Freedy Johnston

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Marla Norton

Freedy Johnston and guitar.

Freedy Johnston

Madison is always a homecoming celebration for the 1994 Rolling Stone songwriter of the year. That’s back when his song “Bad Reputation” (produced by Butch Vig) swarmed the radio airwaves. Since those days he’s continued to crank out hook-filled pop and collaborated with artists including T-Bone Burnett, Susan Cowsill and Jon Dee Graham. His newest album, Back on the Road to You, was released last fall and includes a guest appearance by Aimee Mann.

$30 ($25 adv.).

media release: Freedy Johnston is one of those rare singer-songwriters who counts critics among his biggest fans — and whose heroes consider him a peer. Not bad for a self-proclaimed “geek in glasses who never left his room.”

On September 9, 2023, Forty Below Records released Johnston’s 9th album, Back on the Road to You. It’s a record steeped in wit, humor, pathos, love, and friendship drenched with memorable, infectious melodies. Johnston recorded the album in Los Angeles with producer Eric Corne after setting up house in nearby Joshua Tree. The new surroundings have imbued the album’s mood and instrumentation with echoes of The Byrds, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, and Neil Young. Joining Johnston in the studio were Aimee Mann, Susanna Hoffs of The Bangles, and long time collaborator, Susan Cowsill, along with an all-star roots music band, including Doug Pettibone (Lucinda Williams), Dusty Wakeman (Jim Lauderdale), Dave Raven (Shelby Lynn) and Sasha Smith (Priscilla Ahn).

In 1994 Rolling Stone named Johnston the ‘Songwriter of the Year’, describing him as “A master storyteller, (who) sketches out full-blown tragedies in a few taut poetic lines.” Adding, “He joins that elite cadre of songwriters—Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Elvis Costello—whose brilliant pop compositions turn magical with the addition of a defiantly idiosyncratic singing voice.”

Freedy Johnston has taken an unpredictable path throughout his 30-year career. It’s a true underdog story. He has a wicked gift for turning a melodic phrase with equal parts’ heart on his sleeve’ troubadour and weaver of mysteries. The Kansas native released his first two records with the widely respected indie label Bar/None. Can You Fly made many ‘Best of the Year’ lists, including, The New York Times, Billboard, and Spin Magazine, to name a few. Robert Christgau for The Village Voice called it “a perfect album,” and Playboy declared it “the best album by a new male singer-songwriter in at least a decade.” Can You Fly was also cited in music critic Tom Moon’s book, 1,000 Recordings To Hear Before You Die.

All the critical acclaim helped Johnston land a four-album major-label deal with Elektra Records. Butch Vig was brought onboard to produce 1994’s This Perfect World. The album opened with the hit “Bad Reputation” and included other standouts such as the title track and “Evie’s Tears.” It garnered more critical acclaim for Johnston, who recorded three additional records for Elektra, 1997’s Never Home (produced by Danny Kortchmar), 1999’s Blue Days Black Nights (produced by T Bone Burnett), and 2001’s Right Between the Promises (produced by Cameron Greider).

Freedy has contributed music to films such as The Farrelly Brothers cult classic Kingpin as well as Things to do in Denver When You’re Dead, and Kicking and Screaming. A series of albums followed his Elektra output, 2006’s Live at McCabes Guitar Shop, as well as 2010’s Rain on the City. In 2015 the self-funded Neon Repairman was released to critical raves from Stereogum, Paste, The New York Times, and Magnet.

Back on the Road to You is a return to grace for this gifted songwriter. It embodies the sound of an American original, reminding us that he is still considered one of the best songwriters of his generation.