If he didn't hate having the term applied to himself, you could call John Garcia a stoner metal legend. As vocalist and founder member of desert rock godheads Kyuss, he helped bring fuzzed-out groove from lawless generator parties in the Californian wilds to worldwide cult status.
Since Kyuss split in 1995, he’s also fronted fantastic stoner acts including Slo Burn, Unida and Hermano – who return to these shores this year for the first time in more than a decade. There was also a partial Kyuss reformation with Kyuss Lives! and Vista Chino, but he knows that it’s the ongoing prospect of a full Kyuss reunion with guitarist Josh Homme that really gets fans salivating. Here he shares what he’s learned so far…
A REUNION DOESN’T HAVE TO MEAN NEW MUSIC
“Hermano don’t get together all the time, it just comes together very naturally when the moons align. I feel very lucky to be able to play Europe again, but there’s no new music planned. We have the new live album [Clisson, France, recorded at Hellfest 2016] and it sounds incredible. Not to toot my own horn, but the band was on point and the recording sounded so good we wanted to share it now.”
IT’S FAR MORE DIFFICULT TO TOUR THESE DAYS
“I have a 23-year-old daughter that’s moving from Wisconsin out to California and a son finishing up his junior year – all of these things that come into play as a dad and husband. I’m fortunate to have the time to do this stuff, because there’s not a lot of time in my day to fly to Denver and go to these rehearsals. We all have commitments in life, so I feel lucky to be able to still do band stuff at all.”
I COULD GIVE IT ALL UP TOMORROW
“No disrespect to any fans, but I can imagine myself being perfectly happy just singing in the shower. That to me is just as gratifying as singing in front of a couple thousand people. I don’t take that stuff for granted, but when I go on the road there are parts of my life, my family’s life, that I’m missing because of music.”
THE DESERT ROCK SCENE WAS BORN OF NECESSITY
“The generator parties had a punk, DIY vibe, but one word that doesn’t get thrown out much is ‘necessity’. If you have a bunch of kids whose sole purpose in life is to play music, they’ll find a way. The will in your heart and soul will manifest a way to make that happen. For us it was a bunch of generators set up in the desert with people gathering together and having a good time. That was really something cool, so I treasure those times. I can’t remember a whole heck of a lot of those times, but it is what it is.”
Without Bruno Fevery, Kyuss Lives! and Vista Chino could never have happened.
John Garcia
GETTING TOGETHER WITH OLD BANDMATES CAN BE FUN…
“Brant [Bjork] and I resurrected our friendship and it was great. We also got a chance to play with Nick Oliveri and [sometime Kyuss bassist] Scott Reeder was involved for a short period of time. Altogether, it was pretty much Brant and I [driving Vista Chino], but you can’t forget Bruno Fevery. He’s one of the best guitar players I’ve ever played with, and, without him, Kyuss Lives! and Vista Chino never would have happened.”
…BUT I WOULD LOVE A FULL REUNION AS MUCH AS THE FANS
“Let me make this loud and clear to all the readers of Metal Hammer: name the time, name the place, and I’ll be there. Honestly, what my deep-down gut tells me is that it will never happen, but I have learned to never say never.”
YOU CAN’T RULE ANYTHING OUT
“I’m very lucky to have been in a band like Kyuss that still resonates, but I think fondly of all the projects that I’ve been in. I’m fortunate because I never expected this to go any further than the garage. I’d say there’s probably a bigger chance of seeing Slo Burn together than me with Unida. They went on with a new singer and I gave them my blessing and godspeed to them. I still talk to all those guys, though and if the moons align just right… again, I never say never.”
MONEY MATTERS
“Maybe a lot of musicians won’t admit this, but it has to make sense financially for me to do this too. I’m not rich enough where I can live off of record royalties my entire life. I’ve got a full-time job, I’m not some rock star dude. I can’t just go over there and drop what I’m doing for fun. It is fun, but it also has to make financial sense. I’m being truthful here, and whether people like that answer or not, they can go fuck themselves as far as I’m concerned.”
I LOVE MY DAY JOB
“I help run a successful animal hospital, which can be stressful but very fulfilling. I’ve always loved animals and, of course, I’ve never wanted to see an animal in pain. Even as a five-year-old kid it was something that bothered me, and I wanted to help them. I wish I would’ve gone all the way and become a doctor of veterinary medicine, but that wasn’t in the cards for me. I’m a veterinary technician and I love what I do.”
THE DESERT CHANGED MY LIFE
“It really did, because I wouldn’t have met Josh Homme, I wouldn’t have met Brant Bjork and I wouldn’t have met Nick Oliveri. That will always be the true Kyuss in my mind. I’m not saying it’s right, but my point of view is that when Brant, Nick, Josh and myself were in a room, that was something special."
THE GENERATOR PARTIES COULD GET PRETTY WILD
“It was bring your own beer, it was fuck authority and we were going to do this with or without the permission of the city and with or without the permission of our parents. It could get pretty wild. There were a lot of fights and sometimes you get the occasional fool that would break out a knife. It was a lot of kids with high emotions, but in general it was about having a good time. But going to have a sip of ice-cold beer when you’re raging and getting a mouthful of sand instead was always a rude awakening.”
"Stoner rock, punk rock, rock’n’roll, desert rock… whatever it is, it makes no difference to me."
John Garcia
I’M HAPPY FOR THE BUCK TO STOP WITH ME
“I’m right in the middle of writing my next solo record, and we’re slated to go into the studio in August. I give my guys an incredible amount of freedom to own their parts, but it is my project. I pick the songs, I get to choose, you know, how long the verse goes, so when it comes to critiquing and saying, ‘That song sucks’ or ‘This vocal sucks’, it all comes down to me. Some people are going to like it, some people are going to hate it and that’s 100% OK.”
IT’S GOOD TO HAVE IDOLS
“Ian Astbury from The Cult was the main reason why I wanted to start singing, and their music is still very much a part of my life. I’m not ashamed to admit that I wanted to be the guy when I was younger. As I grew older I found my voice, I found what I could do. And you know, it’s not the best, it’s not the worst. But obviously I haven’t quit my day job over how incredible I can sing. I’m a realist. I got to meet Ian Astbury and I made a big fool of myself. I’m a normal dude who got starstruck, put his foot in his mouth and that’s perfectly alright.”
STONER ROCK? DESERT ROCK? CALL IT WHAT YOU WILL…
“I don’t think about it that hard. Stoner rock, punk rock, rock’n’roll, desert rock… whatever it is, it makes no difference to me. People are going to label it and I’m proud of being a part of it. Was the stoner tag accurate? Sure, and it still is. I can be a responsible human being and still be able to have a good time. You have to know your limits, but yeah, I still have fun.”
…BUT DON’T CALL ME A LEGEND
“I can’t relate to that ‘legend’ stuff. I’m not even a rock star dude. What I am is a hardworking, 12-hour-a-day American man who’s proud of my life, proud of my family. I can’t care what people think about me and my thoughts and how I go about living my life, because it doesn’t matter.
Now, if someone’s talking about enjoying the music I’ve been involved in, or saying it’s gotten them through a tough time, that’s awesome. That’s humbling. But what matters to me is picking my son up from water polo practice on time and closing the clinic properly."
Hermano headline Desertfest on May 15.
