Craig Adam Johnston
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Craig Adam Johnston

London, England, United Kingdom | Established. Jan 01, 2021 | SELF | AFTRA

London, England, United Kingdom | SELF | AFTRA
Established on Jan, 2021
Solo Pop Singer/Songwriter

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"Single Review"

Featuring top session musicians on Rhythm section, this track is a luscious blend of contemporary styles and 70s throwback. 'Right or Wrong' showcases Craig's evocative voice and melodic sensibility. His words tell a story and make us want to know more about his musical world. Glasgow-born and London-based, Craig first came to prominence as a folk-inspired acoustic troubadour before expanding his palette to include imaginative pop style arrangements. It comes as no surprise to learn that Craig's music has been featured in several TV programs in the UK and US and has also been chosen 3 times as record of the day (.com).

Furthermore, Craig has been a prolific songwriting collaborator, working with prominent producers including Mike Nielsen (Jamiroquai), Matt Foster (Little Mix), and Robbie Malone (David Gray) whilst supporting acts such as The Hoosiers & Beth Rowley.

'Right or Wrong' has a luscious, funky groove and unforgettable melodies from the very start. The song has masterful tension and release. We hear warm layers of piano and guitar interweave with Craig's vocal. This is an unmissable new single from an artist who is definitely on our ones-to-watch list... - Curious For Music


"Single Review"

Uniquely bringing together decidedly intimate, breathy vocals and a notably full and somewhat funky band soundscape, Craig Adam Johnston unites rhythm and melody to quickly infectious results with Right or Wrong.

Offering a touch of the singer-songwriter authenticity from the likes of Passenger, Craig’s voice is familiar, recognisable, yet carries the weight and pace of this brighter pop-rock arrangement beautifully well.

From a songwriting perspective, the structure works perfectly, and the lyrics prove deeply personal yet also just vague and relatable enough to connect with a broader audience.

Weave in a simple, subtle guitar solo during the latter half, and Right or Wrong seals the deal.

Something of a timeless indie hit, with superb musicianship and a fine balance between clear identity and the comforting, effective building blocks of pop.

From acoustic purity to the colourful, energising embrace of a big-band sound and style – Craig Adam Johnston returns on a definite high. - Stereo Stickman


"Artist Feature"

We would love to introduce you to Craig Adam Johnston, the up-and-coming singer/songwriter who gives us insight into the intriguing creative process behind his album production, and how his music aims to connect listeners together.


Original Magazine: Hi Craig! Firstly, I’d like to know, what started it all? Where did your musical inspiration stem from, and was it something you wanted to pursue from a young age?

Craig Adam Johnston: “I guess it's an old cliche, but I was surrounded by music in my family growing up. My dad used to be a drummer, and loved rock/blues music which I enjoyed hearing at an early age; this inspired me to learn guitar. My mum's side had large family parties, where my uncles would play acoustic guitar and everyone would sing along. These were probably my earliest memories.

I actually learnt to play piano before guitar, then focused more on the guitar as it was the style of music I enjoyed. I learnt to read music to a sufficient standard but had more fun playing by ear and writing my own things.

I played with some friends in school, then went to a music college in Guildford where I lived and breathed music which was an amazing experience. After that, I moved to London with my brother and some band members to jump into the music scene as much as I could - and have remained here ever since.”


O.M: ‘I left this room of past / It reminded me of your face’ is one of the lines from your song ‘Made of Stone’. It paints a picture of the trials and tribulations of love, which seems to be one of the main themes of your music. What do you want people to take away from your lyrics?

C.A.J: “Thank you for paying such close attention to my lyrics! That song is one of my proudest lyrical pieces I think. The line you're referring to - 'left this room of past' was actually a metaphorical room within my memory, and trying to move outside of it. Many of my lyrics are about the matters of the heart. Some of the songs recorded recently were written almost 20 years ago, and I can see what was mostly in my mind at the time! Lionel Ritchie once said, there are three types of love songs. 1 - Looking for love. 2 - Just found love. And 3 - Lost love. The songs I'm writing now are more about connection with others. Some are about individual connections and about how I and others view ourselves. I am consciously making an effort now to inspire through my songs for people to connect, which is important in such a time of disconnection.”

O.M: Your new album, ‘After it All’ features a black-and-white mirrored image of you looking at yourself. What was the inspiration behind this and how do you think it represents the music? Ultimately, why did you decide upon this cover as opposed to a more conventional cover that is typical of the ‘indie/folk’ genre?

C.A.J: “So the album cover of opposite faces was done on a bit of a whim. I needed an easy (and quick) way to express a sentiment that I thought encapsulated these songs. As I mentioned before, most of the songs on the album were written a long time ago, so the image is representative of me looking back at myself and having an 'eyes open' view of my younger self who was a bit naive and closed off.

Does it represent the music? I'm not sure, perhaps not sound wise, as the album looks a bit like a pop album cover but isn't what I would call traditionally pop; I think it gives a good idea into the thoughts behind many of the songs.”

O.M: ‘After it All’ has a very personal feel to it, so I’d like to know what was the creative process like for it? Did it take long to devise the theme, lyrics and composition of the music? On top of this, does the order of the tracklist hold significance in the storytelling of your album?

C.A.J: “After it All’ is actually a lyric in one of the songs. I won't tell you which so you have to listen to the whole album again haha! I sat one night and wrote my favourite line in each song, and narrowed it down to one in the end. I think it worked well with the notion of the old songs, and ultimately the album cover too. When recording, I tried to approach all the songs with a producer hat on to make it cohesive with quite a generic pop structure which I'm usually a fan of.

I do love a good 5-6 min epic track, but I'm also a fan of keeping it easy in pop music in 2-3 minutes. I think people's taste and attention have changed, and not making the listener work too hard is what good songwriting should be about sometimes. So the track order didn't really come in storytelling manner much.

I used to play live shows all the time, and used to enjoy ordering the set in terms of dynamics. I approached the album in a similar fashion. I wrote, performed, produced, mixed, and even mastered the album myself so I had to wear a lot of different hats. As I said, having the experience of playing in bands I knew what I was looking for.”
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O.M: Your music features a lot of acoustic sound with the help of your guitar playing. Was music-making a self taught passion or was it something you’ve had guidance with as your career has progressed?

C.A.J: “Yes, big fan of the guitar and especially the acoustic guitar. Between playing in bands over the years, it wasn't always possible to get bands together for shows, so quite often I'd take my acoustic guitar and play shows. That's really how the acoustic thing grew in my writing, more out of ease than anything. There is emotion on the acoustic guitar that you can't get with an electric, which was important in some of the songs I was writing at the time. My newer songs feature more electric guitar with a slightly more produced element.

A good question; over the years I've had the pleasure of working with musicians who have helped me to learn about instruments, especially guitar, who inspired me to find my own voice and stop trying to perform like others. Great producers such as Jamiroquai producer Mike Nielsen, and members of Skunk Anansie, and more recently David Gray's band member and co-producer Robbie Malone (who actually played bass on a recent track I've just recorded), have given me the outlook on being able to try and look at things as parts but as a whole as well. That's really important when recording, to know what you're trying to achieve at the end, otherwise you can go round in circles.

I took a small break from music in 2010 and came back to it in 2020 to record an album, so at least I can look back on the lockdown year and have something to show for it! But in many ways the album was about closing a chapter and opening a new one.” - Original Magazine


Discography

Singles released 2021/22:

  1. Hold Me Up
  2. It's You that I wanna dance with
  3. Right Or Wrong
  4. Half The Things


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Bio

With his evocative voice and true-to-life songwriting, Craig Adam Johnston is back after a break in his music career with new material bringing musical sincerity in the form of hand crafted gems.
The Glasgow-born, London-based songwriter/artist first came to prominence as a folk-inspired acoustic troubadour before expanding his palette to include imaginative pop style arrangements. In addition to having songs featured in several TV programs in the UK and US and chosen 3 times as record of the day (.com), Craig has been a prolific collaborator, working with prominent producers including Mike Nielsen (Jamiroquai), Matt Foster (Little Mix), and Robbie Malone (David Gray) whilst supporting acts such as The Hoosiers & Beth Rowley.
He brings a rare authenticity to his writing, utilising only live musicians to bring his celebratory vision to life. Now, as he enters a new phase of his career, Craig is reaching a larger audience than ever as he releases his most compelling music to date.

Band Members