Following in the footsteps of such journalistic luminaries as Mike Wallace, Barbara Walters and Ed Bradley, The Dartmouth's Mark Sweeney catches up with the big names on campus and asks the questions that others have too much professionalism or integrity to ask. Today, Sweeney sits down with a rising star in the music industry, John Lawrence '03.
The Dartmouth: For those people who have not yet discovered the musical phenomenon that is the Johnny Lawrence Uno, could you introduce yourself?
John Lawrence: Hello. I am Johnny Lawrence, the sole member of the Johnny Lawrence Uno. You know how some bands are duos or trios? There's only one of us. We're an uno.
When I came to Dartmouth, I tried to start bands, but nothing really worked out. One had some potential, but it fizzled for whatever reasons. So I decided, "Screw it. I'll do it myself. As an Uno."
Before long, I was playing at the Lone Pine Tavern, singing songs about food. For money.
The D: Besides leading your own one-man act, you have also spent time in an up-and-coming, Portland-based group called the Hunger Artists. What, if anything, is standing in the way of the Hunger Artists becoming the new Talking Heads?
JL: Whatever we do now will have repercussions throughout the band's career, so we're all a little nervous. We independently pres-sed an album last year that did alright, locally. Now we're halfway done recording our next album, and we're in the process of negotiating a deal, but we don't want to sign something and then get stuck in a bad situation. We're also not sure what label we really want to be on. I guess the Hun-ger Artists are scared of committment.
And then there's the whole college situation. For the past few years, we've had to constrain all our recording and shows to our breaks from school.
The D: A unique part of your music is the intelligence and wit infused in your lyrics. For example, in the Hunger Artists' seminal tune "Party With Gasoline," there is the thought-provoking line, "to power the machine, we have to party with gasoline." What do you mean by this?
JL: With "Party with Gasoline," we attempted to write an intentionally stupid dance song about partying. The image we wanted to create is of a really decadent, wild, out-of-control party. So out-of-control, so wild, so decadent, that the partyers are partying with gasoline. They're not drinking it, but they're dancing around and pouring it all over each other. It's on the carpet and the upholstery and the curtains.
As to that line you asked about: What we were trying to convey was that these characters in the song feel compelled to party with gasoline. They have to do it. And then there's the idea that gas can power a lot of things -- cars, lawnmowers, machines. And parties.
The D: In your opinion, what is musical integrity?
JL: The best music always comes from the heart. So the quick answer is that an artist has musical integrity when he or she makes whatever kind of music he or she believes in, regardless of its commerciality. There's more to it than this, though. Musicians with integrity strive for authenticity in their sound.
This can mean different things for different people, but I would say that at the most fundamental level, it means not drowning your sound in effects and going analog as opposed to digital wherever possible. It's alright if a performance has a couple imperfections. They make it human as opposed to sterile.
The D: What are your top five favorite albums of all-time?
JL: Impossible question. There are 12 volumes of "Now That's What I Call Music!"
The D: I've heard that you are a ninja. Is this true?
JL:As a matter of fact, Mark, it is. I studied Tae Kwon Do for several years until I attained the rank of "ninja." When we got our brown belts, we also got black suits and were told that we were all, at that point, ninjas. If you don't believe me, you can call my mom. She still has my ninja certificate somewhere.
The D: Johnny, how are you feeling right now?
JL: I feel ... kind of hungry. Do you have any tacos?
The D: No, I don't. Sorry about that. What would you say is real punk music?
JL: Punk is not characterized by any particular sound. The loud guitars and passionate screaming of the Sex Pistols, Misfits, Black Flag, early Clash and so on was certainly punk. However, so was the relatively light music of Television, Talking Heads and later Clash. The one thing all these bands had in common was that they sought to subvert the dominant musical paradigm. They had a common ethos of independence, originality and subversion. More than anything, punk is an ethos. This is why Good Charlotte, Sum-41, Blink-182, etc. are not punk.
The D: When you are on stage performing in front of an adoring audience, what is going through your mind?
JL: Any of a few things: "Hey, they like this stuff. Neat!" or "I wonder if she's single. And lonely," or "I hope I don't forget the words to this song."
The D: What does the future hold for the Johnny Lawrence Uno?
JL: We're probably breaking up in the near future. It's been really great playing in the Uno, but I'm going to concentrate all my musical energy on the Hunger Artists after graduation.
