It’s been a rough year for Brian Johannesen. The same week he closed on his first house in Iowa City, IA, his mother-in-law went onto life support. Although she pulled through, her health steadily declined over the following months, leading to endless doctor appointments, hospital stays, rehab stints, and several months living with Brian and his wife. All the while, Brian was trying to finish his second full-length solo release, Holster Your Silver. Last April, she passed away in that new home.
While some of the songs on Holster Your Silver, which is due out on January 31st, were written before any of this happened, they took on new meaning as he watched a loved one wither. The album inherited a haunting tone, dealing with personal issues like anxiety, loss, and a struggle to come to terms with an increasingly unjust political climate. These themes manifested themselves in an honest, lyric-forward collection of songs that offers a glimpse into the mind of a songwriter coming to grips with the real world.
A Chicago native and longtime Iowan, Johannesen’s Americana sound has always been firmly rooted in the Midwest. Drawing inspiration from his heroes like John Prine, Guy Clark, and Bruce Springsteen, he writes about everyday life with sincerity and often a little bit of his tongue in his cheek. Johannesen’s songs also carry a twang he learned from four years spent in Nashville, where he formally studied Music Business and informally studied the songwriters and musicians who inhabit Music City. He returned to Iowa City in 2016, where he felt more at home and free to pursue music without the industry looming over his head.
Songwriting has always been Johannesen’s passion, but for the past six years, the music industry has also been his day job. He has worked as a talent buyer for clubs and festivals across the country over the years, and this experience has helped him understand the real struggle of musicians and promoters alike. This struggle also presents itself in his music as he reconciles the new and old models of “making it” in the business.
With Holster Your Silver, Johannesen takes a step forward, leaning into a craft he has worked at for over a decade. The result is a songwriter finding his own voice that is powerful, delicate, artful, and accessible all at the same time.
Today Glide is offering an exclusive premiere of Johannesen’s tune “Tired (Last Time I Saw Her)”, one of the most poignant tracks on the new album.Despite a title that may suggest melancholy and sadness, the song is actually a lively and upbeat rocker. The subject matter is definitely on the darker side as Johannesen rails off all of the bullshit that tires him out, but a proper amount of guitar shredding, boogie woogie keyboard, and a big, crashing drum sound make this a fun and wild ride. With gritty vocals and a swaggering, everyman style of country rock Johannesen’s sound is at times reminiscent of acts like Lucero, Ryan Bingham, and James McMurtry.
Listen to the tune and read our recent chat with Johannesen…
What was the inspiration behind this song? Is there a particular story behind it?
Being a married man, I don’t have a lot of heartbreak to write about so I generally avoid it. This one, however, was inspired by a couple different friends going through what I thought were pretty relatable situations where they would meet someone, be over the moon, and then not be quite sure where they stand. I think that feeling is universal and applicable to a lot of situations. I had been kicking around this kind of Sweet Revenge-era John Prine melody in my head, and it seemed to fit well. I liked the idea of an upbeat song called “Tired” as well, because in a lot of ways, I feel like that is the music business experience. I thought about naming the album Tired, but everyone I mentioned that to thought it would send the wrong message. I ultimately didn’t because it might be a little too on the nose.
Speaking of inspirations, do you typically find more inspiration from your own life or from outside sources?
This was a pretty rare one where the inspiration came from close friends’ relationships. Most of my writing comes from my own life, sometimes it’s autobiographical and sometimes my life will inform a fictional story in a song. I have trouble making a completely made-up story sound genuine or authentic. I do, however, enjoy writing about real things that have happened in history. There is a song on the new album called “Copper Queen” which is about The Great Bisbee Deportation of 1917. My wife fell asleep when I explained it to her, but I find it fascinating. Definitely worth a Google search. Inspiration can come from anywhere for me. I have written and recorded songs about sandwiches. It just has to be real.
Have you played this song live yet? If so, how has the audience responded to it?
Yes, people seem to dig it a lot. It’s really fun to play it with a band. My favorite songs to play with the band are ones that showcase what excellent musicians I have playing with me. It’s fun to just sit back and watch someone rip a guitar solo.
How do you think this song fits into the overall vibe and themes of the album?
This one is definitely the “banger.” It’s big and full of guitars, which is traditionally what my full band is like live. While it is one of the energy high points of the album, I think lyrically and thematically it fits the album really well. This album has a lot of frustration on it – frustration with politics, careers, mental health, death, being an adult. This is the cathartic, let-it-all-out anthem of the bunch. It was one of the first songs we recorded for the album and worked as a bit of a centerpiece for the rest of the process.
Holster Your Silver is out January 31st. For more music and info visit brianjohannesen.com.
Photo credit: Kyle Wolff
