Interview: Highly Suspect Rocks Philadelphia

By Michael Cerio

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Two weeks ago, Highly Suspect released one of the best albums of 2015. This Saturday, they unleash it on stage at Underground Arts in Philadelphia.

Their debut Mister Asylum is packed with sludgy, thick blues riffs, tightly wound around the howl of lead singer and guitarist Johnny Stevens. It's substantive aggression. Stevens' voice is passionate, often vulnerable, and sometimes downright seductive. The result is what you imagine early Stone Temple Pilots might sound like if they grew up in the emo era.

They've connected with their single "Lydia", which details a failed relationship for Stevens.

Beyond the inspiration, he also got to keep the couple's cat. "There's a lemonade that came out of it. There's a silver lining" says Stevens. "We got a song that's doing well, and a cat from the whole experience."

As it echoes across the country, you wonder how the other person feels. Now cat-less and the subject of a song sung by the masses. Stevens hasn't spoken with her, but imagines she's alright. "I have a good feeling that she's doing quite well. She's heard the song before, before it ever blew up. I don't know how she feels about it now. It must be surreal for her as well I imagine."

Speaking with Johnny Stevens ahead of his tour, he's disarmingly sincere and genuine. It's what powers the best aspects of his band Highly Suspect, and what makes him almost irate that other musicians approach life as a brand and not as a human.

"All these other artists, these other bands, they're just solely advertising their product. They're never ever saying anything real. And I feel like, back in the day there were artists that had things to say, and wanted to connect, and be real, and talk to their fans on a human basis" explains Stevens. "I'm still very much a human, and still very much trying not to be viewed as some type of idol or something that I'm not. I'm just a dude with a guitar, and so is everyone else that's out there on stage. And so are the athletes, and so are the movie stars. Everyone's just a human."

Stevens wears his heart on his sleeve, but also is sleeved, in tattoos across his body. The most prominent being a tattoo across the front of his neck. It's imposing and unapologetic, much like his music.

"Once you're the owner of a neck tattoo, it's less of a big decision for me as it for everyone else. It's your decision whether you like it or not because, frankly I enjoy art. I don't hold my neck skin any more valuable than my arm skin. To me it's all the same" he says. "It's kind of a great filter. If anybody wants to judge me based on how I look, I guess it's their prerogative right?"

Johnny Stevens and Highly Suspect will be at Underground Arts on Saturday August 1st.

Listen to the full interview above to hear more.