For Johnny PE, music has been a part of his life for as long as he can remember. Whether it is hip hop, pop or R&B it has always been around him. Now the Nashville based artist has teamed up with platinum selling producer MCV for his latest song “Somehow”, and the powerful track has been gaining steam and popularity with thousands of listeners tuning in.
“It just broke 51,000 views on YouTube and doing great all across the board,” Johnny PE said. “People are really receptive to it. Me and MCV are definitely going to keep working, do what we do, and put out great inspiring music.”
“Somehow” is a song about what life is really about and what is important, Johnny PE explained. He said people go through experiences, and “Somehow” came about based on every day obstacles.
“You find yourself going through the same thing, failing over and over again. Going left when you should really go right,” he said. “Making the same mistakes until you finally focus up. It’s always a way of getting past those hard obstacles if you keep pushing forward- keep pushing every day.”
“Pushing everyday” is the mantra that Johnny PE lives by, and is actually what the “PE” stands for in his moniker.
Johnny PE started recording seriously within the last five years, but music has always been a part of him. He started under the name Johnny Phrank, and he said he was releasing more hip-hop based off experiences growing up in East Nashville and South Englewood. Johnny lived in East Nashville from about four-years-old until he was 18, when his father got a good job and was able to move the family to the suburbs. He said the area could be rough, and he witnessed a lot that inspired his early music. As he elevated personally, he said, so did his music subject matter. This led him to rebrand himself to Johnny PE.
“Pushing every day,” he said. “I stand by that. Whether it be something you struggle with yourself, or anything for that matter. That’s exactly what that means.
The Johnny PE sound has more of an EMO/trap feel, with a bit of alternative and R&B style. But he said he really wants the people to decide what genre his music falls under.
He grew up listening to a bit of everything. His parents played music like the Isley Brothers, but his older brother would play everything on the map from OutKast, to 2Pac, to John Mayer. He loves Usher, Frank Ocean and Nashville’s own Jelly Roll to name a few. Being in Nashville, the amount of “dope artists” has been a major inspiration. He takes a bit of this inspiration and makes his own, original sound. He said he only makes music from the experiences he has.
“I had a little mix of everything which made me appreciate music so much,” said Johnny PE. “A lot of people still influence me to this day. When you hear music it automatically takes you back to a point in your life. It takes you to a memory.”
A major turning point was when Johnny PE linked up with producer MCV. He explained that he was signed to a management company Upandon1 Records and they flew him to Manhattan where they went to Sony Orchard to record. He said he later got some beats that ended up being on the track “Toxic”, which was released by him and MCV and has gained major success. MCV reached out to him and since then they have been working together on making more tracks. MCV invested in Johnny PE’s career, seeing his major potential in the music and writing abilities, and his powerful singing voice.
His newest track “Somehow” is just the beginning of what is on the horizon for the musical pair.
“Me and MCV record a lot and are always trying to push our boundaries and push ourselves,” he said. “We’ve got a new song we’ll be putting out at the top of the year called ‘Changes’ so be looking out for that. We’ve got a lot planned and we’ll keep on releasing dope music and inspiring people. As long as you keep going and keep pushing every day. That’s what life is about.”
Check out Johnny PE’s music on major platforms and be on the look out for more to come.
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