Today we’d like to introduce you to Jacob Johnson.
Hi Jacob, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
Before getting married and raising 4 sons, my grandmother (“Mom Johnson,” as we called her, my dad’s mom) played guitar and sang in pickup bands around The upstate. She could sing harmony, was pretty, and could play the 5 or 6 chords required to stay busy. So, when I started showing genuine interest in picking up the guitar at around 12 years old, she showed me a few chords to get started. I locked myself in my room to practice and came out when I was old enough to drive. I played in a gigging band all through high school – we played the Wild Wings circuit, frat parties, and some battles of the bands hosted at the Handlebar and other local venues. Playing electric guitar and emulating heroes like Stevie Ray Vaughan and David Gilmour, I had a blast. Still, when I entered college, I became enamored with the modern fingerstyle techniques of Michael Hedges, Phil Keaggy, and Don Ross. The use of altered tunings, two-hand tapping, and other non-traditional playing techniques characterizes modern fingerstyle. Once I combined that with the meat-and-potatoes playing I already learned from blues and rock, I developed my unique style, which I describe as “Acoustic caffeinated.” College was a bust, but my solo concerts were popping off locally, so I dropped out of school in 2007 to play music full-time. I drove repeatedly up and down the East Coast as far as Maine, playing festivals, coffeehouses, listening rooms, and backyards. Slowly, I began building a fanbase, releasing music, and could even perform alongside many of my heroes, such as Grammy-winner Phil Keaggy, who “opened” for me one memorable night in Knoxville in 2013. I also enjoyed a stint on the road with Tommy Emmanuel and shows with Tim Reynolds, Victor Wooten, Marcus King, Edwin McCain, and others. 15 years and 6 mini-vans later, I still love traveling and performing for a live audience!
Let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
I’m proud of what I accomplished musically and professionally during those years. Still, without the larger mechanism of a management team, record label, or booking agency, it eventually just became a grind. I did lots of traveling and playing, but nothing moved the needle in my career. I didn’t have the resources to invest in my career to allow it to grow, and I was also in love, wanting to get married. So, in 2019, I started teaching part-time at North Greenville University. Yes, for those asking, that is the college I dropped out of. I enjoy teaching. It allows me to be at home with my wife more, and, oddly, it keeps a guitar in my hands more hours of the day than when I was playing concerts full-time. It’s also afforded me the mental and financial bandwidth to get my career as an artist back on track.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m releasing more music now and selling more concert tickets than at any point in my career, most recently culminating in two sold-out shows in one night at The Warehouse Theatre on December 23. My live performances are definitely what I’m the most proud of and what I’m known for. I love looking into the audience and seeing folks who have been with me since the beginning sitting next to their friends for the first time. I love seeing parents bring their kids, and even kids bring their parents. People tell me I’m the one thing their whole family can enjoy together, even very young children sometimes. My next single, “F. Scott Fitzgerald,” will be released on January 31, followed by a full-length album and more concert dates later this year.
What changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
The music business is changing faster than anyone can keep up with it. What broke an artist just a few years ago won’t work today, and what breaks an artist today won’t work in 2 years. There’s so much I don’t have control over; my focus has to be consistent in areas I do have control over. Namely, the music I release and when and where I play concerts. It’s essential to me that I only play venues where I can put on the type of show I want to put on. Good sound, and few distractions. Comfortable seats!
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.JacobJohnsonTunes.com
- Instagram: @JacobJohnsonTunes
- Facebook: facebook.com/JacobJohnsonTunes
- Youtube: youtube.com/JacobJohnsonTunes
Image Credits
Jan Anderson, Sandlin Gaither, Joel Owens
