This Seattle’s Johnny Nails is a lifer, a shredder, a studio rat, and a road warrior whose fingerprints are all over the city’s rock, jazz, and underground scenes.
On Savor The Blood, his new LP out August 20th via Killroom Records, Nails distills a career of chops, chaos, and pure studio instinct into a record that’s equal parts fever dream and love letter to the craft. Tracked mid-pandemic with a no-fuss, first-take energy, it’s a wild ride of psych-shred workouts, gut-punch riffs, and personal vignettes, all delivered with the swagger of a player who knows when to let it rip and when to let it bleed.
You can hear that raw spark on Savor The Blood, especially on tracks like “Taking Tea with Crowley,” where the band locked in on take one and never looked back. The album is personal. The opening track samples his daughters’ heartbeats. “Ascensión” pays tribute to his Mexican roots, reworking a family folk song into his first track in Spanish. “Murder” was written in the aftermath of George Floyd’s killing.
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Even the lighter moments have teeth: “Blood Rats” is a punky ode to a tampon-thieving dog, while “Scam Likely” was born when engineer Matt Bayles’ phone rang mid-take with that now-famous caller ID. Nails is backed by a powerhouse lineup of Andy King (drums), Aldo Galatioto (guitars), Mike Sparks (bass), and Billy Stover (keys), with Matt Bayles engineering and mixing and mastering by Ed Brooks.
The LP also features album art by Radjaw and photography by Monique Robert, rounding out a true family affair for your collection. Vinyl is now shipping, and Nails and his live band are primed to bring the record to life on stage; you can catch them at The Sunset Tavern on August 30th. Whether Nails takes the stage at a small club or a festival, you can expect an unforgettable experience.
What first got you into music?
My dad is a musician. He plays guitar and I love him so I wanted to be like him and play guitar. I used to play a little yellow plastic Guitar! on stage with him with his van when I was like three years old. There was a lot of music in the house grown-up. Pretty classic answer right there, but it’s true. My dad definitely was the catalyst, but my mom and my sister, both heavily influenced my music tastes. I think once I started playing guitar at a very early age making noise inspired me. I don’t think it was a specific One person. The music inspires me.
How would you describe the music that you typically create?
I’ve done a lot of genres. Growing up playing jazz, hip-hop, and rock. This record is a rock record. I fucking love rock music. It’s in my blood as a Seattle-born growing up in the 90’s kid. Throw some scatterbrained ADHD, a pinch of an occasional gorgeous moment, and a lot of healing anxieties pouring out into the music. I guess there is no typical but for my own solo stuff, I definitely lean into the rock and roll.
What’s the best show you’ve ever played?
New Year’s Eve Times Square ball drop 2009 for the Fox special. Lol. Kind of the most mega show, and I am really lucky to have done that with my friends in Audio Day Dream. There were like 200,000 in the streets, and then however many viewers of the ball drop on Fox that night. Totally wild. I’ll never forget it, but it was like a dream. There are some stories from that night! It ended with smoking weed with a DEA officer. I am not a big weed smoker, and I had to go back to the hotel at like 1 am because I was just too high! I have not smoked weed in public since. Makes me uncomfortable. That shits for couches and ice cream.
What’s the worst show you’ve ever played?
Oh, fuck. A pre-burning man party in Oakland, where they imported 70 tons of sand into this weird industrial block some tech guy bought for the party. It was completely unorganized and not my scene. Loading in at 2 PM, playing at 8 PM, but like many shows, we didn’t go on stage until later, like midnight! Finally, on stage with this incredible band I am with, Thomas Pridgen (Mars Volta), Roger Manning (Beck, Jellyfish), and halfway through the first song, someone pulled the cable out of my guitar and I was already pretty grumpy, so I was pissed… And I turned around to just scream at whoever was on the stage, and it was the fire marshal, shutting the show down. She had to announce that they were shutting the show down. Too many people and not enough exits. What a waste of time and those guys I was with are some of the best in the world! I am still healing from the 10 hours of bass drops.
Is there a city or venue that holds special significance to you, and can you share a memorable experience from there?
Montreux Switzerland. I’ve been out for a little bit at this point and probably a little homesick, and being there realized how much it kinda looked like Seattle and it comforted me. It was the jazz festival there. Headliners were David Bowie, Herbie Hancock, and George Clinton. George introduced himself as “Rick”?! I dunno why. Bowie watched from the side stage, and I wanted to curl up and die, but then saw how he was enjoying himself and kept it rolling. What a magical feeling. Herbie Hancock had a funny quirk I will refrain from mentioning here. I’ve only been that one time, but can’t wait to go back. It was so beautiful and relaxing there.
What’s the funniest thing that’s ever happened at one of your shows?
I shit my pants on live national television, one time. It wasn’t funny then, but it’s really funny now. The YouTube still exists out there… we were in New York, and it had been a very long night.
How do you handle the pressures of performance, and have your strategies evolved over time?
Oh man, have my strategies evolved. I’ve been on stage my whole life, but I still get what I call the caged tiger backstage. I start pacing and getting really amped up and then I get really tired. It’s a wacky roller coaster the hour leading up to a show. I used to have some drinks before going on because I felt it calm the nerves. Or it just made me numb. I stopped drinking, and for some magical reason, I feel a lot calmer about things before shows. Weird right?! Now I just throw on some Madonna borderline and do a little dancing while I warm up on my guitar, and then I’m good to go.
If you could go open a show for any artist, who would it be?
Queen. This is the time travel magazine, right? Can you make that happen? Thank you so much!
What is one message you would give to your fans?
Nothing is more inspiring than being yourself. I love you and keep going.
What would you be doing right now if it weren’t for your music career?
Probably still bagging groceries in Van Nuys, CA. That was my first job when I moved to LA for a bit in 2005. I actually got fired from it after only a handful of months because I was more than 5 minutes late 3 times. haha! Fortunately, it was the perfect amount of time to find my LA crew and get to work in studios.
What led you to become a music artist, and what advice can you give to others aspiring to make a hit?
I didn’t just set out to be a music artist. I’m just a creative human being, an artist to begin with. I practiced my craft every day. But I’m also an unofficial historian of music, like most musicians! I’ve listened to tons of music of all kinds and pull inspiration from them. Hit songs? I’ve been involved with a few “hits” but what makes music awesome is when you make it for yourself in a genuine form if you wanna make hit records, start a TikTok account and write children’s music. That’s not a joke.
If you could change anything about the industry, what would it be?
I’d probably remove the words industry and business from it.
Who are your top two favorite artists of all time? What draws you to these artists?
Scott Walker. He left his successful boy band to pursue true art. His handful of solar records from the 60-70s are absolutely God like. His later records are completely unhinged and free. And kind of scary, honestly. It’s real power in there.
David Bowie. I am constantly pulling inspiration from not only as Music but also his way of life. He seemed like such a caring human being. And he never took anything too seriously, but his music was so genuine. He pushed himself creatively, I admire that. I don’t even like all of his records, but I love that he did them. Life on Mars is a perfect song.
What are your musical plans for the next 12 months or so?
September through December 2025 I have five records to work on for other people. That’s really exciting. I love working on other people’s stuff as an Engineer, producer, and mixer guy. Probably gonna get the band working on new stuff in late December post post-holidays, and into January. I don’t put too much pressure on planning.
Do you have any other plans relating to this release? A video? Online Shows?
We’ve made a couple of videos for this record. Over the years I’ve made a lot! My friend Adam McKinnon from Barsuk Records helped me make one for “Blood Rats”. We used The Moore Theater in Seattle, Wa, and his house to make an insane little montage of rock. I also spent a few days while I was recovering from a surgery, making this crazy guided dream tour of insanity using some AI generations for “Taking Tea with Mr Crowley”. I know, I know, AI, but I had a really inspiring time trying to make each moment crazier than the next using prompts and photos of myself being altered in the video.
What can we expect from you within the next 6 months? Any releases planned? Future gigs?
I’m in another project called AROE. It’s mighty ambitious and beautiful. That will come out after this record later this year or early next. Johnny Nails (the band) will need a moment to gather ourselves for more.
What is your current music project about?
Always the things I see around me or experience in life. It’s all very personal, wrapped in a very thick blanket of metaphor or code words.
What has been the most challenging aspect of your current releases?
Letting go. It’s scary to release music.
Stream Savor The Blood here: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/johnnynails/savor-the-blood
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