Growing up under the musical influence of the Beatles, Byrds, Flying Burrito Bros and Eagles, Roger’s songwriting reflects a highly sophisticated take on life and affairs of the heart. Co-produced by Johnson and Dik Shopteau, Stag Cotillion is comprised of two CDs containing 25 songs and 100 minutes of music. Along with the above-mentioned artists, listeners may also hear shades of Rodney Crowell and Gene Clark, as well as Radney Foster Chris Isaak and Dwight Yoakam.
All influences aside, however, there's no question that Johnson’s music is fresh, new and distinctively his own. Although each track stands on it’s own merits, Stag Cotillion has a story arc that follows one man’s journey from the innocence of youth to the wisdom of maturity. Johnson's vocals are evocative, poignant and very malleable. He has the unique ability to subtly alter his voice in order to best tell the story contained within each of his compositions.
With decades of professional music experience under his belt, Roger has developed the “big ears” required of a successful record producer. He has performed with alt-country singer-songwriter, Kim Richey, Tex-Mex rockabilly darling, Rosie Flores, and Nashville’s Jann Browne, as well as with Adam Durwitz (Counting Crows) and David Lowry of Cracker. Johnson has won three developing songwriter awards from ASCAP and has appeared on-stage in Los Angeles as a guest of legendary music producer, Nik Venet, at the latter's “Campfire Conspiracy Songwriters Showcase”.
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