Highly Suspect’s Johnny Stevens caught up with Westie Lee this morning for a raw and honest chat about what has been going on. In his words, “I think the world should know, so let me tell you...”
“This is my therapy session, for everyone in New Zealand,” the frontman joked, as he prepared to leave our country, before sharing some personal stories about his life and career recently.
Some of those stories include an emotional reunion with his father, management and record label challenges, new beginnings, and his love for New Zealand and The Rock.
The conversation kicked off with a look back at Highly Suspect's recent tour here in New Zealand, where Westie Lee brought up Powder Chutes, and how much of a highlight it was to see them perform Lydia onstage in Auckland last night (December 1).
“Love them, they are amazing people, and if you’re out there listening, please support them, because they are the truth,” Johnny said, adding: “They got it.”
One of the most emotional parts of the talk was about Stevens' journey with his estranged father. After almost ten years of no contact, Stevens got a call that his dad was having a major medical procedure.
What followed was an unexpected hospital reunion that deeply affected him. "This is like the start of a cascade of events that would just completely alter the course of my life," Stevens shared, reflecting on how that moment changed everything for him.
They also dug into the challenges of the music industry. Stevens opened up about some tough experiences with his management and record label, including a heated negotiation where, as he put it, "They wanted to take a piece of that. They wanted to take the songs that we had just written and own a portion...forever."
But things took a turn for the better when he partnered with MDDN Co. and now, Johnny says he doesn’t “have any more chains.”
“I am going to do whatever the fuck I want, when I want. You will see more music coming out of me at a more steady pace… It’s go time. I’m excited.”
And of course, Lee had to have some chat about New Zealand, considering how much we love them over here. When asked about when the frontman realised how big the band were here, Johnny replied: “it was you guys.”
“It was the first time that we charted somewhere in the top 100 of The Rock 2000 Countdown… and I was like okay, this is actually a pretty big deal.”
Westie Lee’s whole chat with Johnny was super heartfelt, and has really given us some insight into what he’s been going through recently.
We’re stoked that everything has now worked out for him. Johnny - we can’t wait to have you and the rest of the Highly Suspect boys back in our country. Thank you for always making time for us.
Have a watch of the full chat above, with timestamps below:
0:00 - Powder Chutes
0:47 - Last time they were in NZ
2:49 - Johnny's Father
6:09 - Management
9:59 - Roadrunner Records
12:34 - When it rains it pours
13:18 - Silver lining
15:30 - MDDN co
18:10 - Peaks and troughs
18:52 - Pre-party
20:20 - NZ & The Rock
