Johnny Goudie & The Little Champions
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Bio
Johnny Goudie – the songwriter behind Johnny Goudie and the Little Champions - is a sponge. Part collaborator, part actor, and part producer, Goudie has traveled the artistic gauntlet, absorbing the intricacies he’s seen both as a major label buzz band and a seasoned veteran of the industry.
Still, with a sincerity-laden ache suspended over an eclectic breadth of nuanced pop rock, Goudie is, at his heart, an artist. He crafts emotive, evocative tales of love, loss, and the tragedies in between, and his latest offering, El Payaso (Spanish for “The Clown”), taps even deeper into his personal nadir with a courageous sense of artistic adventure.
Throughout his career, Goudie has been able to interweave his own experiences with his heartfelt, indie-tinged sound. Admittedly, as a kid growing up with artistically-minded parents, Goudie followed the musical path for one reason: “I just really connected with music because you could really get chicks that way, honest to God,” he laughs. But his talents eventually enveloped the days of puberty and awkward dances, and young Johnny had found his calling. His previous band, Goudie, dazzled with glam rock fervor, capturing the attention of, amongst others, Metallica’s Lars Ulrich. The ensuing major label deal led to the 2000 release of the critically-acclaimed Peep Show, an album that allowed the band the opportunity to tour with the likes of Blur, Veruca Salt, and Supergrass.
As his former band came to an end, the frontman turned inwards for his subsequent solo offerings. The intimacy of that period is even further expressed on El Payaso. “I’m a very personal songwriter, but this time I really went into my box of issues,” he claims. That Pandora’s Box included, “Dealing with a parent in prison and sort of dealing with - not a bad upbringing - but definitely an unusual upbringing all over the country and Mexico. I drew from all those experiences on the record.”
"A life like an opera / without the ovation / with all of the drama and trouble", sings Goudie, and the words resonate with the fabric of his life. Drama and trouble entwine their way into Goudie’s sense of cunning lyricism, providing a reflective glimpse into what makes Goudie’s effervescent music shine. But El Payaso is more than just the story of Johnny Goudie: it shimmers with a breadth of emotions, from the poignant sincerity of “Every Night Before I Fall Asleep” to the absurdity of “You Can’t Pretend Forever”.
El Payaso also gives a glimpse of an artist that finds himself in a new place in life. It’s a fresh beginning for Goudie, both as a musician and as a person. “I feel like I’ve got more clarity; a handle on who I am. I feel like I’ve put a lot of my demons to rest,” he suggests. Those demons were ever-present on his solo efforts, including 2005’s Boy In A Box, an album drenched in the heartbreak of his recent divorce. This time around, Goudie is delving into an even more personal spectrum, and the result is soaked in the themes of loss and redemption. “I think it’s bridging my old life and new life together,” he explains.
Sonically, El Payaso is the bravest and most expansive work of Goudie’s career. It embraces new textures, from dramatic string sections to the perfectly placed squeals of horns. Gone are the days of recording everything in the isolated confines of his bedroom, instead opening his arms to a full backing band and stunning production from Jonas Wilson (The Lovely Sparrows, Mr. Lewis and the Funeral Five, Strange Boys) Lars Göransson (What Made Milwaukee Famous, The Cardigans, Alpha Rev) and Goudie himself. “I love playing with my band; I love the freedom that I have. [I’ve been able] to run wild with this album and do whatever the fuck I want,” he laughs.
Johnny Goudie’s freedom has created an album that is the zenith of his experience. From his days as Elektra Records darling to his time as a guitarist/keyboardist for Ian Moore and Kathy Valentine of The Go-Go’s, everything culminates into the vast musical portrait of El Payaso. It sweeps with dynamic shifts and resonates with bittersweet pop beauty. “And all of the monsters/That come from inside/Will find themselves lost/With nowhere to hide,” he croons on the album’s closer, “Listen To Me”. It’s the sound of an artist that is embracing the challenges of the past while pushing for a new future, and, ultimately, a new sense of self.
“Writing songs has saved my life,” details Goudie, and it’s evident on each of the vibrant tracks of El Payaso. “It’s what I do to feel better. I don’t just do them for chicks anymore.”
About
From rock and roll front man and band leader to guitar/keyboard playing sideman, for which he won “best keyboard player” in the 2004 Austin chronicle music awards for his work with indie rock band Endochine, to studio musician playing on such albums as Eliza Gilkyson’s Lost and Found and Jeff Klein’s Everybody Loves a Winner, to songwriter’s songwriter, writing with the likes of Jane Wiedlin & Charlotte Caffey of the Go-Go’s and the ever-celebrated Patty Griffin to name a few, Johnny Goudie has earned and maintained the title musician’s musician.
As former front man/leader of the band Goudie, he gained national attention when the band was signed to Lars Ulrich’s Elektra records subsidiary, The Music Company, after the band was together a mere 9 months. The band released one album on the vanity label, the critically acclaimed, Peep Show (2000). The album was produced by Goudie, Mike McCarthy (spoon, … and You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead) and Dan Maccarrol (The Grays, Aimee Mann) and mixed by Jack Joseph Puig (No Doubt, John Mayer, Remy Zero). The band spent over a year on tour of America in support of the album. Lost in the shuffle after the AOL merger and dissatisfied with his “100% creative freedom” deal Johnny decided to take his band and leave the multinational conglomerate label and join forces with some friends in a cooperative independent label out of Austin called India Records. After a celebrated second album, effects of madness (2002) and another year on the road, Johnny decided to disband the group that bore his name.
After his time in Goudie, Johnny returned to his biggest passion, sitting in his home studio writing and recording songs, something he’s done since he was 16 years old. During his time in the studio Johnny continued to perform as a sideman in several different bands including: God Drives a Galaxy, Lowery 66, and finally joining Endochine after the release of their critically acclaimed album “Day Two.” It was while he was on tour with Endochine, and as he was going through the break-up of his marriage, that Johnny wrote and recorded the songs for Boy in a Box. The record showcases Johnny’s masterful songwriting abilities, his unique and beautiful voice and his versatility as a musician. Goudie plays all of the instruments on almost every song. It is Johnny's best and most personal album to date.
The 12 songs on Boy in a Box reflect Johnny's coming of age. From the instant rock and roll classic that opens the album, "Sex Machine", to the New York Dolls swagger and attitude of "Back of a Magazine”, in which Goudie warns of the perils of rock stardom “they’ve got some pictures with all your clothes off/ and all the cocaine, it ate your nose off”. The ode to loss and self-deprecation "Old Enough" where he confesses “of everyone that you evaded, you’re the only one you hated”. "Leave it Alone", with its sad trumpets playing over a funeral drum waltz as he sings “baby, you just don’t treat me right/lately when everything is going good for you”. The deceptively sensitive shoe gazer anthem, "Stay" where he flippantly yet sweetly explains, “I never got to fuck her, but I kissed her on the cheek”. It is safe to say that listening to this album makes you feel like you’re reading a fascinating novel accompanied by a warm sing a long soundtrack.
As strong as Johnny’s writing and recording abilities are, those are only part of the package. He is also one of the most captivating and compelling front men around. His presence on stage is larger than life. “You can’t take your eyes off of him.” was how he was described in Billboard magazine. With a voice that can go from falsetto whisper to blood-curdling scream in two notes and he can go from Robin Zander-like stoicism to Who-like thrashing of his guitar in a matter of seconds. At his solo shows, his sense of humor and love for story telling shine as much as his gorgeous voice and “tell-all” lyrics. Keeping the audience captivated and silently waiting for the next outrageous thing to come out of his mouth either in song or candid conversation. Johnny Goudie is the consummate performer.
Boy In A Box will hit the streets on May 17th, as the first release on the new label, F+M Records. Look for Johnny on tour solo and with his band until the end of time starting in May 2005.
"Boy in a Box" is johnny goudie's first album as a solo artist, and it's an excellent introduction to this gifted singer/songwriter. Goudie has an impecable ear for melody and instrumentation. Goudie is an acerbic wit whose lyrics simultaneously reflect a devilish sense of humor and a genuine emotional core.”
- Jack Frink The Austin Student
“Johnny Goudie is a man who has dedicated himself to being absolutely true to his heart. Johnny’s signature style - a bright blend of his 70's roots and modern technology while still managing a pure, raw, stripped-down sound - works absolute magic. He possesses this inexplicable perfection that, if given the chance, could break down the most adamant music industry know-it-all and make them stand up and take notice. His voice begs the question of who will be the first in line to break the mold, to stop all the generic nonsense and find your own path.” - Lesa May
JOHNNY GOUDIE, Boy in a Box (F+M): Back on his own after a spell in Endochine, Goudie returns to the glossy, atmospheric rock of his Elektra days. By turns delicate, sarcastic, and infectious, Box displays Goudie's melodic talents in full bloom. -christopher gray - the austin chronicle
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