Exclusive Interview & Premiere: Pop Culturalist Chats with Motel Paradise

Singer-songwriter Barrett Johnson is an artist on the rise. Throughout his career, he’s experienced a lot of success with notable placements in hit TV shows like ABC’s Nashville, NBC’s Parenthood, and ABC’s Private Practice. But a few years ago, life threw him an unexpected curveball when his health started to decline. Isolated from his friends and family, Barrett turned to music to help him heal.

One of the songs that he wrote during that time was “Desert Island Living Room,” which is the debut track off of his forthcoming project, recorded under the moniker Motel Paradise. Pop Culturalist caught up with Barrett to chat about his new single, his upcoming album, and how he filmed the video in the empty streets of Los Angeles during quarantine.

PC: How did you discover your passion for music?
Barrett: I grew up in a religious household where my father literally forbid his six children to listen to music. One summer, when I was in grade school, my family took a vacation up to my grandparents’ home in Idaho. One late night after everyone went to bed, my older brother played me two songs in the loft. I was mesmerized as I listened to Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Down On The Corner” and Paul Simon’s “Mrs. Robinson.” It was like I was struck by lightning. I secretly listened to music from that day forward.

PC: You’ve had a lot of success already in your career. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out?
Barrett: Last week, I received a message from a woman—who I know but haven’t spoken to in a very long time. A couple years ago, she lost her son to cancer. I wept when I found out. Although we weren’t in contact, I watched her journey through complete darkness and thought about her often. In her message, she told me that my voice was soothing and that she played my songs at night when she couldn’t sleep. She finished by saying music was her therapy of choice. If I can shine even the smallest amount of light into someone’s darkness, that is success to me.

PC: Tell us about your new single, “Desert Island Living Room.” What was the inspiration behind the song?
Barrett: I lost my health a couple of years ago and was isolated from friends and family. It was one of the songs I wrote during my own healing process.

PC: “Desert Island Living Room” is the first release from your new project, Motel Paradise. What inspired the change in name?
Barrett: It started as a joke between me and one of my friends. During my illness, I was unable to work and had nowhere to live. My friend was letting me crash at his second-story artist workspace on a floor covered in paint, no bathroom, no insulation, in a sleeping bag with homeless people waking me up at all hours of the night. The flower shop underneath it had the word “Paradise” mounted on a fence, beautifully written in cursive with potted flowers. We started calling it “Motel Paradise.” Also, “Motel Paradise” would look better than my name on a coffee mug.

PC: What was the experience like filming the video, and how did that come about?
Barrett: After driving through Los Angeles a few weeks ago—when it was a ghost town—I had a vision that stuck with me a few days. I pictured playing guitar on a bedroom set in different parts of the empty city. A friend suggested making a song video. It was an absurd idea because the city was closed. I called up another friend, who dabbles in film and is also an officer in the LAPD. He miraculously agreed to do it. Producer John Hanson and coproducer/engineer Dan Ballard also agreed to record the song. Dan and I stayed in separate rooms at his recording studio, and John produced from a screen on a FaceTime call. We filmed the video in a day, using a police car that wasn’t exactly sanctioned, so let’s just leave it at that. This video happened because of my friends.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Barrett: Pato Banton. I listen to quite a bit of reggae. Roots and dancehall.

PC: First album you bought?
Barrett: U2’s War

PC: First concert you attended?
Barrett: Lenny Kravitz

PC: An album that changed your life and why?
Barrett: Bob Dylan’s Blood On The Tracks. I learned what was possible lyrically.

P-c: A venue on your bucket list to perform at?
Barrett: Red Rocks

PC: A must-have on the road?
Barrett: A good pair of boots, a stack of novels, and a silk kimono.

To keep up with Barrett, follow him on Twitter, Instagram, and Spotify.