Welcome to Buzz, Johann! We truly admire the thought and emotion put into your debut 8-track album, Surrendering Sunday. What inspired you to transform this 2022 single into your debut album?
Thank you so much! To this day, Surrendering Sunday is my favorite song that I've put out, and I've always felt it deserved more than just being the fifth track off an EP. That's it, really. I love the song and believe it should have a pack to lead.
It's become this template for how I want my future songs to sound—warm guitars, impactful drums, easy-to-follow in terms of lyrics and song structure, the whole bit. Of course, it's too early for me to determine what my next song or project will sound like, but I know that Surrendering Sunday (and the other songs on this album) will always be a point of inspiration as we go.
What was the most challenging part about creating such a vulnerable and emotional album like Surrendering Sunday? Did you face any personal challenges or difficulties along the way?
It's funny. The most challenging thing about making this album had nothing to do with writing or being in the studio. In all honesty, 2023 wasn't a good year for me overall. My mental health wasn't in a good place, to put it simply—and I guess that's where the emotion and vulnerability came from.
Due to this, recording my vocals and mixing everything after that took much longer than we had anticipated, but that's just life. All that aside, the rest of the recording process (guitars, bass, drums, etc.) was quick and seamless. Things are better now, and I can look back at this experience fondly.
What was your experience collaborating with best friend, co-writer, producer, and engineer Aleks Liskauskas for Surrendering Sunday? What was that behind-the-scenes process like?
Aleks is why the album-making process has been extraordinary and memorable—despite everything going on last year. I recorded all the guitars for my 2022 EP, Becoming Routine, with him at his studio, including Surrendering Sunday.
Even then, I knew I'd be working with him more and was surprised that we hadn't collaborated on anything prior. Not only is Aleks a gifted engineer, producer, vocalist, and writer, but he also has many of the same musical influences and references I do when making music. He's easy and fun to be around, and working with him is no different. I love him and am grateful he's one of my best friends. I'm excited about what we'll work on next!
Aside from "Surrendering Sunday," which song from the album is your favorite, and what makes it so special to you?
It's tough, of course, just because I genuinely love all the songs on the album and fully believe in their roles about one another. But, to answer your question, It Wouldn't Be Sincere is the runner-up here. Like Surrendering Sunday, the writing and completion of it were effortless—I feel my best songs come about this way. It's also fun because of its open D guitar tuning, which is a pretty-sounding tuning that I've never experimented with beforehand.
For me, what makes it special is its overall sentiment. Though I wasn't conscious of it at the time, I wrote It Wouldn't Be Sincere about my ex and how it was my fault for how our relationship ended. The song is simply an apology to her. However, though I'm taking full responsibility for my mistakes here, revisiting any romantic connection with her wouldn't be right. It's the album's most "Coming of Age movie" song, from what everyone tells me.
How do you hope Surrendering Sunday impacts listeners? What do you want them to feel and experience with this album?
Though Surrendering Sunday deals with things like burnout, heartbreak, low self-esteem, mental health, and the lack thereof, I promise you it's a fun listen! That's what most songs and albums are—sad music disguised in energetic melodies, pretty production, and rhythm. This album is the most "me" thing we've worked on and put out. I say that because, sonically, it's a love letter to all the artists and bands I listened to growing up—Billy Talent, Foo Fighters, Incubus, Jeff Buckley, Paramore (I can name so much more). Surrendering Sunday isn't a 90s/00s tribute kind of album, but you can't help but wear your influences on your sleeve and show love to those who shaped you creatively.
Regarding how I want listeners to experience and feel—well, that's totally up to them. It belongs to everyone at the end of the day, and whatever it conjures within someone else is out of my hands. Despite its sorrowful lyrical themes, Surrendering Sunday is a positive/problem-solving album, and I trust that listeners will recognize it as a safe space to vent and to be not ok, which is ok. I'm eternally thankful for everyone who has listened so far, and I'm happy that this album is somewhat of a starting point for hopefully a long musical journey.
Read more on Johann's "Surrendering Sunday" here.