Nick Johnston

News alert! Scoring scoops isn’t exactly my goal during the conversations for this podcast. When Nick Johnston announced two new projects during the recording, my initial reaction was simply excitement. It wasn’t until the editing phase that I realized: “Hey, this is news!” Nick revealed that he has started a band with superstar drummer Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree, King Crimson). He’s also coming out with a trilogy of solo albums accompanied by a full-fledged novel. I can’t wait for this music to see the light of day. However, it was another sentence that stuck with me after the conversation with Nick: “I have two brothers, and they’ve never heard my music. They’ve never came to a concert of mine. And they’ve never asked me anything about my music.” Nick speaks very openly about how this was once painful for him, but he’s managed to put that pain aside. Most of the super guitarists I speak with for this series have families that support them through thick and thin. Nick, however, comes from a background where his passion wasn’t exactly understood. I find it incredibly impressive that he’s broken free from this, found his own path, and walked it, no matter how big the obstacles were along the way. For those who don’t know Nick: his music can be summed up in five words: un-be-lie-va-ble. The unique way he plays always resonates with me immediately. He also has a gifted sense of harmony and melody. Is he the very best? Of course, that’s a matter of taste. But if you asked me with a gun to my head, there’s a good chance his name would slip out.