to a workable degree and then I take my motorcycle somewhere quiet and dive into my head and try to bring out my truths.
What songs from As Above, So Below do you feel lend themselves best to the live setting?
This whole album top to bottom is gonna be so fun for us live. I can’t speak for the audience, what they will like most. I guess we’re about to find out, but I know that for us. There isn’t a song on this album we’re not looking forward to playing. Can’t say that for any of the other albums. There are usually a few songs that I think are best kept studio only, but this one was recorded live and with the intention of playing all of them live.
