The Johns are a three-piece band residing in Salt Lake City who refer to themselves as John, Big John and Little John. The group formed in 2022 and has since released multiple bodies of work. Notably, they released a single called “Red Tears,” which you’ll hear at the end of the episode. The song went viral in just a few months, growing popular on TikTok and accruing more than 1.5 million streams on Spotify. It also charted on Soundcloud at #10 in the UK and #35 in the US for five weeks straight.
In this episode, The Johns talk about writing that song and how it was inspired by sexual assault in the music industry. The group shares that all proceeds for the song “Red Tears” are being donated to sexual assault and domestic violence victims through the organization No More.
Plus, they tell the story of how they met and how the band’s drummer, Big John, saw them play live before joining. His first impression wasn’t what you might think. The Johns were originally made up of John, Little John and other rotating drummers who didn’t end up sticking. After Big John’s first impression of them at their first show, they eventually reconnected.
The group took time to go out on multiple tours, seeing cities on the West Coast. At first, Big John joined to head out with John and Little John on tour as somewhat of a temporary drummer.
“We were trapped in a car with him driving along the whole West Coast,” Little John says.
“Absolutely trapped,” John echoes.
“We fell in love,” Little John says.
“We played in Washington and Oregon on my first tour,” Big John says. He describes how amazing it felt to be with them, driving through the coast. “At night we camped on the beach, and there was also a meteor shower going on.”
The other Johns laugh.
“Yeah, it was like the best night of my life,” says Little John.
After the tour, the group would be known as the three piece they are today. They’ve embarked on multiple tours, and said they plan to head to the East Coast soon. Big John is from New York, and the group hopes to hit the state to see his friends and family.
Be sure to follow The Johns on Instagram at @the.johnsband, and for more information on touring, merch and other extras, visit their website johnsband.com. –Mary Culbertson