press
The Fly
2003
p. 31
by Matt Thompson
(contributed by Angie)
Magnetic Attraction
A Norwegian bar, typically quiet Tuesday night, and Even Johansen, the starry eyed romantic behind Magnet, sits confused.
"I'm honoured if people are comparing my record to Tom Waits or Leonard Cohen," he gushes as the Fly asks about being labelled the new new romantic. "But I'm totally devastated if anything thinks I have an association with Spandau Ballet!" It's an unlikely comparison, but for this one-man band it's a worry. "Being a musician is a bit like being a stray dog," he says, disappearing off at an unlikely tangent. "You get to play around and have fun, but at the end of each day you don't know what anyone really thinks of you. They may love you, or thing you sound like Spandau Ballet."
But for all this humility, it would be a stoney soul that wasn't taken aback by the unlikely beauty of Magnet's debut LP, 'On Your Side'.
Indeed, Magnet's knack of conjuring cinematic heroism from daily routine has recently landed him a number of dream deals, not least a duet with the new acoustic honey, Gemma Hayes.
He explains: "After a series of mistakes, disasters and coincidence, Gemma and I ended up going on tour together. As soon as I met her I thought she was someone I had to sing with, and set about convincing her to record a duet of Bob Dylan's 'Lay Lady Lay'.
"There's a bond between Gemma and I, which I think makes the track really special. I loved Dylan's version and hope people connect with our translation in the same way I did with the original. But I don't know. They might think it sounds like Spadau Ballet." Be assured it doesn't.
And if you, dear reader, are thinking Even's name rings familiar bells, perhaps you were a fan of 90s guitar outfit Libido, for whom he was the lead man. "Libido was great fun and I have some brilliant memories," he enthuses. "The down side was living in London. It's such an incredible city, but you have to be the boy with the golden trousers to afford to live there. I don't know anyone who earns enough to make the most of it. That takes the shine off the place a bit."
Today Even lives with his wife in an area of Scotland that's chalk to London's cheese. "Where I am now, you either spend all day doing something you love, or feed the cows," he says. "The Cows are far too big for me, so I spend my time with music in an old shit-smelling pigeon coop that I've converted into a recording studio. That's where I go to be alone and hatch evil plans. Half the album was recorded in there - just messing about and seeing what happened.
"My biggest heroes are Bob Marley, The Clash, Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen. All those guys worked without any sort of plan. That's something I do too, because I think it makes music exciting. It can give it life and help move away from the formulaic."
Mission accomplished. 'On Your Side' is lively, and anything but mechanical; striking a delicate balance between light touch and high impact.
"The people I've spoken to have said the album's taken a special place in their hearts," says Even, drawing the interview to a close. "If that's the case, I've done my job 100 per cent." Indeed, he has, and for starters, 'On Your Side' deserves a special place in your record collection.