Search - Zachary Scot Johnson :: To Whom It May Concern

Singer-songwriter Zachary Scot Johnson captivates listeners with the lush emotional landscape of his acoustic fusion music. He blends blues and folk, alt-country and pop, and rock-n-roll, creating his signature sound, a distinctive musical flavor unlike any other. Yet it is absolutely accessible and connects with the heartstrings we all have inside us, waiting to be touched. But there s nothing cloying or artificial here, only genuine emotions, real impact, heart-on-sleeve emotional honesty all driven by remarkable talent. Not an ounce of Johnson s spirit escapes being funneled into his music. He holds himself to high standards. He has recognized in the world of music that the greats are all those who felt music with every fiber of their being and paid music back by putting every part of themselves into the creation of more music. "People whose entire body and being go into a performance inspire me", he says. "People who have the guys to go out there every night and lay it all out there for the audience to take they influence me". For his second cd, 'To Whom It May Concern', Zachary Scot Johnson had a mission--fill the sound. His stark, minimalist debut, 2004's 'Moment of Clarity' was recorded in the period of two long, intense days. The sessions resulted in the acclaimed 78+ minute disc and 6 additional songs not used (for obvious time restrictions). This time around, he says, "we focused on quality over quantity and have made the record I wanted to make". He recorded the new song set over the course of a full year, refusing to commit to deadlines or rush the process along. "There have been about 15 different release dates given during this one and as each of them came and went, I found myself tweaking and altering these songs. There are certainly pros and cons to having that kind of luxury--it can make a procrastinator out of anyone--but I relished the opportunity to do it my way", he says. Turning in a record that is far more rich and textured than his debut pushed his new songs in a special way. "It's been almost four years since my last record, so I've been playing quite a few of these songs for a while now at shows and have gotten comfortable and familiar with them in their solo, acoustic arrangements. Filling them out with bass, drums, guitars, pianos, and everything else was really nice--some of these songs sound completely different on the cd than when I perform them live." Some of these songs ('I've Been Here', 'Rewind', 'One Good Reason Why' and 'Life With You' in particular) have developed into set list staples. Johnson recorded the 13 original songs that make up 'To Whom It May Concern' almost entirely himself. Singing and playing piano, guitars, mandolin, violin, banjo, drums, percussion and harmonicas himself, he recruited his two brothers, Joel and Nathan whom are both strong musicians with solo works, to participate and asked Megan Flod and Mark Paffrath to contribute harmony vocals. 'Rewind' begins the album. One of the most popular songs in Johnson's set, the new version included here is stunning. Over a funk groove and some striking electric guitar distortion, Johnson sings a tale of an older character looking back upon his life. 'I've Been Here', the oldest of these songs, is an early album gem. Other highlights include the country-tinged 'One Good Reason Why', which has everyone around him saying it's the finest tune he's written yet, which features Flod and Paffrath singing backup. Changing it up to something more funky, he sparkles on the blues piano on 'These Days'. There's crisp mandolin on 'Now I Know' that gives the song a folky feel. These are just a few in an album of standout songs--an album void of filler. An album strong enough to stand the test of time and to further his career immensely.