Johnny Marr - “It's My Sound. I F*cking Invented It. I Can Use It As Many Times As I Like!”

Johnny Marr is an inspiration to countless guitarists. In a major new interview he discusses his entire career – from The Smiths to his latest solo masterpiece. And also included in this 20-page TG special: how to play like Marr, with three classic Smiths riffs to learn, plus exclusive interviews with the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ John Frusciante, Manic Street Preachers’ James Dean Bradfield and The Killers’ Dave Keuning on the genius of Johnny...

- By Rod Brakes. Photographs by Andy Cotterill, Niall Lea, Fraser Taylor, Johny Marr

On October 4, 1982, an 18-year-old Johnny Marr walked on to the stage at the Ritz in Manchester to perform his first gig with The Smiths. A lifelong guitar devotee, Johnny had been playing in various local bands since the age of 13. The Wythenshawe lad had “served an apprenticeship” and was ready to take on the world. Four decades on, as he speaks to TG from his Manchester home, it is obvious Johnny’s enthusiasm, curiosity, and love for playing guitar remains as strong as ever.

His latest solo album – Fever Dreams Pts 1-4 – is an expansive sonic masterpiece that brings together myriad styles while somehow managing to retain that quintessential Johnny Marr sound. The secret lies in his instrument of choice. “Me and my band feel a duty to represent the guitar,” Johnny says. “As more time has gone on, I’ve reverted to the idea that if there is space for an instrumental passage then it has to be done on the guitar, because that’s what people want from me.”

Johnny Marr co-founded The Smiths, the groundbreaking British indie band, just when the guitar world was in dire need of a new kind of antihero. Johnny’s inimitable tone underscored the band’s gritty elegance and forged an aesthetic that has galvanised generations of guitar players since.