Helmed by vocalist and songwriter Peter Anthony, the new album Mechanical Clouds was inspired by his experience of moving from Washington State to Boston, where he struggled to build a new life in a new city while dealing with crushing loss and freezing winters.
On Mechanical Clouds, he is at his most progressive and dynamic, driven by intensely personal lyrics. Mechanical Clouds is a love letter to the city of Boston and a reflection of a dream falling apart. We recently had a chance to talk to the artist about the new record.
How would you define your approach to songwriting?
I just try to be open to whatever comes. I write almost everyday, whether it’s on a brand-new idea that has seized me or an idea I’ve already had that needs some sculpting. Not all the songs I write become Johnny Stranger songs. Many get slotted into side projects. I turn off my filter. If I write something that aligns with my personal music tastes, then I’m happy to have a new Johnny Stranger song. But if it’s something more acoustic or straight-forward or just doesn’t fit the tone, then I fold it into other projects.
Can you share your experience of rebuilding the band from the scratch?
I grew up loving bands. I would pour over a band’s discography follow the member’s side projects. When I started Johnny Stranger, I had every intention of it being a band… but just because of logistics, I had to work with each musician individually. I was ultimately the executive producer on it. For a variety of reasons, that has proven to be the norm for every Johnny Stranger record.
But there has always been a ‘live band’ version of Johnny Stranger… the comrades who could throw on their instruments and play through a set of Johnny Stranger songs. Back in Washington State, where the band started, we forged a little but mighty trio. We eventually tried to move the band to Boston, but life twisted the path in front of us, and soon enough I was alone in Boston without a band.
The story of how everything went down is pretty convoluted, but the abbreviated version is that I very slowly pulled together a handful of extremely talented Boston musicians. They were gracious with their time and energy, and they were a great hang! The hardest part was finding everyone, one musician at a time. But that slow experience of building a band was essentially to me. It gave me the confidence to know that I can start over, and it made it OK if a person needs to step away from the group. We can always recover.
Having written the majority of the album in 2008, how do you look back at that time now?
I look at that time as absolutely foundational. Songs like “Bones (Bury Me Deeply & Sweetly)” were sort of coded messages to myself to stay strong, even when I felt defeated. “Sail Me Thru a Storm” was about the slog of that lifestyle. “Can’t Change” was about being unable to affect people’s feelings and feeling detached.
Years later, when I started recording it in 2020, I wrote three new songs for the album… and those songs had the benefit of hindsight. I think “January Knives” does the best job of capturing that moment. I didn’t have to keep going… I could have returned back to WA and kept doing what I used to do, but I decided to stay and rebuild. I proved something to myself with that perseverance that has stayed with me ever since.
How does Mechanical Clouds stand out from your other five albums? Do you have a favorite track from the album?
I self-produce every album, so I’m always striving to sonically improve my work. I think Mechanical Clouds was a step up for me. It’s a darker record than some of our previous work. To me, it sounds like Boston. I really gravitated towards dark, jazz chord progressions and lyrics that were gritty and metaphoric. My personal favorite is probably “All The Same,” mostly because of the chord progression here. It’s esoteric and uncomfortable, but describes a relationship that has atrophied to the point of being abusive. It’s a weird subject to talk about, but luckily I think those dissonant guitars do most of the talking.
How does it feel to come back with the band after a 10-year hiatus?
I wish I had done it sooner. I stopped producing Johnny Stranger records back in 2010… but I never stopped writing them. Even as my wife and I focused on our passion project (Polaris Rose), I kept writing songs for future Johnny Stranger. This stuff just pours out of me. But those 10 years saw me trying out a lot of different hats in the Los Angeles music industry (including producing music for sync and starting Shark Attack Records with my wife), and all of those experiences have helped these new Johnny Stranger records sound better than ever.
Now that you are back, what are your long-term plans with the band?
Because of all the writing I did over the hiatus, I am working on completing a Baker’s Dozen of records for Johnny Stranger. Mechanical Clouds is technically the sixth record. I’m currently mixing album seven, and I’m demoing album eight. Funny enough, album nine is already demoed. Anyway, I have a whole plan and overarching theme for the Johnny Stranger discography. After that, who knows. But that’s my immediate goal for now.
Would you have a few words for your fans and followers?
Coming back as Johnny Stranger really happened because I had fans of the original records reaching out to me and telling me how much they love Johnny Stranger. Thank you for all of you that did that. Now things are growing, and we’ve never been better. New music should be coming in 2023, so keep your eyes peeled.
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Photo courtesy of Madelynn Elyse
