Interview by Kris Peters
JJ McCann is a musician well-travelled, negotiating over 30 years in the Australian music industry with his soul and integrity intact.
Better known as one of the founding members of Nunchukka Superfly and his work with The Drones, McCann has busied himself with other just as talented bands over the years, with the one common denominator being McCann's driven approach to his craft and his humble and unassuming nature.
Last year McCann released his first album under the monicker of JJ McCann Transmission called Hit With Love, collaborating with legendary producer Rob Younger of Radio Birdman and the New Christs who produced every second great Australian rock record in the 80s and 90s (Died Pretty, Hard-Ons, Lime Spiders, Celibate Rifles, Hoodoo Gurus). It proved a masterstroke for McCann, who reached a much wider audience with the album and created enough quality material to still be drawing singles from the album almost 12 months later.
But talk to McCann and you get the impression his days of caring about status or success in music are long behind him - if in fact they were ever there. Instead, you get an artist who creates music for the thrill and love of the final result and the opportunity to share a common love with friends.
Just the way it should be.
With Nunchukka Superfly finally releasing their debut album recently and about to go on tour, McCann is understandably busy these days, but not too busy to be down for a chat with HEAVY.
"It was officially released last year," he said of the new solo album. "It was kind of a staggered thing that was followed by a couple of film clips, with the last one coming out in March called Amphibious Skin. It's been going well. It's been released here in Melbourne on CheerSquad Records and co-released with French label Beast Records. It's the first record I've released in Australia in 14 years. Everything else I've released in Spain or France, generally because there wasn't a lot of independent labels around 15 years ago, believe it or not. It's picked up a bit since then in Australia."
In the full interview, JJ talks more about Hit With Love and the writing and recording process, working with Rob Younger, what sorts of things Younger contributed to the overall sound of the album, the changing tides of music and the importance of sticking to your own path, the release of Nunchukka Superfly's debut album and upcoming shows, future plans and more.