Australian roots and jam band John Butler Trio was formed in 1998, and they’ve got big. Three of their five studio albums have hit number one in Australian charts, and anyone who’s seen them live raves about their musicianship and energy. Melody Thomas asked frontman John Butler what he thinks people love about the music.
“I think it’s all the free drugs we hand out. We keep ‘em high enough, and [the fans] stick around,” says Butler, deadpan.
“Na,” he laughs, “we make music that we’re passionate about; they like our integrity, the overall energy and intention of what we play as well as what we write about. I see every gig as an opportunity to transform an audience, and to have them transform me. It’s gonna sound really hippie and esoteric, but music is a way to lift the vibration, and it’s one of my major reasons for being on this planet.”
Butler’s focus might be lifting the vibe, but the music JBT makes can still pack a punch.
“We go from safe and folky, to loud and in your face. We’re all over the joint, which works, because people are all over the joint in terms of their tastes,” he says.
Butler reckons a rebellion against the mainstream is partly responsible for this expansion of tastes.
“Art reflects society, and people want something real and from the heart. We’ve had pre-manufactured shit fed to us – be it food, pop music, or our jobs - for so long now. Slowly those things rot and become less exciting and engrossing. A lot of people are sick of manufactured, middle of the road music. They’re ready for the good old stuff like Hendrix and Joplin, music from the gut. People respond to that.”
Listing his favourite bands, many of them also trios (“three is the magic number”), Butler mentions Band of Gypsys, Led Zeppelin, and Rage Against The Machine.
Butler plays a lot of acoustic guitar, but that doesn’t mean it’s all “chilled out, mellow, beach vibe”.
“I like to get a bit ugly, more loud and intense. My acoustic guitar goes through a Marshall [amp]. I have a lot of energy and aggression, and to express that in a creative way is essential for my wellbeing.”
Before music came along, Butler channeled his aggression into skateboarding.
“Cracking cement with your trucks is a great way to express violence. It’s a little antisocial and a little illegal, which is great for teenagers. It was either that or banging my head against the door,” he says.   
Butler is known for speaking his mind on social and political matters, both in his music and in interviews, but right now – it’s the simple things that matter.  
“I’ve pretty much been touring for the last 10 years, for about eight or nine months a year. It’s all good, I know it’s a rare opportunity to be able to make music and pay the rent and support a family, as well as touring and seeing the world. But this year I’ve been home a lot, which has been ace. I might even be able to eat the tomatoes I plant this year. That’ll be pretty much the highlight of my life.”
John Butler Trio, The Front Room, May 7.