interview with Necessary Evil
How was the band formed? NE was formed in 2001 by childhood friends: singer, TJ Johnson, and guitarist, Adam Walker. Their creation of music together ignited a passion to make songs that speak to people of all walks of life.
Can you tell about your band? We are an American Hard Rock band from a small town in SouthCarolina, USA. We have influences from all genres/ages and thoroughly LOVE creating music. NE LOVES our FAM (fans) and we write music that comes from real experiences so it appeals to people of all walks of life.
Who does what in the band? TJ Johnson (lead singer) and Adam Walker (lead guitarist/backup vocals) are our founding members and they write all of our music/lyrics. We also have JD Cadden (rhythm guitar), Kiefer Tindall (bass guitar/backup vocals), and Trase Sowell (percussion).
Could you explain your music to someone that haven't heard you? Our music is hard rock with soul. Every word/riff of our songs comes from personal experience or emotion so we truly live our music, and are confident that our listeners do as well.
Where was the latest gig? Most recently, we shared the stage with Weaving the Fate in Augusta, Georgia (November 2014).
Who writes your songs?/Who writes the music who writes lyrics? Normally, Adam gets a riff stuck in his head and he writes out a song; then, TJ listens and words come out. It is pretty amazing watching these two work together.
What's good/bad with the band?Well, Necessary Evil is a band of brothers, first and foremost-- so, that probably tells you the best and worst!
What genre do you feel you are?We are classified as American Hard Rock, which pretty much means we have a softer side too.
Do you write your own material or mainly covers? We write all of our own music but weave in covers here-and-there. We enjoy playing covers, because we are able to take a song that people are so familiar with, and put our NE twist on it.
Have you made any albums?/If yes, where are they? Yes, we put out an EP in 2006 that was recorded by Eric Bass of Shinedown; and if you are interested, you can contact us on facebook. We are currently in production of a new album due out late 2014 to early 2015. We are SO EXCITED about this new album, and we are working to have this one on iTunes for purchase very soon. Keep watching our FB page for news on that! (www.facebook.com/necessaryevilmusic)
Do you have any clips on YouTube? Absolutely! Check out our music!
How old are you?/What got you started in music? Well, we range in age from 18-28. Everyone in the band has been playing music since childhood. TJ and Adam, of course, started everything together: Adam playing guitar and TJ making up lyrics to go with it. JD got started playing music after falling in love with all of the metal bands like Slayer and IronMaiden and originally played bass guitar for Necessary Evil. Kiefer was a fan of NE's growing up and taught himself guitar and joined NE on bass this past year. Trase grew up watching his dad play drums for a local rock band and literally learned from him.
What year was the band started? Founding members, TJ and Adam, first went on stage as "Necessary Evil" in 2001.
What places will you be playing in in the immediate future? We have some great shows coming up in the beginning of the year in Augusta, Georgia. Stay tuned on our facebook page for more details: www.facebook.com/necessaryevilmusic
Who have you played with from then till now? In our musical journey, we have shared the stage with a plethora of national acts such as Gemini Syndrome, Nonpoint, Shinedown, Framing Hanley, Drowning Pool, Weaving the Fate, Kittie, Surrender the Fall, Saint Diable, Almost Kings, PopEvil, and Straight Line Stitch.
Is it always the same songs live? Our live shows vary depending on who we are playing with and what kind of crowd we draw. We do keep a pretty stable set list but we are always adding new songs to our repertoire and love taking requests from our fans.
What has been the best/most promising gig so far? A little over a month ago, we had the opportunity to play with Framing Hanley. This was our debut show with our newest members, Trase and Kiefer. It was nothing short of awesome. We played to a crowd of well over 300 fans and the energy was epic!
Have you had any bigger tours from start to now? We are so excited about our upcoming album release and know there will be GREAT things to come with that. Again-- keep up with us on facebook for details.
How big crowds do you usually play for? Of course, crowds vary depending on venue, day of week, etc. We usually pull a few hundred fans.
What are the plans for the rest of the year? We are so excited about our upcoming album release and we know there will be GREAT things to come with that. Again-- keep up with us on facebook for details.
How do you get psyched up for a gig? We each have our own little pre-game quirks but mostly just get there, set up, go over set list, and hang out with our FAM (fans).
What are your goals with your music? Well, of course, we'd love to make our living just doing what we love. That would be the ultimate goal-- let as many people as possible hear our music.
Is it easier to get your inspiration from older bands or from bands more modern? We have been inspired by so many artists. We each have our own individual inspirations from James Brown to Shinedown to Pantera to Stone Sour to the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
What are your sources of inspiration? Life!
Besides your own music, what genres and bands do you listen to? We are musicians and music-lovers-- we listen to it ALL.
What would you do if there was no music? There's always music. Even if we aren't performing it for others, we create it for ourselves. It brings us joy and self-understanding. It is the ultimate expression.
Name 2 of your own songs you like at the moment? We have two songs coming out on our new album (due early 2015) that we are super excited about: 'American Hero' and 'Dearly Departed'.
'American Hero' is an amazing song that means so much to us, as we are so grateful as Americans to live in this free society that allows for so many rights and freedoms that we hold dear. This song shows our appreciation to the soldiers that put themselves in harms way to make sure that those freedoms continue, not only for us Americans, but for others around the world oppressed by hatred and prejudice. 'Dearly Departed' is another exciting song as it has such haunting lyrics and melody. It speaks to everyone that has ever had a love that ended for one reason or another. We love performing this one acoustically -- it is one that will definitely stick with you.
What drives a band that isn't all that famous and renowned to try to make a living on their music and to keep playing? Our FAM (fans) is our lifeblood. They make everything we do possible. Fans have come up to us saying that our music and our lyrics have changed their lives-- there is no better compliment. That's why we continue.
Do you have any webpages? www.facebook.com/necessaryevilmusic <-----Like Us, Follow Us!!
How would you describe your sound in one sentence: Necessary Evil masterminds heart-wrenching lyrics paired with head-banging melodies and powerfully raw vocals to bring you one incredible experience.