Alain Johannes
The list of musicians that Alain Johannes has worked with reads
like an encyclopedia of California rock history. In high school he was in bands
with Flea, Hillel Slovak, Jack Irons and Anthony Kiedis, all of whom would form
the Red Hot Chili
Peppers.
Later Alain formed Eleven with Natasha Shneider and Jack Irons. They toured with Pearl Jam and Soundgarden, and
for several years recorded and toured with Queens of the Stone Age.
As a writer, producer and engineer, Alain has worked with Chris
Cornell, No Doubt, Mark Lanegan, Jimmy Eat World, Queens of the Stone Age,
Brody Dalle and Arctic Monkeys.
Alain has been a touring member of PJ Harvey’s band,
as well as Them
Crooked Vultures which featured Dave Grohl from Foo Fighters,
Josh Homme from Queens
of the Stone Age, and John Paul Jones from Led Zeppelin.
As a composer, Alain has written music for films such as “Eagles
of Death Metal: Nos Amis” and for video games such as Tom Clancy’s “Ghost Recon
Wildlands.”
Alain was part of the Sound
City Players which performed in connection with the
documentary, "Sound City." Alain co-wrote and performed "A Trick
With No Sleeve" with Dave Grohl and Josh Homme for the movie and the
soundtrack.
Alain’s latest project
is the Alain Johannes Trio which has him teaming up with brothers Felo and Cote
Foncea, accomplished musicians who are well-known in their home country of
Chile. The first release is “Luna A Sol” featuring guest vocalist Mike
Patton. New solo album will be released
worldwide by IpeCac Recordings.
ALAIN JOHANNES RELEASES HUM ON
JULY 31 VIA IPECAC RECORDINGS
“For over three decades, Alain Johannes has been
the unsung guitar hero behind some of the biggest acts in rock, whether he's
tearing up his trademark Jazzmaster with Queens of the Stone Age, Them Crooked
Vultures and Chris Cornell, or lending a trusted ear when producing the likes
of Jimmy Eat World, Brody Dalle and Mark Lanegan.” – Guitar World
May 1, 2020 –
SANTIAGO, Chile – Alain Johannes, co-creator of the highly influential ‘90s
alternative rock band Eleven as well as a key contributor on releases from
Queens of the Stone Age, Them Crooked Vultures and Chris Cornell, releases Hum
(https://lnkfi.re/AJHum), his third solo album, on July 31 via
Ipecac Recordings.
“It’s
more about me than probably any album I’ve ever done,” says Johannes about the collection
that follows a period of tragic loss, extreme illness and rebirth. “It was
something I was striving for and needed to communicate. Coming out of a
difficult period, I was liberated. I had lost people who were very close to me.
I went through struggles with my own health. There’s a personal energy behind
the way it was recorded and the feel of the songs. It’s a document of my life
right now.”
Johannes
is seen playing the album’s title track in a video released this morning (https://youtu.be/n_9ua-IjRzk). The clip, which showcases
Johannes performing the song in the woods near his Los Angeles home, was shot
by Frank McDonough and edited by Felo Foncea.
“You can think of the
album title, Hum, a few ways,” adds Johannes. “Of course, there’s a
musical hum. There’s an electrical hum. To me, it suggests a sense of mystery.
When you stop and listen to silence in nature, the hum is underneath the
threshold of hearing. It’s a mysterious and magical sense of something
existing, beautiful, and alive. It’s a blanket word for the sound of the ether—something
that’s always been there, always will be there, and everything comes from it.
It’s the common connection to everything.” Album
pre-orders, which include an instant download of “Hum” are available now: https://lnkfi.re/AJHum.
Hum track list:
Mermaids’ Scream
Hum
Hallowed Bones
Someone
If Morning Comes
Free
Sealed
Here In The Silence
Nine
Finis
Photo credit: Tom Bronowski
Alain
Johannes first came to international prominence with Eleven, a trio that
featured Jack Irons (Red Hot Chili Peppers) and with Johannes’ beloved late
wife, Natasha Shneider. Eleven released five albums between 1991 and 2003. Johannes
and Shneider became sought out contributors, working with Chris Cornell on his
celebrated 1999 solo debut, Euphoria Morning—which the couple co-wrote,
co-produced, and toured in support of. They also lent their talents to Queens
of the Stone Age’s chart-topping 2005 Lullabies To Paralyze and the
subsequent two-year touring cycle that followed its release. Along the way, Alain either wrote, produced,
or engineered projects for No Doubt, Mark Lanegan, Jimmy Eat World, Brody
Dalle, and Arctic Monkeys, to name a few. Not to mention, he performed in PJ
Harvey’s live band as well as Them Crooked Vultures where he shared stages
worldwide with Dave Grohl, Josh Homme, and John Paul Jones. A sought-after
composer for film, television, and video games, he has penned music for HBO’s Eagles
of Death Metal: Nos Amis (Our Friends) as well as Tom Clancy’s Ghost
Recon: Wildlands and Breakpoint. Plus, Grohl enlisted him as
part of the Sound City Players, co-writing and performing various cuts on the
soundtrack for Sound City. Following Natasha’s passing, he unveiled his
first solo effort, Spark, in 2010 before delivering the follow-up Fragments
and Wholes, Vol. 1 three years later.
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