Justin Johnson

Justin Johnson sounds like the ghost of a Delta bluesman found a workshop full of antique cigar boxes and decided to haunt them. His music is defined by a tactile, woody resonance that you can almost feel in your teeth. It is the sound of vibrating wire, sliding steel, and rhythmic foot-stomps, stripped of any modern artifice to reveal the skeletal beauty of American roots music.

What truly sets him apart is his 'Wizard' status on non-traditional instruments. He coaxes soulful, weeping melodies out of three-string cigar box guitars and even garden shovels, proving that soul resides in the hands rather than the gear. There is a deep respect for history here, but it is played with a modern precision that makes these 'primitive' sounds feel high-definition and urgent.

Start with 'If Walls Could Talk' for a masterclass in atmosphere, recorded at the legendary Cash Cabin. It captures the haunting, hollow-body echoes of his unique instrument collection while delivering a masterclass in slide guitar technique that bridges the gap between traditional blues and cinematic Western scores.