June 5, 2007 - Today we chatted with Brendan Fuller guitarist for Johnny Action Figure, an up and coming band from Reading, PA. The only thing cooler than their name is their music. On tour this summer when they come to your city you should check them out.

Johnny Action Figure

FES: Can you give our readers unfamiliar with Johnny Action Figure the band 411?

Brendan: We've been around for going on 8 years now. Chris Sheehan (Guitar, Vocals) and I started playing together in 1999 and chose the name not long after. We were in junior high at the time, so Johnny Action Figure seemed like a goldmine of a name to us. We still get a kick out of it. We've been playing shows, writing songs, and recording on a consistent basis ever since, just trying to get our music to whoever will listen.

FES: Johnny Action Figure recently announced that drummer J Rave left the band. How difficult was it for the band to find a replacement and how long did it take for Brad Rittle to mesh with the band?

Brendan: J Rave (aka Mr Wonderful) left the band about a month ago. He's getting married in August and his life was just getting too hectic. It was pretty heavy news when he told us that he wasn't going to be able to play with us anymore, but it was completely amicable and we're still good friends with him. It only took us a few days to gain Brad's interest. He and my brother, Christopher (CF for short; Bass, Vocals) have been playing together in a band called Relegate for a few years, and now they comprise our rhythm section. They're already musically intuitive with each other so it only took us about 2 weeks of rehearsal to get our live set down, which was great.

FES: Going into the studio how many songs did the band have already written and how did the band decide which songs would make it onto "Asks The Room To Please Stop Spinning" and which ones would not?

Brendan: We were originally planning on releasing a full-length album for a while because we had built up a large catalog of songs over a period of a couple years, but there was a noticeable shift in the style of some of the songs and we didn't think that putting all of the songs that we had on one recording would sound cohesive. We decided to finish recording the more concise, straightforward ones and put them out as an EP with DRP Records, with whom we've been friends for a few years. We still have a really big catalog of songs that haven't been commercially released or even recorded, but we'll be recording again very soon. It will probably take us a good 5 years to catch up with ourselves.

FES: How did Johnny Action Figure come up with the title "Asks The Room To Please Stop Spinning?"

Brendan: I actually got it from a Calvin and Hobbes comic strip. Hobbes gets out of the dryer all dizzy, falls over, and says something along the lines of "Could you ask the room to stop? I'd like to get off."

FES: Where can fans purchase "Asks The Room To Please Stop Spinning?"

Brendan: The easiest way to get a hold of the EP is at CD Baby .

FES: What are your thoughts on both "Your Fortune's Gonna Leave You" and "Lose Our Face" playing on large screens all over Universal Studios in
Orlando, FL?

Brendan: We were actually really, really surprised to hear that. Someone wrote something about it on in a comment on our MySpace page, and after we looked into it we found out that our publicist had sent something to them. Needless to say I'm not sure any of us were expecting it to go through, but we were very excited to hear that it happened.

FES: Artistically speaking do you feel as though Johnny Action Figure has more freedom to create being with an indie label than say being with one of the major five?

Brendan: Well, we don't really have a great point of reference because we've never worked with a major label, but our label let us put out the record exactly as we wanted to put it out. Though we don't really have the funding or connections that we would have if we were on a major, we're working with people who believe in us and we get to put out our music the way that we want to. I'm not sure that we would have that luxury with a major, so yeah I would say that we probably had quite a bit more creative freedom.

FES: When the band planned out its summer tour how far in advance were the dates booked and was the high price of fuel a factor in deciding where to play?

Brendan: We tried to plan out a route as logically as we could to minimize driving and gas, but we don't have a booking agent and this is our first time playing almost all of these clubs so we couldn't really be choosy as far as what order of cities that we play.

FES: When can we expect to see Johnny Action Figure playing shows in Florida?

Brendan: We're playing the Atlantic in Gainesville on Friday, June 8, 2007, at the Neptune Lounge in Tarpon Springs on Saturday, June 9th; and at Backbooth in Orlando on Tuesday, June 12, 2007.

FES: Where do you see Johnny Action Figure five (5) years from now?

Brendan: Hopefully we will still be writing and recording material as often as possible and touring in support of it. In all honesty we would really just like to be able to make a living playing music and just hope that people will notice and care about our music in the same way that we care for it.

FES: How important do you feel online publications such as Florida Entertainment Scene are in getting the word out about bands such as Johnny Action Figure?

Brendan: Any publicity outlet is integral in getting the word out about a band. We're always very flattered when we're asked to collaborate with a publication on an interview or article because there are just SO many bands out there looking for the same type of press.

FES: Do you have anything to say to your fans who read this Interview?

Brendan: We'd like to thank you guys for taking the time to read about our little band and hope you'll check out our music and drop us a line some time. We always love meeting new people and playing in new cities, so hopefully our paths will cross at some point. We'd also like to thank Florida Entertainment Scene for hooking us up with a great interview! Check our MySpace page for tour dates and try to come out to a show!

Johnny Action Figure is from Reading, PA and tour on a regular basis. Their latest album "Asks The Room To Please Stop Spinning" is now available at CD Baby.com.

Johnny Action Figure:

Brendan Fullam - Guitar/Vocals
Chris Fullam - Bass/Vocals
Chris Sheehan - Guitar/Vocals
Brad Rittle - Drums

For more artist information visit the official Johnny Action Figure website.

To sample music vist the Johnny Action Figure page at myspace.com.

Check out the video for "Lose Our Face."

Check out the video for "Fortune."

Musician Interview by Michael Montes - Copyright © 2007 Florida Entertainment Scene - All Rights Reserved.