Johnny Majestic makes pop-rock music of the future shaped by flashes of the past.

 

With songs like “In the Clouds,” “Weep All Over” and “Lovin’ Myself,” Majestic effortlessly fuses such disparate ingredients as Hi-NRG dance grooves, hyperpop synth squiggles and hair-metal guitar riffage into something fresh and cool and excitingly modern, and caps it all with witty lyrics, irresistible melodies, lush vocal harmonies and powerful choruses. “I like depth within the music, and playfulness in the presentation,” he says.

 

Majestic’s genre-bending playfulness comes across vividly in his videos, his Instagram — where he regularly reworks his songs in a wide variety of styles ranging from Eurodance to ‘70s-style hard rock to lounge-y bossa nova — and even more so in his charismatic live performances. Resplendent in brightly hued blazer, silver trousers and a tousled green shag with fingernails to match, Majestic radiates an infectious joy onstage. Moving fluidly between keyboards and guitar, he delivers one propulsive, effortlessly catchy anthem after another in a voice that can veer from Bowie-esque croon to Prince-tastic falsetto shriek at a moment’s notice. It’s a powerful audio-visual cocktail capable of sending any audience into an ecstatic, hard-grooving frenzy.

 

Born and raised in Prague, Majestic began studying classical piano at the age of six, but soon felt the call of rock in a big way. “The first band I really got into was KISS,” he recalls. “I was obsessed with them as a kid. Then the main thing I was really into after that was ‘80s glam, like Mötley Crüe. And Bowie, of course; I’ve always loved how he switched up genres. I try to use that same approach — mixing different things together while still like having an identity that stays the same.”

 

Musically, stylistically and sartorially, Majestic is heavily influenced by what he describes as “things I see in my dreams,” as well as fantasy B-movies from the 1980s. “As with glam metal,” he says, “I like taking things that are looked down upon by the wider public and seeing the beautiful aspects and incredible artistic possibilities of it. I like when there are certain elements of music that I can rethink and rework into a modern artform — something that, ideally, retains the edginess of the original but also conveys a futuristic vision.”

 

Now based in Los Angeles, Majestic is currently working with his band on a six-song EP, which is tentatively slated for a 2024 release. “I've been focusing on singles over the past two years, but I started to feel like just releasing singles is too slow of a process,” he says. “I want to get more of music out there, so people can listen to it whenever they want.”

 

For Johnny Majestic, experimentation is the key to making music that’s sharp and fresh enough for the TikTok generation, yet resonates just as powerfully with listeners looking for a new rock n’ roll hero. “When I started out playing in bands, I felt like everything needed to go by certain rules and standards,” he says. “And now, I'm trying to completely eliminate all of that, and make it really free.”

 

bio by Dan Epstein