Vincent Neil Emerson / Dean Johnson

Info: Vincent Neil Emerson has become a staple among folk and country music fans nationwide,

celebrated for his honest tales of life on the road, heartbreak, and struggles of all sorts. His first

LP, Fried Chicken & Evil Women, from 2019, established him as a refreshing voice in the modern

country music landscape. The songs from that first album were charming and playful songs, but

didn't reveal the entirety of Emerson's story.

On his brilliant new album, The Golden Crystal Kingdom, Emerson transcends the role of a

honky-tonk country singer and becomes a chronicler of his history. The album is a bold

continuation of the story he tells on Vincent Neil Emerson, with songs like the title track

exploring the feelings he was left with after his days spent playing in Texas honky-tonks and

dancehalls, and the track "The Time of The Rambler," inspired by the early days of living in his

car and busking on the streets.

Info: The Seattle singer/songwriter's debut album Nothing for Me, Please was recorded at Mashed Potato Records in New Orleans with the help of Sam Gelband and Charlie Meyer, Dean’s bandmates in The Sons of Rainier; as well as Mashed Potato regulars Sam Doores, Duff Thompson and Steph Green. The record is a hazy, relaxed daydream – anthems for those who know the sweetness and coldness of quiet moments, the power and the pain of love. Whether you’ve been waiting patiently these many for Dean to release these songs, or you’re just now coming across his work for the first time, the name Dean Johnson, much like his songs, won’t soon leave your mind.

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