Dominic Johnson: The Interview

What are five facts about you?

I’m half French on my maman’s side and didn’t speak English until I started primary school.
I’m ambidextrous but was forced to use my right hand to write by my stepdad and school teachers.
I play guitar kinda well…taught by my papa.
My papa was murdered.
I don’t sleep so well at night.

Where did you grow up?

Hackney, London. Had an alright house until some fucker decided to stick a knife in my papa’s gut, then we ended up in a shit hole council flat in some shit hole block. It weren’t all bad but it was pretty fucking awful. Puddles of piss in the stairwell, crack addicts and dealers always hanging around. I had to grow up pretty fast in that environment. Coming to live with my great aunt Molly in Clovelly, a tiny tourist hotspot village in North Devon was a real culture shock. It feels like I got to halt growing up for a little bit living there. Like I didn’t need to rush to adulthood to survive anymore. I could be a kid again – as if I can even remember what that is.

Who are the special people in your life?

My best friend, Erika. She’s been there for the longest time. Back in those pissy stairwells and those derelict parks in Hackney. She was there. And then there was Tom, my boyfriend. He’s brilliant. I don’t deserve him. My little brother, Toby, and Molly, of course. I wouldn’t be alive without either of them. Or my friends at HSA. They saved me.

Would you rather…listen to Katy Perry or gouge your eyes out?

Gouge my eyes out.

Desert Island: Three Items

Guitar
Any Stephen King book
Probably an endless supply of cigarettes too

What’s something you wish you were better at?

Being a boyfriend. I don’t appreciate Tom enough. He’s so fucking amazing and positive and talented and – I just feel like a darkness compared to him. I’m a leech. I’m terrified I’m gonna steal all his light. And that’s the last thing I wanna do. I could never hurt him. I can’t lose him.

What’s something you’re proud of?

My band, Attack of the Rhododendrons. I say my band but it’s a group effort. I’m proud of all the songs I’ve written for us, for all the gigs we’ve played. It’s my greatest achievement so far – except for my brother, Toby. Keeping him safe. Getting him out of that hell hole, away from my maman and stepdad.

What’s something you’re ashamed of?

That I couldn’t save everyone I loved from that hell.

What are you looking forward to right now?

Sixth Form. That sounds really nerdy but I’m excited for the year ahead. These are my final years at this school and while it hasn’t always been sunshine and daisies, it’s pretty fucking awesome and I plan on soaking up every second with Tom, Erika and my best friends.