Daniel Johnston (this page) and his music and drawings are the subject of a documentary by Jeff Feuerzeig (right).
S f ' He’s been feted by Kurt Cobain and Tom Waits, but, as DANIEL JOHNSTON tells Miles Fielder — and
a new film shows us — mental illness has kept the singer songwriter from moving beyond cult status.
ho is Daniel Johnston'.’ He‘s a singer-
songwriter — and cartoonist — from
Texas via West Virginia who‘s about as cult as musicians come. Among his better known followers are Tom Waits and Matt Groening. and Kurt (‘obain declared him the greatest ever songwriter and spread the word by wearing a T—shirt stencilled with the cover of his 1983 album: Hi. How Are You." Johnston‘s been credited as the godfather of lo-fi. and his music has influenced the likes of the Butthole Surfers. Iiels. Yo La Tengo and the Afghan Whigs. And yet a tribute album released last year (and featuring Teenage lianclub. Beck. Sparklehorse. the Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev) signalled with its graveside image and double pun title. l)l.\‘(‘()l‘(’l'(’(l ('orerer/ -- T/It’ Late (ireat Daniel Johnston. this remarkable musician‘s ongoing relative obscurity.
A new documentary film about Johnston‘s life and music may. however. bring him the wider recognition he craves and sorely deserves. The Devil and Daniel Johnston is a waits—and—all doc
90 THE LIST FESTIVAL MAGAZINE 125) Aug 8 Sop 7005)
in the mould of (‘rmnh and Ameriean Splendor
(with which it shares a producer).
Taking a rare trip outside of Waller. Texas (where he lives with his parents). Johnston meets me in the unlikely surroundings of a swish London media club. where he‘s promoting the film on a short liuropean publicity tour. Johnston's a big hear of man (which makes the 44-year—old‘s cracked but angelic singing voice all the more of a surprise). and he sits guzzling (‘okes and chain-smoking cigarettes throughout the interview. I tell him I enjoyed the film very much. and he rather sweetly replies: ‘()h. thank you very much.‘ Then I ask Johnston what he thought of the film.
‘Beyond the initial embarrassment it‘s all right. People seem to sit through it. It‘s a documentary: everything‘s true. But it‘s not as entertaining as I hoped. It doesn't really talk about my music that much. It talks about all my disasters] he says. laughing. ‘It has a deadpan sense of humour: Daniel goes to the mental hospital; Daniel goes to jail. But the humour isn‘t there unless you
laugh at it without thinking. I guess.‘
To understand Johnston‘s reaction to the film you need to know something about his life. He started making music from a young age. at home in his parents' (‘hristian fundamentalist household. While studying at Kent State (‘ollege he found his muse. Laurie. who remains his source of inspiration and a figure of unrequited love today. He dropped out of college to join a travelling circus selling corndogs. eventually ending tip in Austin in the mid-80s. where he took a day job at McDonald‘s and started making inroads into the city‘s then booming music scene. When MTV came to town to profile the scene. Johnston got some exposure. and it was around this time that he began to suffer from manic— depressive and dcltrsional episodes that would eventually lead to him spending five years in and out of various mental hospitals.
According to Butthole Surfer (iibby IIaines (who‘s interviewed in the film while having his teeth drilled in a dentist chair --- the freak). Johnston was tipped over the edge on ll