RS: Awesome. The first time you heard Anomaly, the track with BT, what was your first reaction?
Jan Johnston: I loved it, it gave me that piece of that heavenly thing that I tend to love with the heart - my vocal and harmony. That was the track that made me realize that I could move in to another area without losing anything of myself, anything of the song, or having to change anything. Things just moved a little quicker, that was all. I could still use the same melodies, the same harmonies, the same process of writing, it just moved a little quicker, that was all. I was happy that even today we could strip-down all those songs and do like an MTV unplugged with an acoustic guitar because the songs work at any level.
RS: You have a lot of songs in movies. Have you watched a movie where your song has been on the soundtrack?
Jan Johnston: Oh yes with Paul Oakenfold, we did the Swordfish Premiere. They brought me out to the Hudson Hotel here and sent a limousine. We went up the red carpet, watched the movie which was absolutely freaky, and it was a huge buzz for me. I remember thinking I better take all of this in because if it never happens again, at least I've got this to live with forever. Then we went back to the Rockefeller Center and Paul DJed and I did the track that he mixed, which was one of my songs off the album that I'd done for him in the film. I sang live and he played that evening. Rockefeller Center was rocking and the smell of flowers and the trays of food - it was just an amazing experience. I haven't had one quite like that since. We have had songs going into other films and on to other TV things, but that was the one where I was invited along to see the film and to perform live, so that was a huge night for me and obviously Paul Oakenfold was a huge part of that.
RS: I also wanted to ask you about your website. I was taking a look around it today. It's just amazing to see all of the different records you've been involved with.
Jan Johnston: The person who started my website, Graham Bates, was a fan and I didn't even know this website existed - we're going back now eight/nine years. A friend of mine put my name in and up came his site, and I was absolutely flabbergasted and got in touch with him. He's the person who looks after this for me and helps me with the newsletters. It's unbelievable to have somebody that cares that much and was a fan - that just blew me away. Obviously we've met and I've been down to his house many, many times now.
RS: It looks great. Are you involved with adding stuff to it?
Jan Johnston: Yes, all the time. I write to Graham as I'm doing something and I let him when the next gig is coming. He lets everybody know what's happening and what's going to be or hopefully what's going to be released next. I'll send him photographs or other people will send him photographs from gigs.
RS: One last question, what would you like to say to all the dance music lovers out there?
Jan Johnston: I can only thank them for continuing to love the music. It's very, very difficult now for an artist to actually get an album deal because of all the downloading, and that's made our lives extremely difficult. Because of the ongoing chats through the website and the support of our fans, its made me continue even though it's financially difficult. It makes me continue with this quest because when it gets very difficult, you sort of question yourself. You think, why am I doing this. Then you go to a gig and those dance lovers are there and they let you know what they feel and you realize that you have to continue. I love what I do, I love performances and writing. When I get in to the studio, that's where I feel most at home. So until it doesn't feel right, you have to continue and that's what I'll do. Right now it's still feeling very, very right
