July 10, 1999
Scott Miller may be the only guitarist in history to relocate from Los Angeles to Minneapolis to join a rock band. But in the fall of 1995, when Miller learned that prominent Twin Cities act Johnny Clueless needed him, he packed up his car and headed North. Bob Pickering-CEO of the band's label, Boxov/OarFin Records- "was my freshman year roommate at Berkley School of Music," Miller says. "When he called and said Johnny Clueless' old guitarist had quit, I said I'd do it. Then I realized, "This means I have to move to Minnesota?"
The move turned out to be an auspicious one for Miller. Johnny Clueless was riding a wave of popularity in the local college scene, galvanized by its first album, "Kissed In Kansas," which included cuts from an earlier cassette only recording. Says Pickering, "That first album was really the catalyst. Radio stations were competing big time for indie music, and all the stations were going cuttthroat with bands. That was when (Minneapolis-based retail chain) Best Buy decided they wanted to get behind indie music as well as started selling Johnny Clueless. The reconfigured Johnny Clueless lineup set to work recording the EP "Secrets Of The Universe" and soon after completed the 1996 full-length "Too Late, Too Loud." The act's newest recording, "What's Your Flavour?," bowed in October 1998. The set, which has sold about 4,500 copies to date, according to the label, is distributed by OarFin Records Distribution and carried in a mix of major chains and mom-and-pops nationwide. The new album's sound ranges from the lighthearted, bass-driven "You're My Flavour" to the jangly, percussive "Tornadoes And Hurricanes." Front man Steve Brown, Miller, and bassist Stacy Machula all profess a love for the Black Crowes, whose performance energy they idolize.
"We worked with (producer) Ken Chastain on this last album," says Machula, who along with drummer Eric Guse makes up the rhythm section, "and he brought a new, fun element into recording."
Johnny Clueless' accessible, energetic brand of pop/rock has invigorated audiences from Toronto to Chicago to New York, and touring is the band's bread and butter. Boxov/OarFin Records, run by Pickering and Jon DeLange, picked up Johnny Clueless after hearing the band's self-released cassette and witnessing a live show. The band has received spins at hundreds of college stations nationwide and has been played at about 40 commercial stations. Local triple-A stations, especially KTCZ (Cities 97) Minneapolis, have been loyal supporters of the band's work, according to the label.
The band is currently seeking management. A new booking deal with an in-house booking agent at Minneapolis' Fine Line Music Cafe` is in the works, and the band publishes its songs under Up Hill Music/Milla Tunes, ASCAP. Although they've never toured overseas, Pickering says the band has sold about 1,000 units in Europe via various distributors. Ozone Distribution handles the band in Canada.
While the band has grown up with Boxov/OarFin, it would consider major-label offers. "We want to hit some bigger stages-we've opened for the Wallflowers and Goo Goo Dolls, and we're ready to jump into that arena," says Brown. Miller adds, "We're at a place now where we've got enough experience, and it's time to get out of small indie-level land. Boxov/OarFin has been a really good label for us, but they are an indie without the marketing money to make a career grow. At this point, I want to get off the mac'n'cheese and Campbell's soup diet."
Eric Neese, Regional media marketing manager at Minneapolis' Best Buy, says, "They're one of the top two or three local artists we carry in terms of sales consistency. Once the kids hear them, they want more. I would like to see them get huge - there's no reason they shouldn't be."