Johnny Manchild and the Poor Bastards is a multi-genre band originated in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in 2016 by Jonathan Garrett (known as Johnny Manchild), as well as the co-founding members Ethan Neel, Ben Wood, and James Thompson.[1] Their music spans to genres such as punk rock, country, soul, and most commonly alternative rock and jazz, while lyrical themes range from personal issues such as previous relationship problems to broader themes such as mental illness and suicide.[2]
The band originally consisted of college students studying music at the jazz program in the University of Central Oklahoma in 2016,[3] and had their first EP "Valencia" released in early 2017.[4] In 2019, the single "The Message", which would later be included in the album "One Big Beautiful Sound", piqued the interest of music critic Anthony Fantano, who asked "What gives them the right to be this good?"[5][6] Manchild and his band have performed live and toured around the United States with their album releases, most notably in 2024 with the release of the album "Rapture Waltz", in "The Rapture Tour", from March 22, 2024, to May 10, 2024.[5] Rapture Waltz was produced and recorded with Grammy nominated record producer Wes Sharon.[7]
