SULTRY BLUES FROM ERIC JOHANSON: “THE DEEP AND THE DIRTY”

Reviews

15 Aug

Richly exploring his Louisiana roots, the acclaimed guitarist gets deep and dirty in the title track of his July-released album.

Produced by Jesse Dayton (Supersuckers, Rob Zombie), “The Deep and The Dirty” is a sizzling ode to the American South. Written around the COVID era of live-stream performances, the single fires “twin barrels of sharp songwriting and fiery fretwork”, further tipping a hat to Johanson’s meticulous songwriting.

The title and lead track of his Summer-released LP, the single’s music video was filmed at Snake & Jake’s Christmas Club Lounge in New Orleans, LA, under the direction of Kaylie McCarthy & Lizzie Smith. Edited by Eric himself, the artist stated:

On one level "The Deep And The Dirty" is two references to the American South. The Deep South, the Dirty South. I also relate it to the profound and the profane. The dichotomy of higher ideals and lower impulses. The song deals with these concepts through the story of a southern traveller, in and out of town, living for the pleasures of the moment. Those fleeting connections of a person in a dark place, trying to find light in a new face."

Growing up idolizing musicians such as Freddie King and Robert Johnson, the guitarist became a staple at regional blues gigs by his teens, impressing audiences with his roots-driven style that has grown to hug his taste for bands like Tool, Soundgarden and Nine Inch Nails. Living in both the US and New Zealand for a period of time, the artist’s fruitful but humble career has seen him unapologetically encompass influences from all walks of life, branding him a flexible and pioneering act.

On his collaboration with fellow talents Eric Vogel (Big Sam's Funky Nation / Fred Wesley) and Grammy-winning drummer Terence Higgins (Ani DiFranco / Warren Haynes / Tab Benoit) for the Ruf Records released album, Johanson explained:

“When you're playing this kind of music together, you create moments that can't be replicated if you're recording each part separately. "I don't write my guitar solos beforehand or record them separately, either. I need to interact with the band to take the solo somewhere special, so we need to record live. Even if there's a mistake or two, it feels like an honest representation of the moment."

A rough-hewn, contemporary blues rock track, “The Deep and The Dirty” is a tamed but commanding endowment from the album. Driven by a combination of humming bass and growling guitar dialogue, the echoic track feeds into Johanson’s desire to unleash the beast within: