Nick Johnston

Nick Johnston is a Canadian guitarist and songwriter who records as a solo artist. As of 2024, he has released six solo records. His albums have featured the work of notable artists such as Paul Gilbert, Marco Minnemann, Guthrie Govan, and Bryan Beller. He has also played on songs by other artists, including Intervals, Scale the Summit, Periphery, Polyphia, and Mike Dawes, and he has toured with Plini, among other artists. In May 2019, he went on a North American tour with Between the Buried and Me and the Contortionist. In 2025, he was announced as a touring guitarist for the metal band Mastodon, and in 2026, he became a full member.

Johnston has cited musical influences such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eddie Van Halen, Yngwie Malmsteen, and Jeff Beck, saying "I sound nothing like those guys, but I'm massively influenced by them". Another influence was Joe Satriani. "Before listening to Joe, I don't think I understood how important a role the melodies played in building compositions", Nick stated in a Total Guitar interview. "I realised he was the guy who'd really figured it out—the balance of technique, tone, melody, and production. While players were learning blues from Hendrix and Clapton, I was learning them from Satriani".

The guitarist released his own signature guitar through Schecter in 2016. Schecter has since released additional variants of his signature guitar, splitting them into the USA Signature Series and Traditional Series, with these being premium and affordable versions respectively. He is also passionate about comics and has hired comics illustrators to create his album art.

Discography

Solo Albums Title Album details Public Display of Infection Released: November 15, 2011 Label: Self-released Format: CD, digital download In a Locked Room on the Moon Released: August 13, 2013 Label: Self-released Format: CD, digital download Atomic Mind Released: October 7, 2014 Label: Self-released Format: CD, digital download Remarkably Human Released: September 27, 2016 Label: Self-released Format: CD, digital download, streaming Wide Eyes in the Dark Released: April 19. 2019 Label: Self-released Format: CD, digital download, streaming Young Language Released: November 26, 2021 Label: Remarkably Human Format: CD, digital download, streaming Child of Bliss Release: March 8, 2024 Label: Remarkably Human Format: CD, digital download, streaming

Singles As lead artist Title Year Album "Silver Tongued Devil" 2014 Atomic Mind "Gemini"2019 Wide Eyes in the Dark "A Cure Promised" "Young Language" 2021 Your Language "Silver Moon Rising" "Child of Bliss"

Singles Title Year "Becoming"2022 "My Heart is Slowly Burning Down" "Diamond Tragedy"2023 "All the Things" "Oceans Rise"

with Harrison / Johnston Title Year Early Mercy2025

with Mastodon Albums Title Year Marrow Deep2026

Singles Title Year "Your Ghost Again"2026 "Snakes for Dinner"

Music videos TitleYearAlbum "Sandmonster" 2013 In a Locked Room on the Moon "In a Locked Room on the Moon" "Even If It Takes a Lifetime" 2014 "Silver Tongued Devil" Atomic Mind "Ghosts of the Robot Graveyard" "Atomic Mind" 2015 "Ultra Force" "Remarkably Human" 2016 Remarkably Human "Hypergiant" "Impossible Things" "Fear Had Him by the Throat" "Weakened by Winter" 2017 "A Sick and Injured Brain" "Gemnini"2019 Wide Eyes in the Dark "A Cure Promised" "Wide Eyes in the Dark" 2020 "Silver Moon Rising" 2021 Your Language "Strange Silent Places" 2022 "Child of Bliss" 2024 Child of Bliss "Moonflower"

Other appearances TitleYearCredited artist(s)Album "The Parade of Ashes" 2014 Periphery Clear "Champagne" Polyphia Muse "Disorder" 2015 David Maxim Micic Ego "Slight of Hand" Intervals The Shape of Colour "Goddess Gate" 2017 Scale the Summit In a World of Fear "Sleep Walker" Technopath Ontology "Ache" Organized Chaos Divulgence "Ghost Town" 2019 Zac Tiessen "Pythoness" Keith Merrow Reading the Bones