RockabillyView: Interview with Jack of “Johnny Devil & His Sins”
Johnny Devil & His Sins, a Rockabilly group from Sonora, CA, is made up members, Jack Sanchez, (Vocals, Guitar), Rockin’ Rick, (Guitar), Kevin Schwarz, (Drums) and David St. Germain (Upright Bass). ModestoView caught up with Jack Sanchez for an exclusive interview, just for you!
MV: Tell me about when you started playing music.
JS: I started playing music when I was 12 years old. In just a short amount of time, I learned my first song on guitar and my love for playing music began to grow rapidly. My interest in Rockabilly started at a very young age because I was surrounded by 50s and 60s music that my family was listening to. When I was 14, I started playing live, often at the Gypsy Shack (in Sonora). At the time, I was playing an assortment of acoustic Punk and Rockabilly. Two years later, Johnny Devil & His Sins was formed and has been a huge part of my life ever since.
MV: What are your goals in music as you travel the musical highway?
JS: My main goal with music is to never stop playing and never lose my passion for it. I would also love to make a living out of my music and hope that I will succeed in making that possible.
MV: Tell us about your band mates and projects that you have done so far.
JS: Johnny Devil & His Sins was formed in 2015. The first member of my band that I met is Rick Torres, who introduced me to David Wayne St. Germain and Steve Huntoon. Rick is my lead guitarist, Dave plays the stand-up bass and, at the time, Steve was on drums. Since then, Kevin Schwarz has joined the group as our drummer and Josh Weeks has joined as slide and guitar player. We all share a love for Rock ‘n’ Roll and Rockabilly and have had a lot of success in the local music scene. We have also reached our goal to play the main stage at Viva Las Vegas this year, where we will perform right before Wanda Jackson’s set.
MV: What was the biggest disaster you have encountered being a musician?
JS: I don’t know if I could classify any of my experiences with music as disasters. However, I do have one not-so-fond memory of playing a show with the band and forgetting lyrics to several of my songs. I was just having an off night. I pulled it off though and I don’t think anyone noticed. In fact, we received several compliments on our set that night.
MV: Have you had an interesting encounter playing music, that might have made you react differently than before you were playing?
JS: If put in the same position that I was when I was forgetting my lyrics, I would do the same thing: keep playing and push through my problem. However, that experience has taught me to review my music thoroughly and play my original songs often. One of the most important things to remember when playing live is to have a good time and make sure that the audience is enjoying themselves as well. Having well-practiced material will ensure that.
