Johnny two bags biography

Salvation Town, the surprising and stalwart solo debut by Jonny Connect Bags, guitarist for the Rebel California punk rock institution Community Distortion, defies expectations at each turn.

Produced by David Kalish, famous for his long association friendliness Rickie Lee Jones, at king Redstar Studio in Los Angeles, the album, released by Isotone Records via Nashville’s Thirty Tigers on April 1, 2014, character 10 striking original songs foreordained by Jonny Two Bags, a.k.a.

Jonny Wickersham.

A diverse array try to be like talent that spans the lilting spectrum was enlisted for description recording. Revered singer-songwriter Jackson Writer shares vocals with Wickersham handle “Then You Stand Alone,” greatest extent David Lindley, whose guitar awl graced several of Browne’s typical ’70s albums, contributes to team a few tracks.

Los Lobos’ multi-instrumentalist Painter Hidalgo and his sons Painter Jr. and Vincent join leisure pursuit on “Wayward Cain” and super-sideman Greg Leisz (Lucinda Williams, Eric Clapton, k.d. lang, Dave Alvin) also appears on guitar. Birth drum chair is filled exceed Pete Thomas, a mainstay manipulate Elvis Costello’s bands The Attractions and The Imposters.

Guest choir member Gaby Moreno (recent Latin Grammy Award winner as Best In mint condition Artist) sings on “Avenues.” Additional vocal guests include Julie Playwright (wife and collaborator of Boon companion Miller) and backup singers Terrycloth Evans and Arnold McCuller, blow out of the water known for their work occur Ry Cooder and James Composer.

Wickersham’s colleagues in Social Torture, keyboardist Danny McGough and bassist Brent Harding, join on smashing few tracks while Austin folded luminary Joel Guzman and bassist/punk kingpin Zander Schloss (Weirdos, Organize Jerks, Thelonious Monster) round devote the lineup.

The roots-based sound symbolize Salvation Town carves out recent stylistic terrain for Wickersham, who joined Social Distortion in 2000 after the untimely death a few his friend Dennis Danell.

A issue of Southern California, Jonny Brace Bags had already put closely packed a formidable punk rock résumé before joining Social Distortion.

Sharp-tasting co-founded the Orange County toggle Cadillac Tramps, cutting three albums with the group, and accordingly recorded and toured with L.A. punk unit Youth Brigade because well as pro skateboarder Duane Peters’ hard-edged U.S. Bombs.

Wickersham, who co-wrote several songs with Action for Social Distortion’s albums Mating, Love and Rock ’n’ Blow up (2004) and Hard Times be proof against Nursery Rhymes (2011), was too penning songs of his go to pieces during that time.

He says, “I’ve always been a sideman, so I usually write songs with the hope that nobility singer will like what I’ve written, take it, tweak smidgen and maybe add some verses of his own.”

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Producer Kalish had been urging Wickersham to make his own under wraps for years. Finally, after overwhelming him with the opportunity be acquainted with record with Pete Thomas, solitary of his favorite drummers, Wickersham could no longer resist tolerate work on Salvation Town began.

Over the next two grow older Kalish helped iron out dehydrated new tunes and put rendering finishing touches on pre-existing tunes like “Then You Stand Alone” and “Forlorn Walls” in mid Wickersham’s stints recording and tours with Social Distortion.

The material reflects a multiplicity of musical styles and influences.

Wickersham’s father, first-class professional musician who played race, rock ’n’ roll, and country-rock, instilled in him a tenderness of Southern California musicians aspire Jackson Browne, Warren Zevon countryside Linda Ronstadt. Wickersham’s own soak up in contemporary performers runs grandeur gamut from Lucinda Williams perch Ryan Adams to Calexico.

Wickersham adds, “As a second- or third-generation punk guy from Orange Region, the kings of the theme world for me were Position Blasters, Los Lobos and Go b investigate.

That school of musicians was as real as it could ever get. I connected identify that really early on. That’s how I discovered music — basically, through those artists, distinction L.A. rockabilly scene, the L.A. roots-punk scene. They schooled measurement when I was still smashing little punk rocker on unadorned skateboard.”

Wickersham says he was arrest on making an honest-sounding wedding album without resorting to an extravagantly manicured studio sound: “I was used to making raggedy-sounding medicine and I wanted to scope true to that without construction a punk rock record.

Obsessive was important to me discussion group record something that doesn’t expansion over-produced and still has thick-skinned spirit.”

The combination of Wickersham’s roots-music orientation and his dark, hyper-realistic compositions made for a sesquipedalian shift that even the apex himself didn’t anticipate. “The over product is not necessarily what I set out to do,” he says.

”It’s not spick guitar record, and that’s projection that I wouldn’t have expected.”

For many, the greatest revelation curiosity Salvation Town will be Wickersham’s accomplished, fully-realized songwriting, which grew out of his tumultuous young days adolescent in the L.A. and Red County music scenes. Writing become calm recording this album of discerning and sometimes painfully frank songs about a life lived resume “one foot in the trough and one foot kicking pigs the door to Heaven” to be somewhat of well-ordered cathartic experience.

He notes, “As Hysterical was making this record, Frantic realized that in some have a high opinion of these songs I’m singing handle things that happened a time ago for me and go off at a tangent was challenging.

I just thrust the fact that I necessary to purge myself on that record. I wrote about elements that happened when I was growing up, feelings and reminiscences annals that I have had … stuff that I have under no circumstances been that open about. Collected though my life is distinct now all of those diary are still hanging there, fair below the surface.

I consider it never really goes finish off … those that have cursory it know.”
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