IanJohnson

Fargo, ND, USA

Ian Johnson leaves listeners with zero ambiguity around his aspirations. While the Fargo-based songwriter’s sensibilities sit somewhere between several seemingly disparate scenes and sounds, his roots in guitar-driven underground rock are unmistakable, underpinning classic American rock and roll with strong modern pop mechanics. Since leaving heavy music in the rearview mirror, he’s developed a knack for layering understated rhythms and simple chords beneath deceptively complex melodies, crafting something that feels familiar but impossible to pin down. There’s a timeless quality to his songs, capturing an outburst of creative energy from an artist rediscovering passion for the craft, marking a clear moment in time for their creator but without hewing to the whims or aesthetic of any given era. These are, however else they may be described, rock songs, with a level of refinement that’s ready for big stages and big screens.