It's been a long time coming. Over years in the making, rock superstar in waiting and genuine all-round good guy Johnny Lima finally gets to release his third album, 'Made in California', this December. What a fantastic Christmas present to all his fans! Marriage and fatherhood may have given Johnny a new sense of responsibility, but hopefully it won't be long before we see his huge grin and boundless enthusiasm on the UK stage. Ever wondered what The Beatles would sound like with balls? Kieran Dargan does the digging...

So Johnny, I suppose after creating somewhat of a stir with the 'Shine On' release way back in 1999 you seemed to slip out of the spotlight for a while, despite the odd Gods appearance. What has taken you until now to finish the new album?

Geez, where do I start? First off, we must understand that at the time of recording the new album, music wasn't my full time job. So I didn't have the luxury of recording 5 days a week. I was lucky if I could record two days a week. Second, so many things happened in my personal life. I got married, we had a child, and we bought a new house. After my son was born, music was the last thing on my mind. I wanted to spend every waking moment with my new little family. I took fatherhood very seriously and that was and still is my most important role in life. So there was a long period of time where I didn't even record a single note - not to mention I didn't have an album's worth of material to record. So I had to spend some time writing. I wanted to make sure that this album blew away 'Shine On' cos what's the point of making an album if you can't make one better than the previous one. So there's my story, and I'm sticking to it. HAHAHA!

One would assume on hearing the album title that 'Made in California' could be a reference to yourself, however on listening to the lyrics, it doesn't seem to be so. Where exactly does the title come from?

I planned on calling the album 'Made In California' way before the song was written. Not sure as to why, but I just thought it sounded cool. I had a cool concept for the album cover as well, but Mark Ashton didn't really like my idea. Anyway, the song was supposed to be for another band I was writing for. But as I was writing the song, the title fit like a glove to the melodies and music, so I decided to keep it for my album. It's a bit heavier then what I normally do, but it's a really cool song none the less.

I remember reading somewhere that you said you wanted to put an actual band together for this album, but I understand that you have again done most of the work yourself. How come things didn't work out band wise?

I've always wanted to record my album with a band. That would be a major blessing. However, I spent my entire advance on studio equipment, and I wasn't about to pay musicians out of my own pocket. I promised myself never to put myself in debt because of music again. So unfortunately, there was no money to pay studio musicians. So I had to do it all myself. That's another reason why it took me so long to make this record. Not only did I have to be the Producer and Engineer. I had to be the singer, guitarist, keyboardist, bassist and drummer. That's a lot of hats to wear. The nice thing is, everything was played exactly like I wanted it to, haha!!

A little while back, when asked, you said that this album would be more modern sounding, but to be honest, to me it just sounds like an extension of what we have come to expect from you - no frills melodic hard rock.

Well, I think it's definitely more modern than my last two albums. I'm talking from a production standpoint. I never said I was going to make a Linkin Park album. I just didn't want to make a predictable melodic rock album. I think this album really showcases some great songwriting. If you think 'Made In California' is in the same ballpark as my last two, then I would recommend getting your head checked cos it's definitely playing games with you. Besides, the album is being released by a company that specializes in melodic rock music and caters to a melodic rock audience. It would be a dumb career move if I made a powerpop or 'nu-breed' album. They wouldn't know what to do with it.

For any artist recording a melodic hard rock album in the current musical climate the question has to be asked, what makes you do it? It certainly can't be for the money, the fame, the glory. Is it something that is inbred so to speak? A leopard never changing his spots?

What makes me do it? Well that's the million dollar question! Hahaha! Shit, maybe I'm the one who needs to get his head checked. All kidding aside, I really do enjoy it. I always get this major rush when I've been working my ass off recording a song and then hear the final product. It's a labour of love. Besides, now that I'm working in a recording studio, I work with a lot of different artists from different genres of music. So even though I don't make a killer living making my own melodic rock albums, I'm not doing too bad recording other artists. Unfortunately, I've been really busy in the studio lately, so that I don't even have time to work on my own stuff.

Living in California,do you feel that there is still a stigma attached to melodic hard rock, you know the big hair thing? Is it still very out of vogue as a musical genre, or is it becoming cool again to put on a big slick rock record and pump it up?

I think the 'big hair' thing will be out of vogue for quite some time. I hope it never comes back. Even though I used to be a part of that scene I'm much more excited about music today. Back then it was more important to nourish your hair then it was your music. However, image is still very important in today's society. I don't know if Europe is the same, but Americans still hear with their eyes.

How would you describe 'Made in California' if you were asked by somebody who had never heard of Johnny Lima?

It's a great album that covers all the bases. There's the ballads for the romantic types. There's the pop-punk stuff for the nu-breeders. And then there's the Melodic Hard Rock stuff for the narrow minded. Hahahahaha! Just Kidding!

To me the song 'We got Tonight' reeks of classic Bon Jovi. In fact as a ballad it's possibly closer to Bon Jovi than anything JBJ has managed on the last two albums. Do the comparisons to Jon still bother you, or is it something you've become more comfortable with?

I don't mind being compared to Jon. He's one of the best singers/songwriters in this genre of music. So if I'm being compared to the best, then that's an ultimate compliment. I know that with 'Made In California', I've written and recorded the best album of my career. If someone compares it to Bon Jovi, then that's their opinion, and at the end of the day, that doesn't really amount to much for me. My opinion is the only one that matters to me when it comes to my music. If someone says it sounds just like Bon Jovi, then obviously they didn't listen to the album. I've never heard Bon Jovi write a song like 'Made in California' or 'Another Girl' etc.

The song 'Best Night of my Life' is, according to yourself, written about your Gods performance and the reception afforded to you. I assume that would be your first performance, rather than the second when you left the stage, how shall we say, a little prematurely?

Yes you are correct. As a matter of fact, we were going to play that song last at the 2000 Gods show. That was before the damn lights went out. It was a good thing though, because I rewrote the verse and pre-chorus and it's a much better song now then it was when I first wrote it.

Is that where the inspiration for your music comes from, real life experiences? Or do you find it easier to write about chosen subjects, particularly the song 'She's in Love with Another Girl'. Is there any truth in that one?

Not all the songs come from real life experiences. 'Another Girl' wasn't something that happened in my life. But I'm sure it happened to someone else. The same question was asked about 'Sweet Sixteen' from my last album. People would ask me "Is that true? Did you go out with a 16 year old?" I'm like, FUCK NO!! Are you stupid or something? So don't assume that everyone song I wrote came from a personal experience.

What persuaded you to cover The Beatles 'Help'. It has been done a million times over by various bands.Are you paying homage to your early influences?

It's been done a million times over? That's funny, I've never heard anyone do that song. I should get out more often. Anyway, I love the Beatles, and 'Help' happens to be one of my favorite songs from the Fab Four. I just hope the Beatles fans don't kill me for butchering a killer song. I have to admit though, I like my version better. It has more balls!

You contributed a few songs to the Anatomic album a year or two back, and if memory serves you were to continue working with them and possibly produce their next album. Are those plans still in place?

Yeah, Anatomic? There were plans to produce their next album but I'm not quite sure if I'm going to or not. I haven't talked to them for a while so I don't know what the plan is. If anything does come up, I'll let you know.

Is production an area that you are keen to get into?

Definitely. That's an area that I'm really getting into these days. I love the studio. Much more than the stage. I love making records, whether they're my own or someone else's. The studio is where I make my living now. Not doing my own stuff, but recording other artists. I'm beginning to be the 'go-to' guy in my area for those wanting to record in Pro Tools.

Your good friend Danny Danzi and yourself have gotten together for a week of drunken debauchery... ooops, sorry... 'songwriting' a while back. I know both of your are keen admirers of each others work. Did anything come from those sessions and have you any plans to work together in the future?

Actually it was two weeks, and unfortunately we didn't finish anything. We've always talked about making an album together, but we could never schedule anything because we were both busy doing our own thing. I'd love to work with him. He's an awesome talent as well as an awesome human being. You don't find that a lot today. So who knows what will happen in the future.

What are you listening to at the moment? Is there a particular band or bands that you think are cool? Do you keep up to date with the melodic rock releases here in Europe, especially seeing as you are regarded as part of that scene?

I don't really keep up with the releases from Frontiers, MTM, Z etc. They don't really interest me that much with the exception of Harem Scarem. I'm listening to stuff like Fountains Of Wayne, Evanescence, The Tories and a lot of Rockabilly, Trance/House and Acid Jazz. That's the kind of music that's exciting me these days. My tastes have really broadened within the last few years. The more I get into recording and writing, the more styles of music I find myself listening to. No more tunnel vision for me.

Is there anything you would like to add?

Just like to tell my fans that I really appreciate their patience and their support. I don't know when the album will be released. But when it does, I'm sure you're going to think it was worth the wait. Cheers!