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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Daniel Dylan Wray

‘Work is therapy’: synth-pop icon Johnny Jewel on David Lynch, Chromatics and near-death experiences

Johnny Jewel.
Johnny Jewel. Photograph: Paige Margulies

“Art is not a hobby, it’s a necessity,” says Johnny Jewel. “I have an unquenchable thirst for sound and tone.”

Jewel has been thirsty for two decades. He has produced shimmering and dreamy synth-pop, slick noir disco and infectious dance-rock via his bands Glass Candy, Chromatics and Desire. He was personally asked to remix the Weeknd’s multibillion-streamed megahit Blinding Lights, and his compositions have been sampled by everyone from 21 Savage to Jarvis Cocker. On top of releasing several solo albums, he runs a staggeringly prolific record label, Italians Do It Better, for which he also produces, writes and contributes to all the acts. He has also scored multiple films, including Drive, Bronson and Lost River, and several of his tracks were used in the TV show Twin Peaks: the Return.

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