ackstage at Aftershock Festival, Highly Suspect frontman Johnny Stevens sat down with 107.7 The Bone’s Chasta and Baby Huey for a candid conversation about music, creativity and the experiences that shape him.
Stevens opened up about why Highly Suspect doesn’t release albums on a strict schedule, explaining that he needs to have something real to draw from before creating. After going through a difficult couple of years, he says those experiences could eventually become the foundation for the band’s next album.
He also discussed the freedom of making music without genre restrictions, his thoughts on AI and the value of authentic, human-made art, and the nerves that still come with performing at a festival.
When asked what he loves about music, Stevens gave perhaps the most fitting answer of the conversation: the distraction from pain.



