Jack Johnson’s acoustic melodies, filled with the sunshine and blissed-out lifestyle of his native Hawaii, have soundtracked the bus journeys, skinny dips and searches for inner peace of thousands of unwashed gap-year travellers. Music snobs have been known to roll their eyes at songs that are by turns mellifluous and saccharine, but Johnson can point to his huge commercial success — the 34-year-old performed to 35,000 at a sell-out concert at Hyde Park in London last year. His surfer-dude image is not an affected one — he grew up on the beach, spending every hour out of school in the water, where he says he “learnt all the most valuable life lessons”. A pop star by accident, the former pro-surfer dedicated himself to music after a wipe-out on the coral while surfing in the notorious Pipeline in Hawaii left him with 150 stitches and a set of new teeth. Since then he has sold more than 15 million albums worldwide. He still lives by the water with his childhood sweetheart wife, Kim, and their three children (including a newborn daughter). And if his music is simple, it is probably on account of his humble ambition for it: “I sing about love and that’s what makes people feel good.”

Musical inspirations

Jimi Hendrix

The first thing that really got me going musically was Jimi Hendrix. I was working at a local pizza place and it’s the first time I had my own money. I went into the music shop with my savings and I looked at all the cassettes and I picked out Electric Ladyland. I went on a camping trip with my dad to Otter Island and lay there with my headphones on every night listening over and over. I first learnt to play the guitar around then because I was inspired by him.

Fugazi/Minor Threat

I got really into a punk band called Fugazi in college. The singer, Ian MacKaye, had another punk band called Minor Threat and their music was a bit easier to play. Me and my brother got together with a friend to make a Minor Threat cover band called Limber Chicken. It’s the name of a dance move where you grab your ankle and pump your leg back and forth with one hand behind your head like an idiot. Fugazi was the band we really liked but we could sound a lot more like Minor Threat so we played their music.

Ben Harper

I listened to Ben Harper a lot when I was at college at Santa Barbara. I felt he was the contemporary version of a lot of the music I was into, such as Bob Marley and Otis Redding. It was a crazy thing that life meant that I would get to meet him, become friends and even to collaborate with him.

Favourite surfing spots

Pipeline, Hawaii

I can’t give you my absolute favourite in Hawaii because it will become more crowded. The spot I grew up surfing in all the time is called Pipeline. It’s probably the most famous line in the world, but it’s fantastic. It goes from really deep to really shallow and so the water creates a cylinder that you can ride inside, like being in a little time machine. Once a tourist got swept up and my friend and I had to save her. We were 13. We were holding on to her underwater to get her to a place where the waves weren’t so big and we really struggled. It was a life-changing experience to save a life at that age.

Rincon, California

I went to college in California, and this was the spot I would surf and spend most of my time. It is a beautiful point break, and a really long ride; every once in a while you can ride along the wave for about a minute.

Newquay Beach, Cornwall

Last time I was there the weather was awful but it is so beautiful. You have a whole different vibe going on there than at home. Unfortunately, you do have to wear clothes and so on, which is a shame. I’m used to it being so tropical that it’s hard to do anything, and I live in T-shirt and shorts.

Favourite films

The Endless Summer (1966)

A classic surf movie. The soundtrack is an original score, and a beautiful guitar hook keeps coming in throughout the film.

Don’t Look Back (1967)

A lovely film that follows Bob Dylan’s 1965 tour of England. His performances are inspiring.

Led Zeppelin (2003)

I enjoy this more for the live performances than the tour antics. I guess their music is pretty different from mine, but I love watching them on stage.

The Green Iguana (1991)

This surf film came out when I was a kid and I watched it over and over. I got a lot of inspiration from the bands that featured on them — TSOL and Agent Orange.

Bunyip Dreaming (1994)

An Australian surf film that’s so beautiful and atmospheric. I could watch surf films all day. You might say I’m completely obsessed with the water.

Jack Johnson’s En Concert live performance collection is out on CD, DVD and Blu-ray on Mon

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