Interview with Johnny Carona!

Inferno Guitars endorser interview series “part five” finds me discussing music and life on the road with none other than Johnny Carona – a talented singer/songwriter/guitarist and guitar technician with music in his veins…

Trevor Discombe: Thanks for talking with Inferno Guitars today John, I appreciate your time very much. To start with, could you tell us about your latest performances, where you’ve been playing and who with?

Johnny Carona: Thank you Trevor, it’s an honor. Really dig the guitars you are building. My latest performances have been as a guitar player for Jocaine, a major player in the Detroit country/rock scene. We just did a show with Bret Michaels (Poison) and that was off the hook. Also, I’m still doing gigs sometimes with Uncle Kracker too….

Trevor Discombe: Is there any new material in the works?

Johnny Carona: There is, it’s just a matter of getting around to recording it. There is also a side project in the works, modern rock, called “The Dirty Losers” that I’m really excited about.

Trevor Discombe: How did you become involved with Keith Urban, Kid Rock and Uncle Kracker?

Johnny Carona: I started taking jobs as a guitar tech, just to get further into the industry. I loved it, was a great job and I was great at it. I just kept getting better gigs, all along knowing I wanted to be on the stage but it was a great way to network. One day I got the call from Kracker’s manager to tech, spent a year teching and traveling extensively when ‘Drift Away’ was a smash. In many ways, it was the “funnest” year of my life. I learned his set in my downtime, just in case they needed me to do an emergency fill-in for the guitar player, who is now with Melissa Etheridge. Well, one day they did need me, and I knocked it out of the park… so they hired me as a full-time guitar player. My third gig was a thirty-thousand seat sold-out arena opening for Kenny Chesney; go figure… I became friends with the Keith Urban camp while doing all the Chesney tours, which lasted for two or three years. Incredible.
And Kid Rock, well he is Kracker’s executive producer, so he was always around…

Trevor Discombe: Could you tell us about some of the other artists you have played with or other bands you have been in?

Johnny Carona: There were a lot of projects I was in around Detroit early on… Detroit had a thriving music scene…
Honestly though, Uncle Kracker was one of those ‘dream gigs’ and I spent 8 years with him. Jocaine, the artist I’m currently spending the most time with, has a huge following around Detroit, I’m expecting big things…

Trevor Discombe: How did your love for southern rock and country music originate?

Johnny Carona: It started on those Chesney tours, being around Keith Urban all the time, stuff like that. Those Nashville players are infectious, the best in the world.

Trevor Discombe: How long have you been playing guitar and how did you begin?

Johnny Carona: Wow, I guess I have been playing seriously for almost thirty years, which sounds crazy to me. My uncle gave me a guitar when I was six, one day I just really started getting into it….

Trevor Discombe: Please talk us through the Johnny Carona method of song writing…

Johnny Carona: Green tea, candles, silence, notepad… that’s where my creativity lies. To me, it’s about ‘connecting’; some people will understand what I mean by this – and I always have a pen and notebook around… also, I have this small place in Florida… so beautiful and inspiring, it just nurtures new song ideas, I try to get there as much as possible, which is never enough….

Trevor Discombe: Who are some of your main musical influences and favorite artists?

Johnny Carona: It changes, but obviously Keith Urban is a huge influence, an incredible artist. Currently, I’m really into this band called ‘Needtobreathe’, which are doing great in the states.

Trevor Discombe: How would you describe the music scene today in the USA?

Johnny Carona: The ‘scene’ in the states is always amazing, fun, awesome. The ‘industry’, well… that’s a different story right now.

Trevor Discombe: How do you see the music scene in other places you’ve been?

Johnny Carona: It’s always strange outside of the ‘states – more sitting down and clapping type of stuff, which kinda freaks me out. Not sure if we have just caught the wrong venue/wrong day, or if it’s always like that…

Trevor Discombe: Please tell us about your most memorable performance…

Johnny Carona: Curtain rising in front of me as we are about to go live on Jay Leno. One of many memories, but after all… it is The Tonight Show….

Trevor Discombe: Please describe a typical day on tour for Johnny Carona…

Johnny Carona: As any touring musician knows, it’s a lot of “hurry up and wait”. Riding in buses, airplanes, limos, passenger vans. Then usually a sound check early afternoon. Then more waiting…. It can be exhausting but I live for it, it’s my favorite thing to do. Shows are usually a blast for me, and I really dig hanging out after, meeting new people, bands, etc… I like to try to capture the vibe and culture of the different areas we are in, if there is time for it….

Trevor Discombe: What would be the biggest highlight in your musical career to date?

Johnny Carona: The Kenny Chesney tours, probably because it was twenty-five thousand seat venues every night, with some sixty-thousand seat football stadiums thrown in for good measure.

Trevor Discombe: Do you have any guitar playing advice for people who are just starting out?

Johnny Carona: Sounds sarcastic, but learn how to sing. That will separate you from the millions of guitarists who can’t….

Trevor Discombe: Wow, that’s actually excellent advice when I think about it… What would you say to those who may be concerned about the sound or playability of an Inferno guitar, even the budget models?

Johnny Carona: I would tell them to watch the video of me singing ‘No Pressures’ live on Sydney radio. That guitar sounds amazing to me…

Trevor Discombe: Again, many thanks for your time John and best of luck with your upcoming shows…

Johnny Carona: Thank you Trevor, my pleasure….

Johnny Carona performs “No Pressures” live on Sydney radio: