Daryl Johns

Los Angeles-based bassist and songwriter Daryl Johns announces his self-titled debut album, Daryl Johns, out November 22nd via Mac’s Record Label, along with a video for its lead single, “I’m So Serious.” Johns writes euphoric pop music “of a certain Irish quality.” His earnestly hopeful TV show theme music, bent over the knee of New Jersey “diner rock”—his “pop for victory”—his “champion pop,” his “sped up pop”—sometimes his sunny “bubblegum country” or his coke-eyes “motivational jazz fusion”—all find their home on the artist’s debut. The record presents these musical landing points in a cohesive 14-track collection: sugar-powered anthems for the everyman.

On “I’m So Serious,” we are at the high school social.  We are hopeful in a New Jersey basement with burger and milkshake in 1982. It is summer—but overcast. Daryl Johns is a clarion call for a new style: as Johns says, “I wrote a bunch of this music before I even knew what Americana was. They brought it out of me. Burgers, shakes, fries. They ooze Americana. A love for 60s music. But my music is just TV jingle memories and I don’t avoid the obvious. Every melody a logo, every melody a zinger.”

Since moving westward to join the band of the reigning king of indie rock, Mac Demarco, Johns has found footing in a community of artists that includes 70s soft-rock revival band, Drugdealer, and various new wave jazz musicians such as Pedro Martins and Chris Fishman. Born to jazz musician parents—and with many celebrating Johns previously as the foremost jazz upright bassist of his generation (having created a unique sound so far eluding imitation)—Daryl is known and beloved for his performance and recording work with Pat Metheny, Martins, Vijay Iyer, The Lemon Twigs, Macy Gray, and Immanuel Wilkins to name only a handful. He has steadily built notoriety as a solo artist; and, with this debut, Daryl Johns, Johns offers, “I just made it cuz I like it. I just wanna have fun.” He continues, “Let’s have a good time.”