Welcome to Pursuing the Muse. Today we welcome Atlanta musician Elijah Johnston, winner of the 2022 Vic Chesnutt Songwriter of the Year Award.
His new album, Stupid Soul, blends lush Americana, power pop, and 90s alternative sounds, earning praise for its diversity. Elijah's most recent release is the holiday song "The Joy in Everything".
Hear Elijah discuss how recording Stupid Soul became "more scrambled than initially planned, why he tackled Bruce Springsteen’s "Valentine's Day" with a "modernized shot in the arm", and why he actively avoids an "arms race of who can out personal each other" in songwriting
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• 00:01:52 - Intro
• 00:02:23 - Discussion of the diverse, hard-to-categorize nature of Stupid Soul.
• 00:03:15 - The recording process for Stupid Soul becoming "more scrambled" despite aiming for cohesion.
• 00:04:34 - The evolution toward a looser style
• 00:05:45 - Catchiness of the song "Ideas" and positive reception
• 00:07:57 - Translating the sonically dense album tracks into strong live arrangements
• 00:10:02 - Awareness of which songs have the necessary structure to shine in solo acoustic versus full-band settings.
• 00:11:00 - Performing the complex vocal arrangements of "Baby Bands" live.
• 00:13:29 - Attention to album sequencing
• 00:14:41 - The choice of "Leonard" as the album opener
• 00:19:35 - Prioritizing universal themes and "ecstatic truth" over transcribing diary entries.
• 00:23:48 - Covering Bruce Springsteen's "Valentine's Day"
• 00:29:53 - Winning the 2022 Vic Chesnutt Songwriter of the Year Award.
• 00:31:42 - The historical significance of Athens, GA
• 00:35:05 - Early musical goals focused on songwriting and melody
• 00:39:51 - The spontaneous studio decision that turned an electric guitar song into an acoustic, folky track.
• 00:43:40 - Sequencing the album closer, "Football Season," as a simple, climactic loop back to the start
• 00:47:22 - Using the horror movie title "I Know What You Did Last Summer" metaphorically to explore the dramatic emotions of young people
• 00:52:40 - Songwriting process is generally Melody first, followed by finding words that fit
• 00:57:21 - The practice of repurposing strong song sections
• 00:58:09 - Recording strategy involves strict budgeting and entering the studio avoiding wasting time.
• 01:00:32 - Relying on the Apple Voice Memo app to capture raw ideas
• 01:01:49 - The history and camaraderie of the core musical crew.
• 01:05:45 - Plans for the next album
• 01:07:45 - The goal of making every section of a song the "catchy part"
• 01:09:06 - Outro & Upcoming dates, including South by Southwest in Austin
