Johann Leaves the Past in the Feedback on New EP, ‘Allowed To Change’

Change can be liberating, but it rarely happens without leaving something behind. Toronto singer-songwriter Johann confronts that uncomfortable reality on Allowed To Change, an upcoming EP that trades the softer edges of his earlier work for distortion, urgency, and a noticeably sharper point of view.

The Filipino-Canadian artist has previously moved between alternative rock, acoustic songwriting, and bedroom pop, pairing airy vocals with introspective stories of love and heartbreak. His 2024 self-released album, Surrendering Sunday, captured that side of his writing, but Allowed To Change leans into the heavier influences that have long existed beneath his music.

Drawing from emo, post-hardcore, and shoegaze, Johann commits to driven guitar riffs, hard-hitting drums, and the tension between atmosphere and abrasion. Touchstones like Deftones, Beach House, and Foo Fighters remain recognizable. Still, the EP feels less interested in recreating influences than in using them to uncover a more forceful version of Johann’s own sound.

The lyrical shift is equally significant. Romantic heartbreak takes a back seat as Johann examines another kind of loss: realizing certain people can no longer follow you into the person you're becoming.

“DVP (Falling Apart)” complicates that perspective by turning the criticism inward, with Johann acknowledging his own mistakes and past behavior. Elsewhere, however, he is less forgiving, confronting the projections, actions, and strained relationships that made leaving certain connections behind feel necessary.

Despite its resentment, Allowed To Change was built with movement in mind. Johann wrote and composed the material imagining how it would translate to the stage, giving its heavier arrangements an immediate, physical energy.

The title ultimately says everything. Allowed To Change isn't asking permission to evolve. It recognizes that growth can require uncomfortable exits, honest accountability, and occasionally turning the guitars all the way up.

The title Allowed To Change feels almost like a declaration. Was there a point when you realized you needed to give yourself permission to become someone different, both personally and creatively?

"Allowed To Change" is definitely a declaration of sorts. But I wouldn't say there was a specific point when I realized I needed to permit myself to become someone different, both personally and creatively. Rather, after releasing my songs "EASY" and "UNEASY" last year, I naturally began writing songs similar to those, leaning more into that "alternative rock" sound—a genre and scene I've been invested in since I was 7 or 8 years old. So no, there wasn't an isolated "aha" moment where I decided to change sonically. But instead, a gradual unearthing of the kid in me. A kid who fell in love with bands like Foo Fighters, Green Day, and Paramore by playing Guitar Hero.

Your earlier material leaned toward acoustic and bedroom-pop textures. What gave you the confidence to fully embrace the emo, post-hardcore, and shoegaze influences on this EP?

I've always been an emo kid. While Foo Fighters, Green Day, and Paramore were my gateway "rock" bands, my favorite post-hardcore and "heavier" emo bands throughout high school were Billy Talent, Pierce the Veil, Saosin, and Thrice. Shoegaze was also a genre that floated in my orbit during those years. Still, I didn't start "falling in love" with it until my late teens, especially with bands like My Bloody Valentine, Softcult, and, of course, Deftones, who are my favourite band of all time.

With that, you can say that I've always had the itch to write and perform songs with overdriven guitars, fast drum parts, and expressive vocals—all of which cater to the alternative/emo sound. The acoustic and bedroom-pop textures of my first couple of projects were, really, out of necessity, since most of that material was written and recorded during the pandemic. I only had access to my acoustic guitar, audio interface, and the stock drum samples in Logic at that time.

Now, being lucky enough to have access to a studio, a full drum kit, and real guitar amps has made the transition into emo, post-hardcore, and shoegaze more seamless, which, I guess you could say, has given me the confidence to fully embody the "emo-ness" of it all, haha.

Much of the record points outward at people from your past, while “DVP (Falling Apart)” forces you to confront your own mistakes. Why was it important to include that moment of accountability?

With anything, it's important to hold oneself accountable before ever pointing the finger at someone else. That's why a song like DVP is important. It highlights my flaws and wrongdoings, and how, despite my best efforts, I still end up falling apart. Ironically, DVP was the last song I wrote for this EP. I guess after writing a bunch of songs that paint others in a negative light, I subconsciously needed to paint myself in the same negative light to validate those outward feelings.

You wrote these songs specifically for live performance. How did imagining a crowd and a stage change the decisions you made while writing and arranging them?

The influence of live performances on this EP came from loving the bands I love and how energetic and full of life their performances are. Being an avid concert-goer, especially for alternative, emo, hardcore, and metal bands, I can't help but be inspired by crowds that jump around and mosh. Do I anticipate the songs on this EP to conjure that type of energy? I mean, hopefully. The setlist we're currently working on is quite varied, intended to strike the perfect balance between singalongs and mosh-inducing songs. As long as you're having a good time, that's all that really matters.

There’s a complicated reality to outgrowing people who once mattered to you. Did making Allowed To Change change how you view any of those relationships, or did it reinforce why you needed to leave them behind?

This is a great question! I guess a bit of both? Two truths can exist simultaneously. You have to acknowledge and empathize with people who once meant a lot to you. With that said, nothing is more important than personal growth. "Allowed To Change" enabled me to reflect on nearly all of my relationships, primarily those with people who are no longer in my life. People are going to enter, exit, and re-enter your life, I think.

Becoming the person you're meant to be often leaves certain relationships behind, and that's totally ok. I don't harbor any ill feelings towards anyone from my past. I suppose everyone is just going through the same growing pains at the same time. It's difficult, of course, but it's necessary. Writing an assortment of songs about it does make it easier, though!