Jose-Andres Alegria We’ve all heard the cliche stories of people making sacrifices to follow their dreams. Whether it’s listening to A-list celebrities talk about how they lived out of their car for years before getting their big break, or stories about “the struggle” while achieving your goals, like in the movie “8 Mile.” But what is it like to go out and work towards a dream? Well, I had the opportunity to sit down and talk to the band “Railgun” about what it’s actually like to follow your passion.
I sat down and zoomed with Greg Johnson, a member of Railgun, and talked about what it’s like to be in a band. Our social media manager here at Everyday Owl, Devin, introduced us.
Now, I’m not going to lie, when Devin came to me with the idea of interviewing her friend’s band for an blog I was a little nervous. Being from South Florida, everyone and their mother is a SoundCloud rapper. If I had a dollar for every song I had to sit through and pretend I liked, then I probably could retire. My biggest fear was having to lie and say I liked Railgun’s music.
Lucky for me, I don’t have to lie. But I’m going to be honest, their music isn’t for everyone, but then again, my music taste isn’t for everyone either. There’s a reason some of my friends stopped riding in my car with me. But if you like a punk mixed with a dash of hardcore and the distinct sounds inspired by J-Rock intertwined then, Railgun might be up your alley.
Greg was such a cool guy. We talked about how he got started in music. Cause that’s the thing. Most people can think back and pinpoint the moment they fell in love with the thing they chose to do. I have those moments I can think back on that are parts of the reason I love to write.
For Greg, his love started with the trombone. How very punk rock. We talked about how he took up the trombone and played it throughout middle school and high school. And while the trombone was his start, it’s not the main thing he plays anymore. You can catch him playing the bass for Railgun.
But I think what I enjoyed the most when I was talking to him about his band wasn’t just about their music but how they evolved their sound to what it is now. How did they find their voice? Because finding your voice is probably the hardest step for an artist to accomplish. How do individuals of a band get together and form a unique sound? He told me that the members bonded over a shared love of anime. And that’s when our conversation went from talking about Railgun’s music to talking about the impact of music.
The impact of music and anime? What do those two things have to do with each other? And why is that relevant to Railgun? Well, because Greg is a weeb, just like me. And any weeb worth their salt knows how important music is to anime. Hell, I even wrote a whole blog on the top 5 opening themes songs in anime.
We talked about how music impacts what we are feeling and how it guides us to that point. It’s the reason that to this day when “Sadness and Sorrow” from Naruto plays, I shed a tear. Or why when I hear music from Haikyuu, I get super pumped and excited.
Greg and I nerded out over anime music, but then he said something that did kind of hit me. It was one of those moments when you are talking to someone, and their passion shows. He said the music he is trying to make with Railgun should have the same effect that anime music has on anime lovers. He wants people who hear his music to feel happiness or sadness or whatever emotion that is associated with their songs. He wants to make music that isn’t just heard but is felt. I think that’s why when we talked about our favorite anime, Greg’s choices were not just great shows, but they were shows known for their music. (Cowboy Bebop, Fooly Cooly, and Neon Genesis Evangelion for anyone who was curious.)
My biggest takeaway from my conversation with Greg was that if you want something like being a musician, you need to work towards it. It’s so easy to say you want something or have a dream you would like to fulfill, but what steps are you taking to get there? For Railgun, it’s practicing as a band, writing new songs, trying to get more exposure, and being authentic along the way. So give Railgun a listen. Either you like them, or you don’t, but supporting people who are passionate about what they are doing never hurts.
