Will Johnson was recently featured on the cover of Paste magazine, along with fellow musicians Jay Farrar, Yim Yames and Anders Parker. Together, they make up the group New Multitudes and will be going on tour this spring to promote their upcoming album. The entire album is a tribute to Woody Guthrie and will be released on Guthrie's 100th birthday.
In addition to Centro-matic, Johnson is also known for the group South San Gabriel. Farrar is from Son Volt and Gob Iron. Yames is best known for My Morning Jacket. Parker was in Varnaline and Gob Iron. This impressive group of local talent came together when they all discovered their passion for Woody Guthrie. The music almost wrote itself, and they cannot wait to share it with fans.
Rumor also has it that Will Johnson is planning an entirely different collaboration with David Bazan (Pedro the Lion), Bubba Kadane (The Kadane Brothers) and Matt Kadane (The Kadane Brothers) under the name Overseas. While nothing has been released as of yet, fans are sure to find another reason to download some more tunes to their iPods.
2012 is looking to be a very creative year for Will Johnson. Centro-matic fans should definitely check out his new projects. Everything he touches truly turns to gold.