Library Voices singer battled head injury while making new album
Carl Johnson wrote 7 tracks on new album, Lovish
The Regina band Library Voices has experienced many of the expected hurdles faced by rock bands.
They've changed band members, had babies and had their gear stolen. Yet one of the band's largest obstacles not only came as a surprise, but could have prevented the band's soon-to-be-released album from ever being made.
Lead singer Carl Johnson suffered a brain injury after being attacked in downtown Regina.
Two years ago this fall, Johnson was on the street with former band mate Eoin Hickey-Cameron. It was Hickey-Cameron's bachelor party and the men were walking from Albert Street to a downtown bar.
They started yelling every homophobic slur in the book.- Carl Johnson
Johnson was sober and says Hickey-Cameron was leaning on him as they walked.
They saw a group of five to seven people by an SUV in front of them.
As Johnson and Hickey-Cameron walked toward them, the group "started yelling every homophobic slur in the book," said Johnson. "We just kind of kept walking... As we got closer, it got more aggressive."
The group then began to kick him.
Johnson credits Hickey-Cameron with purposely falling on top of him during the beating so he would be spared most of the kicks and punches.
Friends got Johnson to the hospital but he says his next memory is waking up at home the next day.
Later that week, CT scans revealed that he had suffered a severe concussion and that blood had pooled on his brain.
Nothing would come at first and I would just sit there and keep trying to play. Yeah, it was pretty scary.- Carl Johnson
Johnson said he had trouble walking and for a while he lost his sense of smell and taste. He describes his recovery time as being in a fog. "Like I couldn't listen to music. I couldn't watch things. I could just kind of lay in bed."
The fog took two months to lift.
When it came to playing music, it was no longer an easy task. "I just went to our jam space every single night for a long time... Nothing would come at first and I would just sit there and keep trying to play. Yeah, it was pretty scary... I didn't want to lose that"
His skills eventually came back. Johnson wrote seven songs on Library Voices' new album Lovish.
Johnson says some songs might be a little more dark and feel less happy-go-lucky than usual.
Lovish comes out Nov. 6 but the band is selling copies at its show Oct 24 at the Exchange in Regina.