Johan Asherton: Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Harmonica, Some Piano...
Influences
Nick Drake, Bob Dylan, Marc Bolan, Leonard Cohen, Townes Van Zandt, Jimi Hendrix, John Cipollina, Gene Clark, Gram Parsons, Robert Johnson, Syd Barrett, Kevin Ayers, John Martyn, Bert Jansch, Ralph McTell, Nic Jones, Phil Ochs, Woody Guthrie, Arlo Guthrie, Anne Briggs, Sandy Denny, David Blue, Tim Hardin, Fred Neil, Judee Sill, Eric Andersen, Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Jorma Kaukonen, John Hammond, Koerner, Ray & Glover, Eric Taylor, Donovan, Cat Stevens, Simon & Garfunkel, Guy Clark, Neil Young, Stephen Stills & Manassas, CSN&Y, Gordon Lightfoot, Scott Walker, Shelagh McDonald, Keith Christmas, Bridget St John, Duncan Browne, Nico, Heidi Berry, Fairport Convention, The Waterboys, The Lilac Time, Nikki Sudden and Dave Kusworth (The Jacobites), The Cowboy Junkies... (to be continued...)
Pre-Raphaelite painters; the poetry of Elizabeth Siddall; the films of Werner Herzog, Luchino Visconti, Roman Polanski, Mike Leigh and Jane Campion; classic-romantic-gothic writers and poets (Maupassant, Theophile Gauthier,Thomas Hardy, the Brontë sisters, Anne Radcliffe...); vintage Frontier wear; great American writers ( from Faulkner, Steinbeck, Thomas Savage... to Cormac McCarthy, Siri Hustvedt, Paul Auster, Craig Lesley...); Deirdre Madden, Jennifer Johnston, Neil Peart, Henning Mankell...
Johan Asherton was born in Paris, France, 1958, into a family of classical musicians and took to the guitar while listening to Jimi Hendrix, T. Rex and Creedence Clearwater Revival.
Asherton met producer/engineer Patrick Chevalot while recording his first single "Harlequin" in 1981. He then formed The Froggies who released two albums in 1984 and 1985. After a short time with The Liquid Gang, Johan switched to his current solo, acoustic format.
His first album, "GOD'S CLOWN", was released in 1988, and was included in French magazine Les Inrockuptibles as one of the best 60 albums produced in France over the last 25 years. Johan followed "God's Clown" with a dozen more albums and compilations, to date.
His passion for UK/US folk songs are showcased on "AMBER SONGS" (2005), and recordings of traditionnal songs with friends Charlotte Greig and Julian Hayman, from Wales. Two tracks from these sessions are featured on the recent "JOHN BARLEYCORN REBORN" anthology of British folk.
His other interests include electronic music, poetry, painting, litterature and films.
Over the years, Johan Asherton enjoyed working with musicians like Nikki Sudden, Dominique Laboubée (Dogs), US producer and former Tim Buckley bassist Jeff Eyrich, and UK prog-rock luminaries John Greaves and Pip Pyle. He has toured Europe, the USA and the UK mostly as a solo-acoustic performer, opening for The Waterboys, Peter Case, Rory Gallagher, Daniel Lanois, and Elliott Murphy.
He has gotten to meet and talk with some of his musical heroes, including Townes Van Zandt, Dave Van Ronk, Loudon Wainwright III, and Bert Jansch.
Johan Asherton has also published a Marc Bolan biography (in French - 1994), and several collections of poetry. "COSMIC DANCER: A TRIBUTE TO MARC BOLAN" , consisting of 11 covers recorded between 1981-2006, was released on September 10th, 2007, on Hot Line Records/Anticraft.
A solo acoustic studio-concert and interview can be seen at: http://www.meltinglivetv.com/article.php3?id_article=119
Superbe, l'album photo de john Cipollina ! tu nous réserves une surprise ? sympa d'avoir remis Glamour Bay ... et ce soir on écoute en boucle Mr Asherton ! Power of the dog ! how beautiful it is !
hey Johan Wonderful to hear from you my friend! apologies for not being in touch, life has a habit of getting in the way and time a habit of passing all too fast I fear...something I will endeavour to remedy. I hope all is going well for you and inspiration flowing! Will be in touch again soon. Much respect Michael
"As I make it to the top of the staircase I stand tall, shoulders slouched, a torn iniquitous mirage, shadow remnant of the god king himself that only hours ago – before the sun rose to shed light on our wicked union – called for the grail… “More wine for my people! Sing in praises, rejoice, oh savage children...” I undressed you for all to see, my sweet Maenad. By morning I would feel my remorse, by night however, I fed your sincere lunacy. I am torn and I am proud, and a reigning kiss was all it took.
My guitar lays inanimate, I kneel down and stroke its strings, a shy rustling reminiscent of a Kumeyaay Gourd Rattle cuts through the droning hum left in wake of the night. And as a dying desert shaman to his fallen tribe, the amplifier was left buzzing in our wake and absence..."
Hi Johan, Thanks a lot for your nice message, your music is really wonderful as well... I like it a lot. Let me know if you ever plan to come to Amsterdam! Greetings, Channah
Une belle histoire...un couple (Anna et Samy) qui se découvre des affinités musicales et créatrices et qui se plaît à faire tranquillement des chansons le dimanche pour le plaisir. L'affaire aurait pu en rester là si plusieurs labels n'avaient pas découvert presque par hasard la musique du duo rebaptisé Domingo. Séduction immédiate ! Au final, c'est Third Side record (Cocosuma, les premiers Syd Matters) qui emporte le morceau et sort aujourd'hui le premier album de Domingo ; une oeuvre folk, belle et pure, amenée à toucher profondément et durablement ceux qui auront la chance de découvrir ce secret de moins en moins bien gardé.
- Interview musicale - Session électro-acoustique - Bonus avec Steeple Remove et This is the Kit
