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For a certain subset of music fans—and you know who you are—Michael Johns is instantly recognizable. He was one of the most popular American Idol contestants during season seven whose “Bohemian Rhapsody” wowed judges. But Johns is no high school musical reject. Prior to auditioning for Idol, he already had record deals as part of several indie bands. One of those deals, with a band called the Rising, was with Madonna’s Maverick label. So when he crashed out of Idol, it was a beginning, not an end. He suddenly had another shot at pursuing his music career and a new crop of fans and potential backers. He scored a documentary on the flying tomato and wrote songs with household name stars while working on his soon-to-be-released solo record—a blue-eyed soul album championing his love of artists like the Faces, Paul Weller and Joe Cocker.
PLAYBOY: You’ve had several music careers at this point, with three different deals for various bands you were in and then, most recently, American Idol. Your will to make it as a musician must be strong. Where does that resolve come from—was there a moment you realized you wanted to do this?
JOHNS: Yes, I was driving down the freeway when I was 15 and Pearl Jam’s song “Daughter” came on. I don’t know what it was about that song, but I just sung it over and over. The feeling it gave me made me say, “I have to do this for life.” I started a band a few months later.
PLAYBOY: As a singer, there must be people you emulate—and you don’t sound like Eddie Vedder.
JOHNS: I pinched little things here and there. I think all singers do. Eventually you find your own voice. Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, Paul McCartney, Rod Stewart, Jim Morrison, Michael Hutchence and Neil Finn are probably the people who shaped me the most.
PLAYBOY: Are there artists whose styles affected the way you wish to present yourself?
JOHNS: I always love the visual aspect of what Daft Punk and Gnarls Barkley do. Sophie Mueller makes stunning music videos. I love Scott Weiland and Tom Petty’s style. U2’s live show is always cutting edge too. And—I have to say—seeing Michael Jackson in Perth, Australia in 1996 blew me away. I wasn’t the biggest Jackson fan, but after seeing him live I was converted. I don’t think we’ll ever have a mega mega superstar like that again. All of it—the dancing, the voice, his presence—it was overwhelming.
PLAYBOY: Indie kids might be a bit skeptical about American Idol, but in your case it seems to have been a lifeline—and a help, not a hindrance, to your own indie dreams.
JOHNS: I have had three deals before, and in each case the label folded or the person who handled us got fired before my records could come out. I was very lucky that American Idol was there. It has reopened doors that had been shut. I have another chance at my career. I mean, there is no way to reach a bigger audience than Idol. I was walking in NYC the other day on a Monday morning and saw all these people going to work at a desk somewhere. I just thought, Holy crap! It blew my mind that I had this new chance to continue to avoid that kind of life.
PLAYBOY: That’s certainly one way to gauge success—still being able to do what you want. What about other benchmarks?
JOHNS: One of my goals—and I’m still waiting to achieve it—is being in a full movie theater and having one of my songs played during the most important scene of the film. Fast song, ballad, it doesn’t matter to me—everything sounds better in a theater.
PLAYBOY: Tell us about your concept for the T-shirt design.
JOHNS: When I was asked to design a T-shirt an image came into my head straight away. I thought, How cool it would be to have the outline of the bunny over and over again like a maze—all leading into a heart at the center? It’s something I would want to wear.
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