Nick Johnston (guitarist)

Nick Johnston
Nick Johnston facing left of the camera, hands together holding an object, seemingly listening to someone speak
Johnston in 2017
Background information
Born (1987-06-18) June 18, 1987 (age 37)
Rockwood, Ontario, Canada
GenresInstrumental rock
Occupations
  • Guitarist
  • songwriter
InstrumentGuitar
Years active2011–present
Websitenickjohnstonmusic.com

Nick Johnston is a Canadian guitarist and songwriter who records as a solo artist.[1] As of 2024, he has released six solo records. His albums have featured the work of notable artists such as Paul Gilbert, Marco Minnemann, Guthrie Govan, and Bryan Beller. He has also played on songs by other artists including Intervals, Scale the Summit, Periphery, Polyphia, David Maxim Micic, and Mike Dawes. He has toured extensively with artists including Plini and David Maxim Micic. In May 2019 he went on a North American tour with Between the Buried and Me and The Contortionist.[2]

Johnston has cited musical influences such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eddie Van Halen, Yngwie Malmsteen, and Jeff Beck, saying "I sound nothing like those guys, but I’m massively influenced by them".[3] Another influence was Joe Satriani. "Before listening to Joe, I don't think I understood how important a role the melodies played in building compositions", Nick stated in a Total Guitar interview. "I realised he was the guy who'd really figured it out—the balance of technique, tone, melody, and production. While players were learning blues from Hendrix and Clapton, I was learning them from Satriani".[4]

The guitarist released his own signature guitar through Schecter in 2016.[5][6] Schecter has since released additional variants of his signature guitar, splitting them into the USA Signature Series and Traditional Series, with these being premium and affordable versions respectively.[7] He is also passionate about comics and has hired comics illustrators to create his album art.[8]

Discography

Nick Johnston discography
Studio albums6
Singles7
Music videos20
Featured artist2
Other appearances9

Albums

Solo

Title Album details
Public Display of Infection
In a Locked Room on the Moon[9]
  • Released: August 13, 2013
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: CD, digital download
Atomic Mind
  • Released: October 7, 2014
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: CD, digital download
Remarkably Human[10]
  • Released: September 27, 2016
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: CD, digital download, streaming
Wide Eyes in the Dark
  • Released: April 19,. 2019
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: CD, digital download, streaming
Young Language
  • Released: November 26, 2021
  • Label: Remarkably Human
  • Format: CD, digital download, streaming
Child of Bliss[11]
  • Release: March 8, 2024
  • Label: Remarkably Human
  • Format: CD, digital download, streaming

with Archival

Title Album details
Fear and Fate
  • Released: April 23, 2021
  • Label: Remarkably Human
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
Your Kingdom
  • Released: November 18, 2022
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download, streaming

Singles

As lead artist

Title Year Album
"Silver Tongued Devil"
(featuring Guthrie Govan) 		2014 Atomic Mind
"Gemini" 2019 Wide Eyes in the Dark
"A Cure Promised"
"Young Language" 2021 Your Language
"Silver Moon Rising"
"Child of Bliss"[11] 2024 Child of Bliss
"Moonflower"
Title Year Album
"Slow Dancing in a Burning Room"
(Mike Dawes featuring Nick Johnston) 		2017 Era
"This Is Living"
(Afterwake featuring Nick Johnston) 		TIL[A]
"Krytonite"
(John Connearn featuring Nick Johnston) 		2024 Non-album singles
"Diving into the Unmapped"
(Juanpa featuring Nick Johnston)

with Osmanthus

Title Year
"Becoming" 2022
"My Heart is Slowly Burning Down"
"Diamond Tragedy" 2023
"All the Things"
"Oceans Rise"

Music videos

Title Year Album
"Sandmonster" 2013 In a Locked Room on the Moon
"In a Locked Room on the Moon"
"Even If It Takes a Lifetime" 2014
"Silver Tongued Devil"
(featuring Guthrie Govan) 		Atomic Mind
"Ghosts of the Robot Graveyard"
"Atomic Mind" 2015
"Ultra Force"
"Remarkably Human" 2016 Remarkably Human
"Hypergiant"
"Impossible Things"
(featuring Gavin Harrison, Bryan Beller, and Luke Martin)
"Fear Had Him by the Throat"
"Weakened by Winter" 2017
"A Sick and Injured Brain"
"Gemnini" 2019 Wide Eyes in the Dark
"A Cure Promised"
"Wide Eyes in the Dark" 2020
"Silver Moon Rising" 2021 Your Language
"Strange Silent Places" 2022
"Child of Bliss" 2024 Child of Bliss
"Moonflower"

Other appearances

Title Year Credited artist(s) Album
"The Parade of Ashes" 2014 Periphery Clear
"Champagne" Polyphia Muse
"Disorder" 2015 David Maxim Micic Ego
"Slight of Hand" Intervals The Shape of Colour
"Goddess Gate" 2017 Scale the Summit In a World of Fear
"Sleep Walker" Technopath
(featuring Tristan Fitchat and Nick Johnston) 		Ontology
"Ache" Organized Chaos Divulgence
"Ghost Town" 2019 Zac Tiessen
(featuring Nick Johnston) 		Non-album single
"Pythoness" Keith Merrow Reading the Bones

Notes

  1. ^ TIL is the name of a three-song single.

References

  1. ^ "Interview: Nick Johnston". gitarrebass.de (in German). December 17, 2017. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
  2. ^ "Between the Buried and Me announce summer tour with The Contortionist and Nick Johnston". loudwire.com. May 15, 2019. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
  3. ^ "Q&A Scene: Guitarists' Special: Nick Johnston". whatsmyscene.com. June 23, 2017. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
  4. ^ Sharma, Amit (May 19, 2020). "Nick Johnston, Lari Basilio and Plini on the genius of Joe Satriani". Guitar World.com Total Guitar. Future Publishing Limited. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  5. ^ "Nick Johnston on Instagram: "My guitar is now available on the @schecterguitarsofficial site!"". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 26, 2021.
  6. ^ "Me and my guitar: Nick Johnston". musicradar.com. December 21, 2018. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
  7. ^ "Nick Johnston - Independent". www.schecterguitars.com.
  8. ^ "Skulls in Space: The Atomic Rock of Nick Johnston". terrorizer.com. December 12, 2016. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
  9. ^ Maneuver, Henry (October 29, 2013). "Interview with Nick Johnston; the Guitar Wiz Talks New Solo Album 'In A Locked Room On The Moon'". Pure Grain Audio. Archived from the original on October 21, 2019. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
  10. ^ Larson, Tyler (August 30, 2016). "Guitar Wizard Nick Johnston Drops New Single, "Remarkably Human"". Guitar World. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
  11. ^ a b Vigezzi, Jacopo (February 4, 2024). "[News] Nick Johnston unveil the official video for the title-track from upcoming new album "Child of Bliss"". Prog Rock Journal. Retrieved February 10, 2024.