Over the past few years, Johnston has been steadily garnering acclaim for his diverse assortment of musical endeavours. The various incarnations of his See Through project feature him leading lauded jazz players such as Nick Fraser, Marilyn Lerner, Lina Allemano, and others through his uniquely angular compositions. Their recordings have seen praise in North American, European, and South American media outlets, covered by the likes of the Wire, Bandcamp Daily, The WholeNote, JazzFM, Free Form Freakout, by veteran journalists like Stuart Broomer, and included on Spotify’s Fresh Finds Jazz playlist.
Stranger Still is where his aforementioned roots become the most evident. In fact, one could argue that the project has brought him into closer proximity to East Coast artistic culture than he had been as a resident. The quartet sees Johnston shifting from his primary instrument—double bass—over to acoustic guitar to craft beautifully eccentric songs. Not only do these songs channel the Celtic traditions that permeate the Maritime music world at large, they also employ the poetry of beloved Nova Scotian writer Alden Nowlan as its base. The self-taught Nowlan’s intimate, introspective texts landed him a Governor General’s Award and Guggenheim Fellowship and a long stint as writer-in-residence at the University of New Brunswick (where Stranger Still will soon be performing.)
A good part of Stranger Still’s unique sound arises from Johnston’s faithful use of these poems; he lets their rhythm and inflection guide the music-making rather than shoehorning the words into musical phrases. However, the ensemble’s interplay is just as crucial. Together with expert bassist Rob Clutton, Johnston weaves a deceptively complex and ever-shifting foundation for singers Mim Adams and Randi Helmers, whom Johnston occasionally joins as a vocalist as well. Their strong folk leanings nod in the direction of acts such as Fairport Convention, and Steeleye Span who were notable for reimagining traditional British Isles music. At the heart of the group’s sound, though, is a tension between minimalism and intricacy. The writing may draw upon the sophistication of everything from Renaissance polyphony to progressive rock, but the tidy, pared-down execution makes the music feel as though it has been reduced to its bare essentials.
The band began as strictly as recording project and was launched in 2019 with their debut recording Songs of Bread, Wine and Salt, named for the celebrated 1967 collection from Nowlan. However, as live engagements ensued in the wake of the release, the group has since become a vehicle for live performance as well.
Their upcoming East Coast tour sees the band playing in both rural and urban settings. Noted musician Kim Barlow will be playing with them on the first two of the bills in Lunenburg and Baxter’s Harbour, Nova Scotia. The JUNO and ECMA-nominee is an accomplished singer, guitarist and clawhammer banjo player whose projects span her solo songcraft to improvised music in the band Quilting alongside Brian Borcherdt (of Holy Fuck infamy), Mairi Chaimbeul and Sahara Jane.
Stranger Still’s first three concerts also feature Max Kasper, principal bassist of Symphony Nova Scotia and (Johnston’s former bass teacher) playing in Clutton’s stead. Irish traditional harpist Ellen Gibling (of New Hermitage, Heavy Blinkers, Bombadils), has been receiving glowing press for her recent disc The Bend in the Light everywhere from Songlines to Celtic Life International. She will be performing a set alongside Canadian Folk Music Award-winning fiddler Adrianna Ciccone with them on their Halifax date. Also joining them will be celebrated East Coast poets Shoshanna Wingate and Michael Pacey—whose work reflects Nowlan’s legacy and complement the textual elements of Stranger Still.
Immediately following the tour, the band will remain in Nova Scotia to record their follow-up album at the Dartmouth studio Fang Recording (owned by Pete Johnston’s associate from the 90’s Halifax rock scene, Joel Plaskett). They have enlisted engineer Charles Austin (Jerry Granelli, May Mays, Buck 65, Super Friendz) to capture the vivid, robust arrangements that characterize Johnston’s newer Stranger Still compositions, alongside producer Mike Smith, a frequent collaborator of Johnston from Toronto.
Watch the group performing one of such pieces, “I, Icarus” live at the Canadian Music Centre in Toronto with guest vocalist Laura Swankey here.
“The music of Stranger Still feels minimal in nature, but is maximal in effect. The spidery guitar lines of band leader Pete Johnston are light yet oblique, consistently making their presence known[…] Stranger Still treads interesting territory; Songs of Bread, Wine and Salt is both straightforward and experimental enough to appeal to a vast array of tastes. 8/10” — Bryon Hayes, Exclaim!
TOUR SCHEDULE
(visit here for further details)
24 June 2022, 7:30PM — Lunenburg, NS
The Opera House (290 Lincoln Street)
Featuring: Max Kasper on double bass
With Special Guest: Kim Barlow
25 June 2022, 7PM— Baxter’s Harbour, NS
Baxter’s Harbour Church (1596 Baxter’s Harbour Rd)
Featuring: Max Kasper
Special Guest: Kim Barlow
26 June 2022, 5PM — Windsor, NS
Winegrunt (43 Water Street)
Featuring: Max Kasper
28 June 2022, 7PM — Halifax, NS
St. Paul’s Church (1749 Argyle Street)
Special Guests: Ellen Gibling & Adrianna Ciccone
29 June 2022, 6PM — Moncton, NB
Café C’est La Vie: (785 Main St)
Presented by the Attic Owl Reading Series
Special guest: Poet Laureate of the town of Sackville, NB, Shoshanna Wingate
30 June 2022 7PM — Fredericton, NB
UNB Grad House (676 Windsor Street)
Special guest: Poet, Michael Pacey
2 July 2022 — Prince Edward Island
Venue TBD
Special Guest: County Line Romance
3 July 2022, 6PM — Great Village, NS
Wayside Restaurant (8729 Highway 2)
Riparian Media
Nick Storring, Founder/ Publicist
