INTERVIEW: Filter’s Jonny Radtke talks Summerland, new album

Filter has been shredding eardrums for two decades, and now the rock band is on the lookout for some new fans. With a coveted spot on the Summerland tour, a musical grouping that includes Everclear, Live and Sponge, Filter has hit the road to satiate the palettes of the faithful and attract newer, younger listeners along the way.

On Tuesday, June 4, the band will also release its latest effort, The Sun Comes Out Tonight, a 12-song album that couples loud beats with alluring rhythms and catchy lyrics. The album, of course, features Filter’s frontman and founder Richard Patrick, but it also has new band member Jonny Radtke on guitar. Both are credited as co-writers.

Radtke, formerly of Kill Hannah, recently talked with Hollywood Soapbox, saying he’s excited for the new tour and album.

“Today is actually the first day of the tour,” Radtke said during a phone interview on the first date of Summerland 2013. “So all our buses are parked right next to each other — you know, Everclear, Live, Sponge. … Over the years, we’ve had relationships with each of these bands. We’re really excited to see old friends and, you know, play some great shows. It looks like the tour is going to be fantastic.”

Radtke first joined Filter in fall of 2011 for a tour with Bush. Calling the transition into the band as a “last-minute thing,” the guitarist has found a new home for his amplified style of music.

“Rich and I have also known each other for many years,” he said. “We realized that we complement each other very well. We have the same influences, and we had similar, actually identical, directions where we wanted to go to make a record. So Rich wanted to do this in a collaborative effort. I was absolutely honored to be a part of that here.”

The guitarist, sporting the requisite number of tattoos and shoulder-length hair, is a native of Chicago. He spent a decade with Kill Hannah before jumping into solo work and spending some time with Ashes Divide, Billy Howerdel’s band. Now he collaborates with Patrick, someone he called “like a brother.”

“We just work so well together,” Radtke said. “Music comes effortlessly. Yeah, it just felt right. When we started making the record last fall, you know, we were in there every day and just hacking out ideas. It’s almost like some of the songs even wrote themselves. It was a great experience, a lot of creativity flowing, and, yeah, we hope to keep doing it.”

On The Sun Comes Out Tonight, a song named “Surprise” stands out for the guitarist. Radtke even said the track is a favorite among Patrick and the producers. “I still listen to it every day,” he said, mentioning the manner in which the lyrics and music fit perfectly. “I’m proud of the entire record, but that one especially.”

Summerland, which will play New Jersey’s State Theatre on June 11, will likely congregate hardcore Filter fans and newbies yearning for the alternative sound of the 1990s.

“We’re getting a lot of new fans as well, and that’s great,” Radtke said. “Yeah, you’ll see people that have been coming to shows for years, and then you’ll see the new ones that you hope that will be coming back. It looks like already that they are.”

Radtke said that over the years he has tried to create music that he’s proud of and is the end result of hard work. In today’s fragmented music industry, such “hard work” is necessary.

“But, you know, still I’ve always had the mentality, and dating back to my days in Chicago when Kill Hannah first started, we were on major labels, but we were still a do-it-yourself band. We gained popularity in our hometown before we went international. … We never just relied solely on radio and all that stuff. Yeah, it does make our jobs harder, but it’s part of the whole thing. And I actually enjoy it.”

On the Summerland tour, fans can expect 45-minute sets, with Filter appearing second in the lineup, right after Sponge and before Live and Everclear. The concert should be a fan-friendly affair.

“We’re going to play some big hits that put Filter on the map and then also some of the new stuff, you know, some of the stuff that’s circulating out there now,” Radtke said. “We’re known for our live show, and we really bring it every single night. And that’s what fans should expect.”

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

• Filter is part of the Summerland 2013 tour. In addition to playing the State Theatre in New Brunswick, N.J. (June 11), the 1990s lineup will visit Virginia, South Carolina, New York, Canada, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Ohio, among other stops in the coming weeks. Click here for more information.