If The Beach Boys and The Replacements merged their sounds, you'd get something that sounds like Superdrag, the secular rock group that released four albums and had a 1996 hit single with "Sucked Out." MTV championed the band, Conan O'Brien had them on his late show, and they sold out concerts everywhere. But the rise to fame took its toll on singer John Davis, who turned to drug and alcohol use, eventually spiraling out of control with his addictions. One day at rock bottom, Davis reached out for something greater than himself—and met God, leading to a conversion experience and his decision to leave Superdrag and go solo. Davis shared his story with us, as we talked about his new self-titled debut on Rambler Records.

How did Superdrag stand out when it first got started?

John Davis: It was around 1992 in Knoxville and there were an awful lot of little Rage Against the Machines and Smashing Pumpkins Jr.'s running around. No one really wanted to sound like the Beatles or Badfinger, so I'd say that was what made Superdrag different from a lot of the others around.

Did that different approach get you the deal with Elektra?

Davis: We were actually signed during that early to mid-90s wave when pretty much anyone with a fuzz box could've gotten signed. It wasn't like we were the greatest band in the world—we hadn't even been together for two years—but record deals in general were pretty hot and heavy. We did a lot of showcases and bidding wars were going on. We just started to tour as much as we could and a lot of labels took notice. We wound up going with Elektra because they were a cool label known for the likes of The Stooges and MC5. Granted that was back around 1969, but still they were making a point of not just signing the most formulaic bands out there.

What was your attitude like when the band started, and what turned you to so many destructive habits?

Davis: When the first record came out I was 21, still pretty young. I didn't know a whole lot about nothing. I knew how to play guitar, but not a whole lot about life. After a while of playing shows, scoring a single and getting so wrapped up in your band, the world around you gets pretty small. I sort of shifted into living in my own little world, moving from a van to a tour bus, then getting a crew and eventually not having to lift a finger. The flipside is that leaves you with an awful lot of free time, and being in a band can really enable you to become an alcoholic. I have an obsessive/addictive personality, so it wasn't that hard to find trouble. It's sort of like that in this business, where people are gonna indulge in erratic behavior and it's going to be accepted. If you act crazy, you're going to get high fives backstage and after years and years it becomes part of the show.

At what point did you hit rock bottom?

John (left) in his days with Superdrag

Davis: In the rare instance when I go back and listen to our last record [2002's Last Call For Vitriol], I hear a guy who was really fed up, which makes sense because we were right in the middle of making that record when I went haywire. There was one day in particular when I was driving down the Interstate and all of a sudden I felt the impact of a lightning bolt, cannon ball and having a safe dropped on me all at the same time, metaphysically speaking of course.

What prompted the range of emotions?

Davis: The Holy Spirit. I didn't really see anything out of ordinary at first but then I started feeling real uncomfortable, kind of like when your foot falls asleep and then when you stand up on it, you feel all sorts of pins and needles. If my being convicted at that point was like a car's speedometer, it was like I went from zero to 100 instantly. I started talking to God and asked the Lord to tell me something or show me something.

Did you previously have a background in the faith?

Davis: I come from a strict Southern Baptist home. When I was ten, I walked the aisle and accepted Christ. I was baptized, and the whole time growing up we went to a church about fifty yards from my house. I knew the plan of salvation, I knew the Bible and all of the language, but I stopped living it. I spent years of running in the opposite direction and God just flattened me in the best possible way where I had no choice but to submit.

What was the process of breaking the band up?

Davis: It's a lot harder break a band up than to put it together. This took place smack dab in the middle of a recording process. The first thing I had to do was take about two weeks off to get my mind right. To put it in plain English, I had a bad drinking problem, which with or without the Lord's help would still mean me having to deal with the repercussions of kicking it cold turkey. But I fulfilled all my contractual commitments, finished the record and then went on tour.

What was your behavior like on that last Superdrag tour?

Davis: It was like comparing apples to oranges. I began to get cleaned up and feel sober, and at that point the material started to get to me. Here I was this new creation singing songs from my old self and it was hard to stand on stage playing those, which I no longer do at this point.

How did you transition into a solo career?

Davis: My wife and I moved to Nashville in the fall of 2002, which was kind of the beginning. I distanced myself for an awful long time before I started to write new music and I was almost a little psyched out that I wouldn't be able to do it anymore. My wife and I set a deadline and decided if nothing happened by January '04, then I would go into another line of work. But even before the songs were produced, several people in the industry caught wind of it, liked what they heard and I was signed.

What is the primary difference between Superdrag and what you're doing now?

Davis: I think the heart of it is a lot different. When it comes right down to it, the foundation lies in joy and being hopeful. A lot of the stuff we did was previously pretty negative, emotionally speaking. On the musical end of things, I'd say my palette has grown a little wider—and it's given me more freedom where I don't have to get the input from three other guys before making a decision.

How do you think the old fans will receive the new music?

Davis: Well, I think there's a portion of that Superdrag audience that's just glad to see me with something on the shelves, even if they don't subscribe to the ideas behind it. Hopefully, whether they agree with what I'm singing about or not, they can see that I'm being honest and at least respect the fact that I'm singing about what I believe. I have a lot of love for those fans and the people who bought those records and I hope to still have them while getting new people turned on to what I'm doing. The only thing that I ask is that they give me a fair shake—nothing more, nothing less.

Check out John Davis' official website here. Be sure to read our review of his solo debut. Visit Christianbook.com to listen to sound clips and buy John Davis' music.

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