I spoke with Johnny Torres about songwriting, sync licensing, retirement, discipline, and what it means to build a real creative life after decades of doing the responsible thing.

For the past several pieces, The Vibe Check has been looking at the real machinery behind creative work: the artists, service-based sellers, musicians, makers, freelancers, and entrepreneurs who are trying to build something sustainable without pretending the process is glamorous every day.

Johnny fits directly into that conversation.

He is a musician, yes. He is also a creative entrepreneur building the second act of his life around original work, owned platforms, merch, live performance, sync licensing, and the daily discipline of staying in motion when the industry does not immediately answer back.

After 37 years in the utility business, Johnny retired in January 2025 and made a decision that had been waiting for him since he was young: it was time to give music the center of the room.

Born and raised in Chicago, Johnny started behind the drum kit at 13, picked up the guitar, and wrote his first song at 16. Today, he is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, drummer, and singer with more than 40 original songs in his catalog and more on the way.

His current chapter includes new music from Slackers Unite Band and One Arm Giant, work with music supervisors, an expanding merch line, vinyl releases, live performances, and the launch of JohnnyTorresMusic.com, a platform built to give listeners, collaborators, and music supervisors a fuller look at his work.

What makes this interview especially relevant is that Johnny is not describing creativity as a fantasy. He is describing it as a working reality. The writing. The pitching. The catalog organization. The website. The merch. The live shows. The business model. The long silence between opportunities. The choice to keep going anyway.

That is the part of the creative economy people often skip over. This conversation does not.

The Interview

Becky O’Shea: How do you want to be described in the piece, and where are you based?

Johnny Torres: Born and raised in the heart of Chicago, I am a multi-instrumentalist whose sound is defined by the grit and soul of his hometown. My musical journey began at age 13 behind a drum kit, finding the rhythm that would eventually lead me to pick up a guitar and pen my first song at 16. Today, I am a prolific songwriter, drummer, and singer with a catalog of over 40 original songs, and I am still writing every single day.

Becky: What are you working on right now?

Johnny: 2026 is all about growth and expansion. I’m currently working with music supervisors to place my 40-plus song catalog in TV, film, and ads, but I’m even more excited to share what’s happening right now.

My Slackers Unite Band single, “American Dream,” was released in March. In May, for Mental Health Awareness Month, I released “Just Fine,” which is available to download for $0.99, with all proceeds going to NAMI. This month, my newest single, “Bigger Brains than Anyone,” with One Arm Giant will be released. It is our first new release since the Start Tomorrow LP in 2023.

I’m also putting the finishing touches on new merch and my official home on the web, JohnnyTorresMusic.com.

Becky: What’s the story you want people to understand about you as an artist?

Johnny: My songwriting is always based on emotions and feelings.

I am the guardian of my own authenticity. In a world of over-produced digital noise, I have a strict rule: if it isn’t felt in the heart and soul, it doesn’t exist. My music is not “content.” It is a collection of captured emotions.

Becky: Describe your sound in plain English. If you had to give three “for fans of” references, what are they?

Johnny: Slackers Unite Band and my other project, One Arm Giant, are both inspired by the music I grew up with. My sound is a masterclass in these influences: the power-pop hooks of Cheap Trick, the high-voltage energy of AC/DC and Van Halen, and the raw, earth-bound storytelling of Chris Stapleton and Nathaniel Rateliff.

Becky: Walk me through a typical week. Rehearsal, writing, recording, day job, logistics, whatever’s real.

Johnny: After 37 years working in the utility business, I retired in January of 2025. I decided at that time that what I wanted to do at 25 is what I wanted to focus on at 55. My next chapter in life would be about my music.

I focus on being healthy both mentally and physically, and I work on my music every day. Daily practices include tai chi, meditation, walks with my dog in the forest preserve nearby, playing guitar, playing drums, and songwriting both lyrically and musically.

I now have the freedom to sit and work through a spark of creativity in real time, which was hard to do when working a 16-hour shift and getting three kids off to school.

Becky: Tell me one scene that captures the reality. A moment in the studio, on stage, on the road, or at home that says, “this is the job.”

Johnny: For me, this is found in the quiet, pressurized air of the recording studio. This is where the intangible ideas that live in my head finally hit the airwaves. There is a specific, recurring moment of alchemy where a melody or a rhythm transforms into something tangible, something I can finally hand to a friend, a loved one, or a stranger.

It’s a process that, despite the meticulous work, always results in something better than I originally imagined.

Becky: What’s the biggest misconception people have about being in a band or making music now?

Johnny: The biggest misconception people have about making music today is that it’s all about a single “lucky break” or a lifestyle of constant parties and effortless creativity.

The reality is that music is a blue-collar job. People think you just write a song, upload it, and wait for the world to find you. In truth, for every three minutes of music you hear, there are hundreds of hours of administrative work, website building, financial budgeting, and relentless pitching to music supervisors.

Being an artist in 2026 means being your own manager, your own booking agent, and your own tech support. It’s about having the discipline to write every single day and the resilience to keep going when the industry is silent. The magic only happens because of the work that happens when no one is watching.

Becky: What’s the hardest constraint right now?

Johnny: Pushing a 40-song catalog into the hands of music supervisors requires a level of resilience. For me, the challenge is not just writing the next hit. It’s staying the course through the silence, knowing that the right placement is just one “yes” away.

Becky: You mentioned your 40-plus song catalog and pitching to music supervisors. How are you organizing and positioning that catalog?

Johnny: We are using the new website, and the music is cataloged by vibes. We worked with the website creator to make sure it was geared toward ease of use by music supervisors.

For internal organizing and sending music files for consideration, we use DISCO. I enjoy how easily I can organize my playlists and refer back to them for reference.

Becky: What do you see as the primary revenue streams for this next chapter? Streaming, sync licensing, vinyl, live shows, merch, direct sales?

Johnny: My current business model is to focus on songwriting and sync placement. At the same time, for more immediate cash flow, I am selling our new merch on the website, which includes T-shirts, sweatshirts, and vinyl.

Becky: You launched your own website. Why does owning your own platform matter to you instead of relying only on Spotify and social media?

Johnny: Launching my own website was a priority for me in 2026. JohnnyTorresMusic.com launched in March, right before we left for SXSW. I wanted to have a place to send people that was truly my own.

The website shows music supervisors that I am serious about my work, and I am invested in being here for the long haul. It gives them a place to go to learn more about me and my music in greater detail.

Social media and platforms like Spotify, while I enjoy using them, only allow you to see a small snapshot of my work and my personality, and the algorithms change constantly. The other factor is that payouts for artists on streaming platforms are very low. The way to generate revenue is through merch sales, performances, and, of course, placements.

Becky: Retiring after 37 years is a big decision. What was the financial or emotional risk in choosing to focus on music now? Was this carefully planned or more of a leap?

Johnny: My retirement was carefully planned. At 55, I was eligible for my pension. With that in place, it allows me to focus on my passion. I am able to focus on creating music, and I get to do what I wanted to do at 26, at 56.

Becky: Looking five years ahead, what does success actually look like for you? Is it placements, touring, sustainable creative income, or something else?

Johnny: I would say all of the above, and add in traveling and meeting new people all over the world. I want to build a lifestyle in retirement where my music, my art, and my creativity are the fuel. I would consider that success.

Becky: What do you want listeners to do next?

Johnny: We are on all streaming platforms. Stream the music, follow the journey on social media, and stay tuned for what’s next. The website has launched, new merch is coming, and I went to SXSW in Austin, where I performed at the Cactus Club.

Quick Hits

Becky: What’s one early moment that made you take music seriously?

Johnny: I was at the Taste of Chicago, and there were street performers playing the drums. I asked if I could play with them. When I first sat down with them, there was no one around, but when we finished playing, there was a large crowd that erupted into applause. That was the day I knew I wanted to be a performer and be a musician.

Becky: One drummer and one non-drummer influence that shaped your style?

Johnny: Bun E. Carlos, the original drummer from Cheap Trick, and Peter Gabriel.

Becky: One piece of gear you can’t live without?

Johnny: My acoustic guitar. I use my guitar to write my songs, and sometimes I use the body of my acoustic guitar as a drum.

Where to Find Johnny Torres Music

Johnny Torres Music is available on streaming platforms, with merch, vinyl, music catalog information, and artist updates available through his official website.

Official Website: JohnnyTorresMusic.com

His Slackers Unite Band single, “American Dream,” was released in March. His single “Just Fine,” released in May for Mental Health Awareness Month, is available to download for $0.99, with all proceeds going to NAMI. His newest single, “Bigger Brains than Anyone,” with One Arm Giant will be released this month, marking the project’s first new release since the Start Tomorrow LP in 2023.

The Bigger Takeaway

Johnny’s story fits squarely into the larger conversation about creative entrepreneurs, artists, musicians, makers, and service-based sellers because it shows the part of the work people rarely romanticize.

• The song matters, but so does the catalog.
• The performance matters, but so does the platform.
• The creativity matters, but so does the business model behind it.

For Johnny, this next chapter is not about chasing a fantasy version of the music industry. It is about building something real around the work he has already spent a lifetime carrying with him. The website, the merch, the vinyl, the sync licensing, the live shows, the pitching, and the daily writing are all part of the same structure.

That is the lesson here for anyone trying to make a creative life sustainable. The art may begin with emotion, but the career has to be built with intention.

Johnny is not waiting for someone else to define the moment for him. He is organizing the catalog, making the pitch, building the platform, and creating the work.

That is what creative ownership looks like.