The list of musicians that Alain Johannes has worked with reads like an encyclopedia of California rock history. In high school he was in bands with Flea, Hillel Slovak, Jack Irons and Anthony Kiedis, all of whom would form the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Later Alain formed Eleven with Natasha Shneider and Jack Irons. They toured with Pearl Jam and Soundgarden, and for several years recorded and toured with Queens of the Stone Age.
As a writer, producer and engineer, Alain has worked with Chris Cornell, No Doubt, Mark Lanegan, Jimmy Eat World, Queens of the Stone Age, Brody Dalle, Arctic Monkeys, PJ Harvey, and Them Crooked Vultures which featured Dave Grohl from Foo Fighters, Josh Homme from Queens of the Stone Age, and John Paul Jones from Led Zeppelin.
Photos: Tom Bronowski
“Whether for his frenzied fretting and boisterous bass work in bands like Eleven, Queens Of The Stone Age and Them Crooked Vultures, or for his genre-defining wizardry behind the console as a producer and engineer, there are plenty of reasons why Alain Johannes is such a revered name in rock, grunge, punk, and pretty much any genre of guitar music that made it through the ‘90s.” - Guitar World Magazine
“Alain showed me a variety of technical exercises, scales and patterns, to help me gain bass proficiency. They enabled my hands to grow strong, and soon the bass started feeling natural under my fingers. He helped me develop the physical ability to play the rhythms in my heart. The exercises he taught me are still the ones I play before every show… I'll always be grateful to him, that day was magic.” - Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers)