Mungkin ga banyak dari kamu yang tau atau mengenal Daniel Johnston, tapi banyak musisi besar terutama dari jalur alternatif atau post-rock/lo-fi etc. yang mendapat inspirasi dari orang ini. Bahkan dia sudah memiliki sebuah album tribute to Daniel Johnston dengan Beck, Death Cab for Cutie, Mercury Rev sebagai pengisi nya? maka itu ga salah kalau kamu mulai browsing Daniel Johnston sekarang to discover a new experience I music if you haven?t heard of him before. Here is Daniel?s response. an interview with DANIEL JOHNSTON. By Eric Wiryanata via e-mail

how is Daniel Johnston now?
Daniel Johnston is doing pretty good now. All right, I guess. I?m doing all right.

many band have copied your music or mention you as their influence and achieve a more comercially breakthrought in the music industry, what would you say about that? and how does it affect your music ?
Well, that?s fine with me [copy or mention me]. I don?t really know completely what all my musical influence is, and I suppose it?s the same with everyone else. All the music you?re exposed to influences what you do in your music. I don?t know how to answer ?how? all that works. But it is there, the influence of everything you?ve heard.

what is an honest music? for you?
Well, you know, I don?t really ?make up? songs as much as I write songs about my life. That?s really what I?ve always done, write about what I?m feeling and thinking at the moment. I guess is you make it up, that?s not honest. Maybe it?s not honest if it isn?t what you really feel.

What have you been listening to/reading/watching? Is there any particular type of art that has interest you lately?
Well, ?everything is art?, you know. I used to say that, and what I mean is that if you have it in you, you see everything that happens as art ? of sorts. But you have to ?read? into what you?re looking at and get it. That is , what about any thing that appeals to you or makes you ?stop and look?.

But I know what your asking. I listen to old records and CDs mostly. I really don?t follow the music scene these days. The bands I know personally I listen to of course. I?m always collecting old albums from the 60?s and 70?s mostly. I also listen to things people send me, and believe me, I get all kinds of music. Some of it doesn?t even qualify for ?alternate? rock ? it?s something else.

I?ve been listening to a lot of Christmas music lately. I was thinking about doing a Christmas album and so I?ve been listening to a lot of Christmas music.

do you discover any good new band lately? plz write some short review about them.
Oh. Wow! I don?t know. I?m not really the person to write a review about another a band. Like I said, I really don?t feel close enough to the music scene today ? I mean, what?s popular from day to day. When I hear a good song, though, I know it. I just ?clicks? with you, and you know it?s good. It?s not something I understand myself. You just trust your intuition and your reaction.

I don?t really follow all the bands out today very closely. Usually, it?s someone recommending a band to me. I don?t know if I could recommend one because I haven?t heard them all.

what is inside your music?
Inside? I always have something to write about because there is always things happening. And the music is what was in me at the time. So, yeah, the music is really is outside of ME, and showing what is inside me.. I just put my life to song.

recomend your best song ever wrote. and please tell us the story behind it. and please tell us about your worst song.
Grievances, I think, is the best one I wrote. Worse? All the others are ?worse? than grievance.s [laughs]

what is other musician best songs? and how it affect you.
Well, of course, I love the Beatles most. They?re my favorite. I have many favorites. All the greats, you know, those that are considered great ? they?re pretty much what I listen to.

there is a never ending debate about piracy and free music share. how is your opinion?
Well. I don?t know. I buy bootlegs all the time, you know ? the Beatles. Once someone hits the big time, there is bound to be bootlegs.

Oh ? like on the internet? I don?t know how that works, but yeah, I?ve heard about it. I don?t understand it, though. They?re sharing music? Hmmm. I?d like to get some!

how about and indonesian tour?
I don?t know about that. That sounds like a long way from home! I really don?t like to travel. I do when I have to, I guess. But I really just as well stay home and write and draw all the time.

thanks… plz. include some contact list (web, e-mail, address, phone, etc that is possible for some readers to contact Daniel). and the latest news…
Yes, please mention www.hihowareyou.com (?official site?) and www.rejectedunknown.com (?fan site? ? it has the most information), and there is contact info on those sites how to contact Daniel or hear some of his music. There is a message forum at www.hihowareyou.com/messageboard/index.php that everyone should sign up to.

You can email Daniel@hihowareyou.com or Daniel@rejectedunknown.com. His fan post office box is Post Office Box 583, Waller, Texas 77484.

Please check on www.rejectedunknown.com for the latest news ? you?ll want to mention the Tribute album, of course and all the artists on there.

We must say thanks for Dick Johnston for his novelty sothat we have this interview