Local Lancer: Senior Johnnie Collins talks about living in California, making music and his unique middle name

WHAT IS YOUR FULL NAME AND WHY IS IT YOUR NAME?

My full name is Johnnie Ruckus Collins and it’s my name because my dad wanted to name me Johnnie Fender as my middle name instead of Ruckus. My biological mom was like, “No, no, that’s not happening.” My dad was a punk rocker. This is what he tells me — he said that he told my mom, “Johnnie Ruckus.” And that happened.

WHAT IS YOUR PROCESS OF MAKING MUSIC?

First, I have to be alone. I have to be able to think straight. So basically, a topic comes at me, I just think of a topic and then I start processing lyrics in my head, and then I’m like, “I need write that down!” So I grab a notebook and I write it down. And then once I start writing, like the whole first verse down, or like some of the verse, I just grab my guitar and I try to incorporate the sounds that go well with it.

WHAT DO YOU THINK THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LA AND KANSAS CITY IS?

The greenery is way better here. Trees are green, grass is green. It’s beautiful. Sometimes you don’t even need to water your plants in order to make it green because the rain just comes. In LA it doesn’t really rain.