A Conversation with Jack Johnson

It’s been three years since his last studio album and Jack Johnson is back, ready to reclaim his title as the master of mellow, surf folk-rock. With his latest effort, the Hawaiian singer-songwriter traded in the darker, electronic sound from his past two albums for the breezy, beachside charm of his older releases.

Unplugged and unaffected, From Here To Now To You was written entirely on the acoustic guitar, right on Johnson’s front porch on Oahu’s north shore. The 12 tracks were then recorded at Johnson’s own Mango Tree Studio, where the band took nightly sunset breaks to catch some waves in the backyard.

TIME caught up with Johnson backstage before his sold-out show at Tower Theater, the historic music venue just west of Philadelphia. The artist opens up about the new album, his punk rock past, and the time he was tackled by his childhood surfing idol.

TIME: First of all, congratulations on “From Here To Now To You” reaching the Number 1 spot on the Billboard 200.

JACK JOHNSON: Yeah, that was really exciting. It’s crazy, it’s something we never really expect. We’re always kind of blown away. It was funny because I think Drake’s record was supposed to come out the same week as ours. And then the last minute he switched a week, so we got lucky.

Read more: http://entertainment.time.com/2013/10/04/a-conversation-with-jack-johnson/#ixzz2gluhgUdu