Meet 54 Ultra, Provider of All Things Bedroom Garage Rock

On a (very) hot summer day a few weeks ago, I found my way into this really cute and vibey market full of shopping stands and musicians. While walking around, I heard the intoxicating sound that I would soon discover was a band called 54 Ultra. Right away, I found their Spotify and listened to every song on the discography. Composed of singer/songwriter John Anthony, 54 Ultra combines ‘70s vibes with bedroom garage rock to give you the future of indie music. John Anthony actually follows in the footsteps of Kevin Parker from Tame Impala. You know, like how all the indie kids say Tame Impala is “really just one guy.” We could say the same about 54 Ultra as he’s the true inner workings of the band. Along with drummer Zach Ammirati, bass player Mark Shannon, and lead guitarist Nick Nestico, John Anthony rallied the group that he nicknamed his “beautiful boys” to help put his thoughts into action. I had the wonderful opportunity to sit down with John Anthony and ask him a few questions about his journey as a musician and lead singer.

[UNPUBLISHED:] When did you first become interested in music or like being a musician?

[JOHN ANTHONY:] Going back to when I was 15 years old, I started getting migraines every day. At first they thought it was cancerous because of the swelling. Before they figured out that it wasn’t a brain tumor, but actually chronic migraines, I asked myself: “How can I leave some purpose?” At the time, I was really into rap music and that whole vibe. So I started to teach myself how to make beats. And that's where my love for music kind of started. I was taught how to play the piano when I was nine or 10 years old, and then I carried that talent over into making beats.

[UNPUBLISHED:] When did you decide that you wanted to create your own band?

[JOHN ANTHONY:] Around 15 or 16 years old, I started working with Fetty Wap’s label, making beats for artists who were signed to him. Around that time I was working with artists under him who were a part of the same music group. So I basically worked from the bottom-up just working with different rappers, until his cousin recognized my talent as a producer and wanted to continue working with me. By the age of 17, I was in the studio with all of these different rappers, making music and gaining experience from it all.

[UNPUBLISHED:] How did you go from rap music to rock ‘n’ roll?

[JOHN ANTHONY:] When I was around the age of 18, I realized that rap was getting very repetitive to me, so I got bored of it. I had a girlfriend who put me onto indie music and from there I just started listening to a bunch of different artists. I would compare different artists and their sounds with one another. For example, I like Lil Uzi Vert a lot, and he was always talking about Paramore and this Hayley Williams figure, so I got into Paramore. And then one of my friends showed me Billie Eillish, so I got into her music and so on. I end up falling in love with a girl who also embodies that as well. She wanted to be a singer, so she was involved in putting me onto different genres of music. At the same time, I started listening to a lot of disco. I was—and still am—super into Michael Jackson. But I fell into a depression because I realized I’m not the person I used to be. By May 2019, I got my first guitar. After I got pretty decent at it, I started making beats with it around September 2019. Once the pandemic hit, I went on a music hiatus for about six months. It was weird because after not making music for a little while, I came back and recorded two full albums, back to back.

[UNPUBLISHED:] What is your creative process when writing a song?

[JOHN ANTHONY:] Like I said, I'm a producer at heart. If I hear a song I like, I tend to remake them to see how the person got to that point. From there, I take each piece apart. Then, I’ll make something inspired by that song—probably the drums. From there, I’ll just play along with it until something clicks. Then I’ll add in lyrics, which usually come from little stanzas or blurbs that I keep in my phone. I like to talk to myself, so I record my words to see if anything comes up. It is either that or the song writes itself sometimes. My new song, “Should I Let This Go,” felt like that.

[UNPUBLISHED:] How would you describe your sound/music style?

[JOHN ANTHONY:] It falls into the indie bracket right now, but I’m still trying to find my voice, so I’m using that to pivot into other things. I like to call it bedroom garage rock, or soft rock for my slow jams. My goal is to make soft, tasteful rock ‘n’ roll kind of music. The new single I put out is to show the duality in my music. I play the piano and guitar. The slow jams come out on the piano and the rock ones come out on the guitar.

[UNPUBLISHED:] Of all the songs you’ve released, which one is your favorite and why?

[JOHN ANTHONY:] Probably “Just Call Me Baby” because it’s my first one. I like that whole single because both songs are in the same key. I didn’t realize it but they both share a chord on accident, so they sound like they’re in the same family.

[UNPUBLISHED:] What is the meaning behind naming your band 54 Ultra?

[JOHN ANTHONY:] I got the name “Ultra” from the girlfriend that influenced me a lot. Her Instagram account had the word “ultra” in it, from Frank Ocean’s Nostalgia, Ultra. When she was trying to come up with a stage name for herself (she wanted to be a singer), I told her to use something with “ultra” in it, but she didn’t want that. I told her if I ever started singing I was going to take that name and she couldn’t get mad at me for it. The 54 part comes from Studio 54, like the disco. I just liked the safe space that it was for everybody, especially during that time period.

[UNPUBLISHED:] If you could choose an artist/musician from any time period to be featured on one of your songs, who would it be?

[JOHN ANTHONY:] I don’t know if I would want them on one of mine, but I would love to jump on probably a Stevie Nicks song. I love Fleetwood Mac, but I love her solo work as well, it’s a very specific sound. I also really like her voice and how she writes.

[UNPUBLISHED:] Do you have any new music coming out that we should look forward to?

[JOHN ANTHONY:] I’m definitely releasing a new single before the summer ends, along with a music video for it. It’s called “You Were Made For Me” and it’s another rock ‘n’ roll kind of vibe. I want to put the single and the video for it out together. Similar to my last single, it’ll have an A side and a B side, with a slow jam as well.

54 Ultra’s new single, “You Were Made For Me,” will be released on August 6th, 2021. Blending catchy synths over a killer drum beat, the new single gives me very much “Surf Curse” and “Joy Again” vibes. I’m always a sucker for a good synth, so I instantly fell in love with this song when I heard it over the chorus. It’s just perfect to add to your summer playlist, so be sure not to miss out! In the meantime, you can catch up with all of 54 Ultra’s music from their first EP, Paris, to their single, “Should I Let This Go,” on Spotify as well as following the band on Instagram. Go stream 54 Ultra and tell all your friends while you’re at it!