Calvin Johnson Talks K Records and Appropriate Technology - Soft Focus - Episode 8

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Ian talks with Calvin Johnson about E.F.Schumacher, Charlie Brown, and where he got all those sweaters.
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[@mfpendle]

Don't get the criticism. These are GIANTS of independent music, both of them.

[@chernobylcoleslaw6698]

An indie-rock 'Between Two Ferns'.

[@totalpartykill999]

not even close.

[@bl4841]

this interview is so pure and really describes how i feel about indie rock as well. "we're just doing our thing". I love the presence of it

[@mikesilva5085]

I love Calvin's voice- I don't get it when people say he can't sing...his voice is the best thing about Beat Happening...it totally frames the music 🎤

[@jukujuku6153]

Definitely. When I listen to this in the truck bringing my friends home after work, they usually point out his voice first. I got into K through the documentary, but I originally heard of tiger trap far before through the Stars Kill Rock compilation. That’s also where I discovered versus. ❤️💙

[@user-dx1jb4zq9e]

100%

[@Prettypekingese]

Calvin is a great kind. He is gentle, knowledgeable, professional. He addresses allot with indie artists. What I gather from this interview with Calvin, is keep true to your passion in music, do not make your goal solely for or major label success, preform, create music from your heart. He also discussed his admiration for punk rock.

[@PL-wg8co]

One time Calvin Johnson stopped in the middle of his song and alienated me for not dancing. It really sucked, I was enjoying the show I just didn't feel like dancing. I left embarrassed and angry.

[@Mario-vt2dy]

hahaha

[@curebdc]

That's awesome.

[@user-dx1jb4zq9e]

lol

[@craigharrison1274]

Don’t worry buddy. One time I was at a show at the northern and I ran up to him while he was standing against the wall quietly talking with his friends visibly in a down mood and I told him the people needed him to dance and I could tell he didn’t feel too great about that. I meant it in good will but I can still see it wasn’t fun for him. Oh well. Ian played a show there once and as soon as his band’s set was over he got everyone dancing high energy while djing. I’m most impressed with Ian right now from that generation of rock and rollers. His instagram is awesome.

[@kelechi_77]

Alan Vega used to do that too, why weren't you dancing bro, deserved it, hell now you got an awesome story to tell, get your dancing shoes next time

[@farfisa5]

Got to meet and semi-know Calvin Johnson from my few years living in Oly. He's an incredibly nice person and very approachable. I remember asking him about some vintage mixer he was using at a show in Portland and he was more than happy to spend a few minutes talking about it and explaining everything. Nice guy all around.

[@ifyoureinmarketing-killyou3111]

i discovered this guy and beat happening from This band could be your life

[@stewartchampion4260]

thats a great book ,my fav was mission of burma ,pre internet it took me a while to track them down ,but it was worth it ,i had heard beat happening before that ,but what a great read ,the butthole surfers chapter was great ,great book

[@noesunyoutuber7680]

I learned about K Records and Beat Happening from Our Band Could Be Your Life, where there are no photographs. I did not expect Calvin Johnson to look so... not nerdy.

[@user-dx1jb4zq9e]

I read that book. There are actually like two pictures of him in it, if I remember right.

[@TeperzRae]

Being raised in Olympia, listening to local artists from the 70's - the present day I appreciate this genre of music. I've been observing in the K Records' studio myself and as a 19yr old getting this opportunity does not come around that often. Calvin is such a nice person and the way the artists @ K make music is unlike a lot of other record labels. They have stuck to the roots and how they first started recording albums. I'm not an obsessed fan but they are all an inspiration to me! :)

[@kelechi_77]

That statement he made about K records documenting artists around town that were interesting but couldn't really release stuff is fun because Frank Zappa had done that exact same thing in the late '60s with his indie label Bizarre records where he put out Wild Man Fischer and the GTO's and most notably Captain Beefheart's Trout Mask Replica because no other label would ever dare to put out their music, he had no profit incentive in mind and was purely documenting.

[@drinkdrownsoda]

Calvin is so interesting. I could listen to him all day

[@taylorj6177]

he is my uncle. I am very blessed as I HAVE listened to him (in person) many times :) He's just as fun in person haha. Took me to my first punk show - was rather terrifying lol I was like 9 years old. There was a dude barfing his brains out in the (single) toilet lmao!!

[@jesussavedme3in1]

Yes, thank you Calvin for getting some of my music out there!!!!! (hand over heart) deep thanks ;) I'm Britt's (sister of Dale) pal Kirsten

[@mattsc13]

12:22 is magical

[@stephenkane2464]

Hell yeah this is beautiful

[@ozelljohnson8932]

Don't see him as pretentious at all. Was very influenced by him and what the label has acheive over the years... I discover tons of great bands from this, and i am not from Olympia at all... We as music fans or whatever should appreciate the fact these labels still exist and can be shared with younger folks or adventurous types out there. This is my opinion only and not to be seen as a diss if some1 doesn't see it the way i do

[@glueball9511]

love how calvin whips out a larabar lol 'im listening'

[@eduardodiazvalerio]

great great interview

[@econogate]

Yes I completely thought of it as he does with reference to EF Schumacher, but an even better thing was that Leopold Kohr explained many years before him as well.

[@tommyconancoates7097]

It's funny how he referenced Decline of western civilization 2 and the bands in it saying how they would make it big and then the comparison to Decline OWC 1 and how they were just all punks who would never make it big but ironically almost everyone from part 1 is now famous and the majority of the bands in part 2 never went anywhere at all or even make music anymore. Funny how life turns out.

[@sydbarrett5]

If you're in it for the right reasons you will keep at it your whole life or at least as long as it's still fun.

[@Jeremy-cn1xk]

more soft focus please!

[@usernamebada42]

He reminds me of my best friend's dad

[@cameronstein905]

Look at the way he looks around and doesn’t make much eye contact when being asked questions, I would be more surprised if Calvin didn’t have autism and this is coming from someone who’s on the spectrum

[@astatler2685]

I also have ASD and have been wondering this too.. I know it shouldn’t be speculated, and there’s the right of privacy, and what does it matter if he is , etc. But after watching videos of him, whether that be in interviews or performing, I feel I relate to his socializations and physicality when interacting with others. So I’m glad someone else had a similar thought

[@kelechi_77]

@@astatler2685 Many artists he was influenced by did the same thing, Syd Barrett, Dan Treacy, Jonathan Richman, it is just him being himself, a lot of those in "anorak pop" and "twee" communities were similar, anti-social, not everything has to be an autism diagnosis, it becomes counterintuitive.

[@fugamantew]

It baffles me how these Soft Focus interviews weren’t better appreciated

[@kellymoon3406]

These guys both did a DJ set in my small hometown in TN in a cornfield; I think I pissed Calvin off for requesting songs he didn't have, like Karp and stuff...and Ian was dancing like a maniac by himself...I was awestruck.

[@austinisfullpleasedontmove653]

Good stuff.

[@TheSheemed]

cobain had a k records tattoo on his arm

[@madonnasponytail]

"Sitting is not punk rock." - Calvin Johnson

[@diskochimp]

Wow, some of the inane comments below suggest that today's "hipsters" (whatever....) actually don't have a clue about independent music, just a enormous sense of entitlement. There's nowhere near enough Calvin chat online, thanks for this. :)

[@usernamebada42]

That is completely incorrect. After Nirvana was signed to Geffen, he still spoke about wanting to sign to K frequently.

[@jeansebastienaudet]

i cant believe people think calvin johnson is pretentious, hes so honest looking and cute. and fucking cool

[@bluestate69]

so true, and i just subscribed to your channel BECAUSE you said this!

[@stewartchampion4260]

cos ya a girl ,simple as

[@taylorj6177]

Calvin Johnson is my Uncle and I have known him my entire 37 years of life. He is the most amazing and awesome person. He is incredibly thoughtful and caring. Even though he is obv a very busy guy and even more so years ago , he Always found the time to send us kids (his sister's children; my siblings, his nephews and niece) presents at xmas. For example, one of the best gifts ever that I got was a RAT distortion pedal from Calvin, it must have been around 1997. I think he was in Japan or somewhere overseas, too. Point is: he's a great guy. Yes he's kind of "aloof" and can appear rather "bizarre" at times (even with me, his own family), but he's either just being "silly" or, and this is a bit more serious, he actually got into a really bad car accident a while ago, must have been the early 2000s I belivee it was, but, he suffered a head injury which caused him to have a bit of a personality shift. I \t was much more pronounced sooner after the crash \, and has improved greatly over the years, but, there are unfortunately some lingering effects. (Also, he's a musical genius, so, perhaps a LITTLE "pretension" is understandable? Not that I'm biased or anything... ;)

[@tommyconancoates7097]

Did Ian play that sadistic prince guy in Game of Thrones??? The one that cut that other prince guy's prick off???

[@looshkin66]

???people just fucking hate on Calvin. If you can come up with a better pop band than the halo benders then i will happily call you a liar. Beat happening? Dub Narcotic? Go ahead and ask a real band a list of influences and or icons and atleast ONE of Calvin's bands would be on the top of the list! K didnt just record and then quit, It brought all his friends in and then THEY all made records as well. K is an amazing contribution to 20th century music and an amazing catalog of influential bands.

[@tommyconancoates7097]

Candy bar seemed to be a prop of some sort.

[@GoldenNuggetRec]

candy bar steals the show! protien bar or whatever it is lol

[@painsettomusic]

Key Lime Pie Lärabar

[@fakeis751]

heheheh 06:40 "thanks"

[@eliasmartinez4260]

Ads all of a sudden. It's hard out here.

[@123jlp]

@3:57

[@567dirt8910]

Calvin talks with a really strange cadence. As if there are periods and question marks dropped randomly in between words. Of course, he is a pretty weird guy altogether, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

[@tylarjackson7928]

I think he might be a bit on the spectrum.

[@kelechi_77]

It's called uptalk, every person online nowadays does it, seems like he was a pioneer

[@DmitriDreamEstates]

GO LIONS!

[@majorThreatNOW]

awh, what happend to the intro? the host is the only reason i watch these....

[@NickRaffaeleChannel]

He's just the fucking man!

[@allenschmitz9644]

1986 Calvin ruled.

[@neal1692]

why do people hate calvin i don't get it, somebody explain

[@kelechi_77]

I heard he stopped paying artists proper royalties idk and people just dislike his singing in Beat Happening, but I love him

[@startervisions]

16:17 oh...so this is where Kurt got it from

[@Doug_Diego_Cazadores_Cassidy]

This is absolutely the LEAST pretentious I've ever seen Calvin. I've seen Beat Happening tons and tons of times, loved them! Met/been around him a few times, hated him. Great interview.

[@newdamage5945]

Yes I was shocked by this interview.

[@ModernPlague]

What made you hate him?

[@Doug_Diego_Cazadores_Cassidy]

@@ModernPlague typed out, hate seems like a stronger word than I really mean. He's a dick, though.

[@ModernPlague]

@Doug Cassidy - As in not friendly, or just super pretentious? I guess he'd have to have a strange amount of self-confidence to do this stuff for decades without really improving as a very amateur "musician." I mean, I like a few Beat Happening songs, but it's striking to hear him describe popular bands as "the enemy" in interviews---it's fine if he doesn't enjoy a band like Rush, but to talk about them as "the enemy" just makes it sound as if the thought of musicians who are actually proficient players makes him feel uncomfortable and lacking by comparison.

[@ghostsax]

Ian is on K Recs himself...

[@econogate]

The only thing i don't like maybe when Calvin sounds like a talking head and says "well that's a good question", my first thought was no, it maybe just a question, right, why the need to reflect on the quality of the interview?

[@taylorj6177]

He's just being funny/ silly.

[@ThisIsNotHappyDays]

Yeah, but he didn't have it there because of Calvin, he had it there because of the girl he wrote Smells Like Teen Spirit about =)

[@adamblister6005]

what the hell is ian drinking? always seems to be drinking some weird colored liquids in these interviews lol

[@465marko]

@@rockkevinrock yep, i too only drink and eat food that works on multiple levels. If its not vegan and metaphorical, i wont touch it (gross!)

[@JCHaywire]

Weird, brilliant, Calvinism.

[@MrHobocopter]

I love Ian, but the green suit is a little..... inappropriate, hahaha.

[@spacedistheplace]

Just gotta say in regards to the argument below: it is not an opinion that artistic expression and musicianship are two separate things, although they do overlap. Many noise artists have no formal training on a musical instrument and have no understanding of music theory. That makes what they do valid artistic expression, but there is no musicianship there. I'm pretty sure that's not an opinion... You would gawk at the musicianship of, say, Deerhoof, not Merzbow.

[@knarrtrey6677]

That green suit is FAH-RESH!!!!

[@me25422]

My sister lived In Olympia back in the day and said Calvin hit on her. Maybe she was lying though.

[@tommyconancoates7097]

Probably true, he's a pussy plougher

[@noneofyourbusiness4616]

He did release an album called "You Turn Me On." Maybe it was about your sister.

[@craigharrison1274]

I always hear rumors like this about Calvin but every time I've seen him in real life he's been a total gentleman.

[@taylorj6177]

Oh I don't doubt it lol. Cal is my uncle and yes, he is quite the ladies man (though he's had a serious gf for many years now). He is a total stud though so you can't really blame him. (runs in the family ;)

[@willwatson1283]

He likes young girls

[@NationalistRussian]

Do you even know who these guys are, or what they've contributed to "independent music"?

[@arabhorseband]

What, he's the Candyman now too? lol Get yr own black candy, dude! Git yr hands off my Nickers bar! Who put that peanut butter in my chocolate, man? Kidding, but jeez - it's not his job to feed people, but I imagine he's the type that wouldn't hesitate to offer a candy bar jf he had one to spare for a guy that asked or was actually hungry.- though ya might think twice if you listened to some of the darker BH songs...

[@kelechi_77]

He used to throw candy at the crowd during Beat Happening shows

[@hansdado]

calvin should just dj

[@startervisions]

...dude

[@sncrch]

Calvin is God.

[@hansdado]

hope he likes lil b

[@startervisions]

lol...yes

[@hansdado]

@@startervisions lol

[@peteagassi]

Not really.

[@looshkin66]

then go listen to the halo benders......seriously.

[@thesunkenearth]

no hes not. get with the program.

[@SuperDeb889]

Cobain himself thought Calvin was an arrogant tool, it's pretty well documented. I can come up with hundreds of bands better then anything Calvin has personally ever touched. There were some good artists on K, and Calvin provided a good outlet, but musically? No comment.

[@noneofyourbusiness4616]

Some people think that Cobain was an destructive drug addict, it's pretty well documented. I can come up with hundreds of bands in which the lead signer didn't abandon his young child by offing himself. There were some good songs they released and Kurt provided a good fashion sense, but as a human being? No comment.

[@taylorj6177]

Ha! You must have shite for "musical "taste.." CJ is a brilliant songwriter... The Halo Benders *God Don't Make No Junk*; Calvin Johnson (solo) *Before the Dream Faded*... Dude is a badass.

[@myessyallyahamericus8405]

Right to die equals sin duh really check

[@johnnyguitar7921]

he just ripped of the flying nun records bands,,, but im ok with that,, he is very eloquent and all,,

[@noneofyourbusiness4616]

I guess he doesn't actually run a record label that gave an audience to dozens of other bands, he just ripped off someone else.

[@johnnyguitar7921]

@@noneofyourbusiness4616 nah, he is not just a rip offf,,, name one band that matters on the K record label, outside The Microphones/Phil ELvrum..... in fact id like to know cool bands from K but what ive heard hasnt "cautivated" me,,, i dont know what state of mind i was when i wrote that,,, it comes as im dissing the guy,,,

[@noneofyourbusiness4616]

@@johnnyguitar7921 Taste is pretty subjective. Here is a Danish band's cover of a Calvin Johnson song; maybe with less rough musicianship it would appeal to you more: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o5LIoWVphpaMic0

[@taylorj6177]

@@johnnyguitar7921 Uhh... Sure! KARP; Fitz of Depression; Halo Benders; Calvin's solo work (e.g., "When Hearts Turn Blue").. these come to mind immediately..

[@SuperBluebop]

2nd comment

[@JeffreySmith84]

Is there anything more PNW than a guy being completely unable to sit through a 20 minute interview without scowling and performatively eating a granola bar as loudly as possible?

[@taylorj6177]

wtf are you talking about wacko

[@kelechi_77]

I mean you tune in to a punk interview, what did you expect? A bunch of professional bureaucrats? lol

[@Mario-vt2dy]

guy in the cheap green suit is not smart

[@havenet]

Yah, the hipster channel. 💤

[@user-dx1jb4zq9e]

It's 7 years later. How has being the guy who perpetually whines about hipsters worked out for you in life?

[@catherinefranklin9128]

Calvin is pretentious and has no charisma at all! It was him and the phoney feminist, Tobi Vail, who were jealous of Kurt Cobain's new raw and rare talent back in the day!