Max Johnston is a
songwriterA songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics, as well as the musical composition or melody to songs. One who writes only lyrics is a lyricist, while one who writes only music is a composer.-History and background of songwriters:...
and
multi-instrumentalistA multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments.The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument to be learned , but people who double on another instrument are not usually seen as multi-instrumentalists.-Classical music:The European Piffari,...
best known for his work on
fiddleThe term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, including the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
,
DobroDobro is a trade name now owned by Gibson Guitar Corporation and used for a particular design of resonator guitar.The name has a long and involved history, interwoven with that of the resonator guitar...
,
banjoThe banjo is a stringed instrument developed by enslaved Africans in the United States, adapted from several African instruments.The name banjo is commonly thought to be derived from the Kimbundu term mbanza...
, and
mandolinA mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It is descended from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family...
with the bands
Uncle TupeloUncle Tupelo was an alternative country music group from Belleville, Illinois, active between 1987 and 1994. Jay Farrar, Jeff Tweedy, and Mike Heidorn formed the band after the lead singer of their previous band, The Primitives, left to attend college. The trio recorded three albums for Rockville...
,
WilcoWilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois.Its name comes from the voice procedure term "wilco" meaning "will comply."...
and more recently,
The GourdsThe Gourds are an American alternative country band that formed in Austin, Texas during the summer of 1994.-Career:Primarily evolving from the Picket Line Coyotes and the Grackles, the Gourds original line-up consisted of Kevin Russell , Jimmy Smith , Claude Bernard , and Charlie Llewellin...
. Johnston is the younger brother of
singer-songwriterA singer–songwriter is a musician who writes, composes and sings their own material including lyrics and melodies. They often provide the sole accompaniment to an entire composition or song, typically using a guitar or piano...
Michelle ShockedMichelle Shocked is a U.S. singer-songwriter whose music and performances are influenced by her Texas roots, her political activism, and a self-assured style that her first major-label producer likened to troubadours such as Joni Mitchell, Spider John Koerner, and Dave Van Ronk.-History:Shocked is...
and has supported her in concert tours as well.
Career
Johnston began performing with
Uncle TupeloUncle Tupelo was an alternative country music group from Belleville, Illinois, active between 1987 and 1994. Jay Farrar, Jeff Tweedy, and Mike Heidorn formed the band after the lead singer of their previous band, The Primitives, left to attend college. The trio recorded three albums for Rockville...
in the fall of 1992 during the "Arkansas Traveler Review tour" during which Uncle Tupelo was the opening act for a bill including
The BandThe Band was a rock music group active from 1967 to 1976 and again from 1983 to 1999. The original group consisted of four Canadians: Robbie Robertson ; Richard Manuel ; Garth Hudson ; and Rick Danko , and...
,
Taj MahalHenry Saint Clair Fredericks , who goes by the stage name Taj Mahal, is an internationally recognized blues musician with two Grammy Awards to date who folds various forms of world music into his offerings...
, and headliner,
Michelle ShockedMichelle Shocked is a U.S. singer-songwriter whose music and performances are influenced by her Texas roots, her political activism, and a self-assured style that her first major-label producer likened to troubadours such as Joni Mitchell, Spider John Koerner, and Dave Van Ronk.-History:Shocked is...
. Although the tour fell apart after just a few shows, Johnston continued to play with Uncle Tupelo occasionally at first, and then as a regular part of the band appearing on the group's final studio album,
AnodyneAnodyne is the fourth and final studio album by alternative country band Uncle Tupelo, released on October 5, 1993. The recording of the album was preceded by the departure of the original drummer Mike Heidorn and the addition of three new band members: bassist John Stirratt, drummer Ken Coomer,...
http://www.factorybelt.net/history.htm.
Following the departure of
Jay FarrarJay Farrar, is an American songwriter and musician currently based in St. Louis, Missouri. A veteran of two critically-acclaimed music groups, Uncle Tupelo and Son Volt, he began his solo music career in 2001. Beyond his established talents as a songwriter, he is a guitarist, harmonicist, and a...
in May, 1994, under the leadership of
Jeff TweedyJeffrey Scot Tweedy is an American songwriter, musician and leader of the band Wilco. Tweedy joined rockabilly band The Plebes with high school friend Jay Farrar in the early 1980s, but Tweedy's musical interests caused one of Farrar's brothers to quit...
, the remaining members of Uncle Tupelo, including Johnston,
Ken CoomerKen Coomer was the last drummer for the band Uncle Tupelo as well as the drummer for Chicago based band Wilco until Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. He was the drummer and co-founder of the Nashville band Clockhammer in the late 80's and early 90's, as well as Buzzkill, during that same time, and he continues...
, and
John StirrattJohn Stirratt is the bassist for Wilco and the former guitarist/bassist of Uncle Tupelo.Stirratt was born in New Orleans in 1967 and grew up in Mandeville. John attended Mandeville High School and the University of Mississippi. He joined Uncle Tupelo in 1993 and founded Wilco with Jeff Tweedy in 1995...
, formed the band
WilcoWilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois.Its name comes from the voice procedure term "wilco" meaning "will comply."...
. Johnston left Wilco shortly after their second album,
Being ThereBeing There is the second album by Chicago-based rock band Wilco. Despite its release as a nineteen-song double album, Being There was sold at a single album price due to a deal between lead singer Jeff Tweedy and Reprise Records...
in 1996 to form his own short-lived band, the Pony Stars and tour with his sister,
Michelle ShockedMichelle Shocked is a U.S. singer-songwriter whose music and performances are influenced by her Texas roots, her political activism, and a self-assured style that her first major-label producer likened to troubadours such as Joni Mitchell, Spider John Koerner, and Dave Van Ronk.-History:Shocked is...
. (Some descriptions of events suggest Johnston was fired by his Wilco band-mates
http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid%3A78666). Johnston was then briefly a member of the
Louisville, Kentucky-basedLouisville is Kentucky's largest city and county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's estimated population as of 2008 was 713,877 , with a population of 1,244,696 in the Louisville...
band,
FreakwaterFreakwater is an American alternative country band from Kentucky. In 1989, Catherine Irwin and Janet Beveridge Bean founded the band, and they have been supported by several musicians since then, including members of Califone . Bassist David Wayne Gay is another long-time member of the band...
, and gave instrumental support to singer-songwriter
Steve ForbertSteve Forbert is an American pop music singer-songwriter. He is best known for his song "Romeo's Tune", which reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1980....
before settling into his present role in 1999 with the
Austin-basedAustin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 15th-largest in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in the nation...
band,
The GourdsThe Gourds are an American alternative country band that formed in Austin, Texas during the summer of 1994.-Career:Primarily evolving from the Picket Line Coyotes and the Grackles, the Gourds original line-up consisted of Kevin Russell , Jimmy Smith , Claude Bernard , and Charlie Llewellin...
.
Johnston was offered a position in The Gourds and immediately accepted it after sitting in with the band at their
South by SouthwestSouth by Southwest is a set of interactive, film, and music festivals and conferences that take place every spring in Austin, Texas. SXSW first began in 1987 and is centered on the downtown Austin Convention Center...
showcase. After years of performing mainly as a sideman for great songwriters (Farrar, Tweedy, Schocked, and
IrwinFreakwater is an American alternative country band from Kentucky. In 1989, Catherine Irwin and Janet Beveridge Bean founded the band, and they have been supported by several musicians since then, including members of Califone . Bassist David Wayne Gay is another long-time member of the band...
), Johnston at last felt himself to be a contributing member of the band.
"This is more mine than anything I've ever been involved with," Johnston stated,
"I have a voice in this band. With Tupelo, it was like, 'Wow, I'm in Uncle Tupelo,' you know? But I didn't have much input. Here, I finally found a group of guys who listen to me, we communicate on a level I haven't before." http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid%3A78666. By the time of his second recording with the band,
Bolsa de Agua, Johnston had found his voice contributing the tracks, "Jesus Christ (with Signs Following)" and "O Rings". Johnston has continued to remain active with The Gourds whose most recent release is
2009'sThe following is a list of notable events and releases that have occurred or are expected to happen in 2009 in music.-January:*"Single Ladies " begins the year of 2009 at number one as Beyoncé's 5th solo number one hit and her ninth in total.*January 8 - Lady Gaga's debut single "Just Dance" hit...
HaymakerHaymaker may refer to:*A type of punch, a wild swing with all the person's might to knock out the opponent. It is most commonly used in street fighting* A type of farm machine that treats hay to cause more rapid and even drying...
.
with Uncle TupeloUncle Tupelo was an alternative country music group from Belleville, Illinois, active between 1987 and 1994. Jay Farrar, Jeff Tweedy, and Mike Heidorn formed the band after the lead singer of their previous band, The Primitives, left to attend college. The trio recorded three albums for Rockville...
- Anodyne
Anodyne is the fourth and final studio album by alternative country band Uncle Tupelo, released on October 5, 1993. The recording of the album was preceded by the departure of the original drummer Mike Heidorn and the addition of three new band members: bassist John Stirratt, drummer Ken Coomer,...
(SireSire Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed through Warner Bros. Records-Beginnings:The label was founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and Richard Gottehrer. Its early releases as a record label were issued in 1968, distributed by London...
/RepriseReprise Records is an American record label, founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra, which is owned by Warner Music Group, and operated through Warner Bros. Records.-Company history:...
, 1993; rereleased ColumbiaColumbia Records is an American record label founded in 1888.Columbia is the oldest surviving brand name in pre-recorded sound, being the first record company to produce pre-recorded records as opposed to blank cylinders. Columbia Records went on to release records by an array of notable singers,...
/Legacy and Rhino EntertainmentRhino Entertainment Company is an American specialty record label and production company, owned by Warner Music Group.-Company history:Rhino was originally a novelty song and reissue company during the 1970s and 1980s, releasing compilation albums of Pop Music, Rock & Roll, and R&B successes from...
, 2003)
- 89/93: An Anthology
89/93: An Anthology is a retrospective compilation album by Uncle Tupelo, released in 2002 by Sony Music.-Track listing:#No Depression — 89/93: An Anthology is a retrospective compilation album by Uncle Tupelo, released in 2002 by Sony Music.-Track listing:#No Depression — 89/93: An Anthology is a...
(Sonyis a multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, and one of the world's largest media conglomerates with revenue exceeding ¥ 7.730.0 trillion, or $78.88 billion U.S. . Sony is one of the leading manufacturers of electronics, video, communications, video game...
, 2002)
with WilcoWilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois.Its name comes from the voice procedure term "wilco" meaning "will comply."...
- A.M.
A.M. is the debut album of Chicago-based alternative rock band Wilco, released on March 28, 1995. The album was released only months after the breakup of Uncle Tupelo, an alternative country band that was the predecessor of Wilco...
(Sire/Reprise, 1995)
- Being There
Being There is the second album by Chicago-based rock band Wilco. Despite its release as a nineteen-song double album, Being There was sold at a single album price due to a deal between lead singer Jeff Tweedy and Reprise Records...
(Sire/Reprise, 1996)
with The GourdsThe Gourds are an American alternative country band that formed in Austin, Texas during the summer of 1994.-Career:Primarily evolving from the Picket Line Coyotes and the Grackles, the Gourds original line-up consisted of Kevin Russell , Jimmy Smith , Claude Bernard , and Charlie Llewellin...
- Ghosts of Hallelujah (1999)
- Bolsa de Agua (2000)
- Shinebox (2001)
- Cow Fish Fowl or Pig (2002)
- Blood of the Ram (2004)
- Heavy Ornamentals (2006)
- Noble Creatures (2007)
- Haymaker
Haymaker may refer to:*A type of punch, a wild swing with all the person's might to knock out the opponent. It is most commonly used in street fighting* A type of farm machine that treats hay to cause more rapid and even drying...
(2009)
- with "Clocker Redbury and Dusty Slosinger", (duel pseudonyms for Gourd's Bassist, Jimmy Smith)
- Slosinger/Redbury (2000), Johnston listed as "Trevor Rivera".
- Cold War's Hot Water Shower (2001), as "Trevor Rivera"
- with Kevin Russell's Junker, (solo effort for Gourd's Kevin Russell)
- Buttermilk & Rifles (2002)
Other Recordings
- Arkansas Traveler
Arkansas Traveler may have several meanings:*"The Arkansas Traveler", a fiddle tune by Sanford Faulkner*Arkansas Traveler, an 1858 painting by Edward Payson Washburn*The Arkansas Traveler boat line made by the Southwest Manufacturing Co...
, Michelle ShockedMichelle Shocked is a U.S. singer-songwriter whose music and performances are influenced by her Texas roots, her political activism, and a self-assured style that her first major-label producer likened to troubadours such as Joni Mitchell, Spider John Koerner, and Dave Van Ronk.-History:Shocked is...
(1991), guitar.
- Rocking Horse Head, Steve Forbert
Steve Forbert is an American pop music singer-songwriter. He is best known for his song "Romeo's Tune", which reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1980....
(1996), banjo, Dobro, fiddle, mandolin.
- Soulages
Soulages is a commune in the Cantal département in south-central France....
, Lazy Sunday Dream (2001), banjo, background vocals.
- Palace at 4 A.M., Jay Bennett
Jay Walter Bennett was an American guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, engineer, producer, and singer-songwriter, best known for his work with the band Wilco.-Early life and work with Wilco:...
& Edward BurchEdward Burch is a Chicago and Champaign, Illinois-based musician and journalist. As a guitarist, he is a founding member of alternative country band The Kennett Brothers and, as a suitcase player, of the quasi-skiffle combo The Viper and His Famous Orchestra...
(2002), banjo.
External links