Daniel Johns’ reveal on Silverchair reunion rumours in YouTube series

Daniel Johns hears on camera what his former colleagues said about him while he was in rehab as Silverchair reunion rumours swirl.

Daniel Johns opens up on his former Silverchair bandmates rejecting an invitation to reunite on his solo album and the mental health collapse he suffered ahead of his drink-driving accident in the first episode of his new web docuseries.

In The Mind of Daniel Johns’ first episode reveals he asked Ben Gillies and Chris Joannou to play on the opening track Reclaim Your Heart because “I really wanted to play with them again for that feeling.”

He ended up playing the drums himself - with spatulas - because he didn’t have any drum sticks at his Newcastle home.

It appears there is still some disharmony in the Silverchair ranks.

The next episode of the three episode series is teased at the end with a clip of American radio personality Megan Holiday informing Johns of a now deleted social media comment by Gillies.

“While you were in this recovery process, there was quite a stir online and Ben made some comments about your genius status that fans often say about you. And he said he reserves the term genius for Einstein and Mozart and without orchestration from other people that your songs are simple,” she tells him in the teaser.

“Did he say that?” a smiling Johns responds.

Silverchair in 2007 with Joannou and Gillies flanking Johns. Picture: Supplied

Johns, who looks nervous in the opening seconds of the interview, reveals he suffered daily episodes of disassociation in the weeks ahead of the accident.

His declining mental health hit rock bottom and he self-admitted to rehab for alcohol abuse and to treat underlying trauma.

“Every day I felt like I wasn’t in my body; it was like a bad trip,” he said.

He said he felt guilt for putting other people’s lives at risk by driving under the influence.

“I don’t like that I put other people in a situation because I was ... not in my right frame of mind, and it wasn’t just from alcohol. I was legit having a nervous breakdown; I had never felt it before.”

During his time in rehab, his FutureNever album reached No.1 but the former Silverchair frontmen said he didn’t believe his record label executive brother Heath when he gave him the news.

“I didn’t believe him really; I just thought he was trying to keep my spirits up,” he said.

“I thought it was over.”

The big “reveal” – ahead of the first episode of – that reunion rumours were about them playing on his record rather than getting the band back together.

This was despite him constantly affirming during the podcast that not only would Silverchair never play again but he hadn’t maintained any contact with his former bandmates.

“I asked them not out of necessity, I asked them because I wanted to make it clear that I don’t have an issue with them as people – I just didn’t want to play under the banner of Silverchair,” Johns said.

Supplied Entertainment Daniel Johns with American radio personality Megan Holiday. Picture: Supplied

Johns outside Raymond Terrace Court after his sentencing in July. Picture: Peter Lorimer

“Once I’d established myself as an artist outside of Silverchair. I asked them to come again and then when they didn’t want to, I didn’t care. It was like, ‘I asked you, it’s cool, I’ll play the drums with spatulas’.”

Gillies and Joannou have yet to weigh in on Johns’ claims – the drummer has been focused on his own music, releasing the single On The Stereo in May while Joannou is a restaurateur and bar owner.

The three-part series will also discuss his rehab experience after he began abusing alcohol in the wake of making FutureNever.

Daniel Johns in his teens. Picture: Supplied

FutureNever went No. 1 several weeks after its release in April and surprisingly after he released limited edition cassette versions of the album and while he was in rehab and unable to promote the launch.

“For probably the first time in my life, I’ve sacrificed the art for both my physical and mental health. I had a nervous breakdown, I really f*cked up — I’ve been processing pain and guilt,” he said.

His next project is the launch of the Past, Present & FutureNever exhibition in Melbourne’s Rialto tower on Thursday, a showcase of memorabilia from the Johns’ vault.

It includes the re-creation of the bedroom in his parents’ Newcastle home where he wrote the lion’s share of Silverchair’s hits.

Reclaim Your Art, the first episode of the docuseries lands at 6pm on August 22 on YouTube.

Originally published as Daniel Johns’ reveal on Silverchair reunion rumours in YouTube series