Chicago – Back in 2009, along the shores of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, twins Rich and Ryan Meyer and their best friend Johnny Stevens formed Highly Suspect. Eventually the tattooed rockers moved to Brooklyn, where they began working with producer Joel Hamilton (Black Keys, Wu-Tang Clan) and released the EP The Worst Humans in 2012, which featured the single “Bath Salts.” Last year, Highly Suspect released the EP Black Ocean, again with the help of Hamilton but also with aid from Joe Duplantier (Gojira), and started to gain attention from those within the music industry, including scouts for Lollapalooza. Drummer Ryan, bassist Rich, and guitarist Johnny played Lolla this summer, and after their killer set, the guys took some time out of their busy schedule to chat with me about their music, the dangers of bath salts, and panic attacks.

Sarah Hess: You just finished touring with Chevelle before hitting up Lollapallooza. Sounds like you’ve been having a pretty great summer. What would you say has been one of the biggest highlights for the band so far?

Johnny Stevens: Lollapalooza, easily! It’s Glorious! Dope! Epic! Fresh!

Sarah: You guys are DIY and proud of it. Tell me, how did you guys manage to land a coveted spot at Lolla?

Rich Meyer: We played SXSW and did a good enough job to catch the attention of the right people.

SH: There’s been a resurgence of rock and roll in the music industry – which is evident with some of the acts here at Lollapalooza – and after listening to your EP Black Oceans, I’d say you’re part of this revival. What are your feelings on this?

Johnny: We wanna spearhead it!

Ryan Meyer: It’s about time. It’s needed!

SH: You’ve been compared to Queens of the Stone Age, Band of Skulls, and Kings of Leon – all of whom are Lolla alumni – how do you feel about those comparisons?

Rich: I think that’s spot on, but at the same time, we’re Highly Suspect.

Ryan: Those are all bands that we love. It’s very humbling to hear that, but yeah, we’re our own band and make our own sound.

Sarah: Tell me about “Bath Salts.” I suspect it’s not about putting them in the tub.

Johnny: I went to a rave, and I was on a lot of Ecstasy and Molly. I was looking for more. I looked down on the floor and found a bag of drugs. It turned out to be bath salts, but I didn’t know that it was bath salts [at the time]. A couple of days later I woke up in the hospital. I had OD’ed. I went home and wrote that song. It was a scary point in my life. I don’t do that shit anymore. Don’t do it kids! Seriously, don’t do it.

Sarah: Today you played a song about panic attacks. Can you elaborate on that?

Johnny: Yeah, so after the bath salts incident, I started developing anxiety, pretty bad. Sometimes I freak out and drop to the floor, and I feel like I’m dying. That song is called “Mr. Asylum.” It’s basically all about finding a safe place, and because an asylum is a safe place, a safe haven, I’m looking for that. “Mr. Asylum” references getting out of a panic attack.

Sarah: You’ve been working on a full-length. Can you fill us in on what inspired the album?

Ryan: We’re really excited about it. It’s a cumulative effort of our years in Brooklyn, and it’s gonna be dope! We’ve been putting a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into it, in the most literal way possible.

Well, I can’t wait to hear it! Follow Highly Suspect on twitter and facebook for news of their upcoming album release through 300 Entertainment. In the meantime, head over to iTunes to purchase Black Ocean.

(Photo courtesy of 300 Entertainment)

• About
• Latest Posts

Sarah Hess

At the age of six, Sarah Hess discovered True Blue by Madonna. This resulted in her spending hours in front of the bathroom mirror with a hairbrush microphone, belting out "La Isla Bonita" off key. Her love for music only intensified over the years thanks to her parents; her mother exposed Sarah to The Jackson Five and had her hustling to the Bee Gees, while her father would play her albums like 'Pet Sounds' and 'Some Girls' from start to finish, during which he'd lecture on and on about the history of rock & roll. Sarah would eventually stumble upon rap and hip-hop, then punk and alternative, and fall madly in love with Jeff Buckley and film photography.

After attending The School of the Art Institute in Chicago, Sarah went on to study education at Dominican University, earning a degree in history. When not teaching, writing, or taking in a show, she is most likely to be found with a camera to her eye or hanging out in a darkroom.


You can follow Sarah Hess on twitter at @Sarahhasanh and view her music photography on her website: smhimaging.com.

Latest posts by Sarah Hess (see all)

• The Wild Feathers Check One Off The Bucket List - July 31, 2017
• RY X Captivates Chicago - October 24, 2016
• Four New Bands at Day Three of Riot Fest - September 20, 2016

Related posts:

Meet The Last Internationale: The Newest Rebel Rockers 6 New Bands At Lollapalooza – Day 1 The Honda Civic Tour: The Art Rock of Grouplove and Portugal. The Man