Brushfire co-founder Jack Johnson

On a warm summer evening in 1999, a line formed around the Key Club in West Hollywood. The occasion was the premiere of a surf film called Thicker Than Water, a retro style surfing documentary which was the debut from a trio called The Moonshine Conspiracy – surfer Chris Malloy, his film editor cousin Emmett Malloy and cameraman Jack Johnson. Each wore a variety of hats in addition to helping direct – Chris was a cameraman, Emmett was something of businessman and Jack was a little known musician who contributed some original music.

Sure, all of the best surfers such as Kelly Slater were there to support the film but it was the reaction to the music after the screening that was particularly memorable – Jack joined G. Love and Special Sauce for the former’s “Rodeo Clowns” which the latter had released as the single from his album Philadelphonic. Jack played a few of his other acoustic-based originals, too and then drifted offstage as nonchalantly as he had come on. The crowd howled with approval. “That night really was like, ‘What do we have here?” recalls Emmett of the premiere and performance. “Everything felt massive.”

While The Moonshine Conspiracy would be forced to change its name a short while later, its inspiration – taken from the coltishly-appreciated, old-school Kentucky banjoist and singer Roscoe Holcomb’s “Moonshiner” – would portend the company’s greatest success: an artist that was able to combine simple lyrics with simple melodies but deliver music that was utterly unique.

In just a few short years, Jack Johnson would be a household name.

While Emmett edited Hollywood movie trailers by day, his house in Venice, Calif. had become the central hub for work on Thicker Than Water by night – and a crash pad for Chris and Jack. As Chris and Emmett edited the film, Jack would often work on his music. “He would stay up late and we would hear the clicking of the four-track upstairs,” remembers Emmett fondly. “In the morning, there were would be new songs.”

“I had known him pretty well [at that point],” continues Emmett, “but never knew him as a musician. It was like, ‘Wow, Jack, these songs are incredible.’” After persistent encouragement from Emmett and Chris, Jack – somewhat begrudgingly – allowed a handful of his songs to be used in Thicker Than Water. Part of the film’s success was due its soundtrack which, besides Jack’s music, included G. Love, Finley Quaye and The Meters. But mostly, people were interested in Jack.
“People had cassette tapes or mini discs and spread things around,” says Emmett of how Jack’s original four-track recordings began grow its roots (the soundtrack was not initially available for purchase). “That really started to get his music out to a lot of people and I think a lot of people had immediate reactions to it – including myself.”

One of the Jack’s early mentors was JP Plunier who he had met while securing music from Ben Harper for Thicker Than Water. Plunier, at the time, was Harper’s manager and producer. “JP is always somebody who holds art above business,” says Jack. “It’s nice to have somebody like that in the beginning.” Though major record labels quickly came knocking, Jack (and Emmett) ultimately decided to put out his debut Brushfire Fairytales with Plunier.

“We got a little scared off from the majors,” recalls Jack. “They didn’t see that the place I was coming from – the lifestyle I was already living – was actually going to be beneficial and help us. They would actually ask questions like, ‘Would you be willing to give up surfing to tour? We’re concerned a little bit because we know you travel a lot for surfing.’ Stuff like that and questions that would just scare the hell out of me.”

G. Love

Two years earlier, despite the modest success from his cover of Jack’s “Rodeo Clowns,” G. Love wasn’t getting the support he thought he deserved from his record label. At the time, Epic was funneling all of its energy and dollars into breaking the neo-soul rocker Macy Gray. “I had Jack in the studio,” says G. “I said to Michael Kaplan, my A&R guy [at Epic] who signed a bunch of people, ‘Man, you oughtta make a record with this guy. He’s great. He’s got a hit record in him – I’ve heard every song.’ ‘Well, is he a rockstar?’ ‘Well, not like Elvis or something.’ He obviously turned out to be one of the biggest rockstars there is.”

Plunier launched the indie label Enjoy! to release Brushfire Fairytales in 2001. As luck would have it, Enjoy! was forced to change its name, too – it became Everloving and has since released records from Metric, Joseph Arthur, Cornelius and The Entrance Band, among others.

The album’s popularity exploded across the country and abroad. What was it about this surf-soaked folk rock and its unassuming, if shy, creator that was so appealing? “We always knew Jack was really good,” says ALO keyboardist Zach Gill, a longtime friend of Johnson’s who’s known him since their UC Santa Barbara days where their first musical collaborations took place and much of Brushfire was written. “Whatever happened at that moment” – the skyrocketing success of the album – “it was what people wanted. It was right after September 11th and I think people were looking for something that was soothing or calming – something that spoke to them.”

The same year, Emmett and his brother Brendan released their first major motion picture, Out Cold, a skiing-based, Animal House -like comedy that saw Zach Galifianakis’ film debut. Emmett included three of Jack’s songs on the soundtrack – “Posters,” “Bubble Toes” and “Fall Line” – which were sequenced between artists like Weezer, The Foo Fighters, Jimmy Eat World and Sum 41.

To complete the trifecta for the year, Jack released a surf documentary that he directed called The September Sessions. In turn, the film precipitated its own trio of events: the film company, The Moonshine Conspiracy was renamed Woodshed Films, the soundtrack (and subsequent films’ soundtracks) became available to the public and a new record label headed by Jack and Emmett, Brushfire, was launched to release said soundtracks.

After releasing Jack’s sophomore effort, On and On (2003), Brushfire – with a distribution deal from Universal – found itself in a position to help some of its friends.

When Sony dropped G. Love after five albums, Brushfire tossed its hat in the ring to pick him up. After long discussions with Sanctuary and Lost Highway, the hip-hop infused blues artist went with Brushfire, releasing his label debut The Hustle in 2004.

Shortly after, Jack extended a hand to his teenage surfing buddy Donovan Frankenreiter who had been making music for years. His self-titled debut, with the Jack-fueled single “Free,” dropped in 2004.

“The idea was helping out friends,” says Jack. “With both those guys, we felt like it could just be this – we might be a three-artist label.” But after Jack asked his college buddy Zach Gill from ALO to play accordion and piano on his third album, In Between Dreams (2005), and invited him out on the road along with his band ALO to open shows, Brushfire soon added a fourth artist. ALO’s Fly Between Falls was released in 2005. Even then, Brushfire seemed strictly familial, if for no other reason than because of its artists’ similar sound and vibe.

The tipping point for Brushfire as a “real” label came with its next signing, Rogue Wave. The band’s frontman, Zach Rogue, had met Jack years earlier through their then-girlfriends (now wives) who were best friends from childhood. “I think I was actually at the first Rogue Wave show up in San Francisco,” Jack chuckles noting that he’d seen Rogue’s previous projects. “We went to Laguna Seca Daze [festival] one time and we saw Phish shows together in college.”

Emmett and Jack found themselves in a similar situation – possibly signing a friend who’s music they believed in – but this time the music, sounded very different from the rest of the Brushfire artists. “Are we the right fit?” Emmett recalls of the basic question. “Is what we’re going to offer helpful to you? We all trust and respect each other, but is it going to work?” Two albums later – Asleep at Heaven’s Gate (2007), Permalight (2010) – the answer seems to be yes.

Brushfire family bonding

Part of Brushfire’s appeal to its artists is the opportunity to be involved with – or at least highly considered for – any number of films, projects and, most important, tours.

Twenty-eight year-old Orange County, Calif.-based singer/songwriter Matt Costa knows the power of being on a soundtrack first hand. As a former semi-pro skateboarder, Costa began skateboarding while living with his family in Florida. “Some of the first skate videos I saw were really budget – where they had to tape it on a VHS camera – but I remember watching people skate all across the world,” he says. “Even on the most miniscule budget level, when [the footage] had the music going along with it, it really created something cool. I remember going out and buying CDs for that reason. To have that same sort of involvement in something else that my music could be in” – Woodshed Films used some of Costa’s music for its third film, A Brokedown Melody – “was really special.”

Costa came to Brushfire through Emmett’s friend Tom Dumont, No Doubt’s guitarist. “I think that was the first direction [change as a label] of me saying, ‘Jack, you’ll love this guy,” and getting him to open for Jack for a whole run and ultimately making a record I really love," says Emmett.

Jack, who had never met Costa before, recalls listening to the living room demos and being impressed by the unsigned artist. Still, Brushfire stuck its original M.O. as a soft sell. “We’re not really a competitive label,” Jack says. “We always encourage people to check [all the other labels] out – how JP did with me – see what’s best for you and if this sounds fine, then we’ll do it. No pressure.” Three albums later, including this year’s critically-acclaimed Mobile Chateau, Costa seems to have quickly found his stride.

For Costa or any of Brushfire’s nine other artists – including Neil Halstead, Money Mark and Zee Avi – the label’s touring component is key. When Jack tours, he always brings Brushfire artists with him. Always. While the concept seems rather obvious – a record label supporting its roster – consider what other multi-platinum artist regularly takes their fellow labelmates on world tours?

“It works out great for me to have all these musicians be able to come up and play,” says Jack. “And obviously it’s great for them to be able to get in front of these crowds and share their music. It’s about the best thing we can do as a label for these bands.”
“Jack is supporting us because we support him in some way as well,” says Zach Gill. “There’s a symbiotic relationship there.”

G. Love – who recently opened for Jack solo acoustic – puts it rather bluntly. “Let’s be honest: Any label would pay a shitload of money to have their new critically acclaimed pop band on the Jack Johnson tour but the bottom line is they’re probably not going to get it because Jack doesn’t give a fuck about it. He has that luxury. [Brushfire] has always done things the way they want to do it, with no compromise. That’s paid off. I hate to use the quote, but they’ve really kept it real.”
Part of what’s kept Jack grounded, which other Brushfire artists have looked to, is the decision to make his immediate family part of his music career. His wife Kim, along with Emmett, serve as his managers. (She also helps with art direction, photography and guest lists.) Kim and their three children also tour with him.

“I’ve talked to people where they say, ‘How do you make it work? Cause every time my wife comes out she just gets bored after a few days,’” says Jack of musicians’ unenviable balance of work and family. “I think that’s the real secret to the success – when she comes out, she’s part of the tour too. She doesn’t feel like the visiting wife.”

The future for Brushfire Records is wide open. While Jack confirms that the label intends to sign additional artists in the future, for the time being it remains focused on its current roster. Label priorities, as of press time, are Costa’s Mobile Chateau and the second leg of Jack’s tour behind To the Sea. G. Love will release his fourth album for the label in February, a straight blues record produced by Scott and Seth Avett.

“When G. Love and Jack did music at the beginning, there could have been a competitive spirit that came out of that and there wasn’t,” says Emmett of how quickly the latter’s popularity eclipsed the former’s.
“Jack has always had my back since,” concurs G. Love. “Anything I ever did for him, he’s repaid me a thousand fold. I can’t say enough about how at home I feel [on Brushfire] since I’ve been there. I think could see potentially spending the rest of my career there.”

Emmett laughs as he recreates a typical conversation with G. Love. “He’ll go, ‘Hey Record Boss!’ And I’m like, ‘Man, don’t do that.’ Even saying that I’m a manager to anybody makes me feel uncomfortable.”

So when he finds himself being asked about his business relations, Emmett ducks the “and what do you do” questions rather easily. “I always just say, ‘I’m Jack’s friend.’”