Interview by Kris Peters
In some quarters better known as the former clean vocalist and rhythm guitarist of Attack Attack!, Bilmuri (Johnny Franck) has been busily rebranding himself since starting the project in 2016. Over the course of 14 albums in that eight-year period, Bilmuri has developed his own unique and effective sound, blending country, metalcore, pop punk, indie, and electronic influences into one.
His latest album AMERICAN MOTOR SPORTS dropped in 2024, and the resulting success of that release has seen him traverse the globe, before finally visiting Australia for the first time this month.
With only one show left on the Australian Motor Tour - at The Roundhouse in Sydney (upgraded from The Metro) - Bilmuri found time to chat with HEAVY about the tour so far and what he thinks of our country.
"We put the tour up on sale, and I was like, I don't know if anyone's going to come out to this," he laughed, "and it sold out in one day! So it's honestly been wildly beyond my expectations, and the shows have been incredible. I just love the country as well, so it's just been great, man. Definitely one for the history books, at least for me."
We ask about him starting Bilmuri in 2016 and why he decided to start his own project from scratch rather than join an existing band.
"Because I'm a selfish, egotistic, narcissist," he laughed. "But no, to be honest with you, I like having control over everything. So that was a big thing. I felt like a lot of times I would always be fighting someone to have something, where it was like I think this idea is good, and I don't want to have to fight a bunch of people to do it. I just want to do it. So I think that was like a lot of the beginning of Bilmuri is just kind of making exactly what I want to do, how I want to do it."
In the full interview, we discussed the success of Bilmuri's Australian tour, which featured sold-out shows and enthusiastic audiences, particularly in Melbourne. Bilmuri expressed gratitude for the overwhelming support from fans and the welcome he has been given. He elaborated on his motivations for creating Bilmuri, emphasizing his desire for artistic control and emotional expression, while acknowledging the challenges of blending various musical genres authentically.
He also revealed his creative process, driven by a response to wanting to keep on the move, and mentioned upcoming plans for new music and participation in major festivals such as Lollapalooza and more.
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