Meet Jay Johnson
Philadelphia-based multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Jay Johnson has been active in the Philadelphia area and beyond since 2017, working on a variety of projects and as a solo performer. He is currently involved in several musical endeavors, including The OTC Collective, where he plays guitar, vocals, and bass. The OTC Collective, known for its all-genre versatility, served as the backing band at the Trenton Social open mics from 2020 to 2023. Jay also plays bass, provides backing vocals, and arranges music for Mandy Valentine, a country western rock & roll band in Philly. Additionally, he plays bass for Friends of The Devil, a Philly area band that covers bluegrass versions of Grateful Dead songs, and contributes guitar, vocals, and keys to the Americana/folk rock band Three Yards To Dover. Jay continues to create as a very involved multi-genre artist, lending his talents to many groups and solo projects. This August, The MIC Mag is celebrating Jay Johnson as our Musician of the Month!
Solo Artist: Jay Johnson
Band Name: The OTC Collective
Genre: Rock
Fun Facts: "I'm left-handed but play all my instruments righty. I've been to 43 states in the US and 20 countries abroad and love travel. I have studied/speak English, German, French, Greek, and Swedish."
What Makes Jay Johnson Stand Out?
"I wear a nice hat :) People give me feedback that the joy I feel when I play live is infectious. I also play a lot of less popular instruments."
What is Jay Johnson most known for?
"Writing, playing a lot of instruments, and spreading love and joy with music."
What has Jay Johnson been working on?
"Love, Rock & Roll (Pt 1) is meant to be both a standalone concept EP and the A-side to our upcoming Love, Rock & Roll album, out Spring 2025. It is our 60s-inspired love letter to one of our favorite genres that 'will never die': rock & roll."
"Being an independent musician through all the various iterations of the newest of the new normals hasn't been easy, but I think our task is important, sacred even. The pay might be appalling for the amount of work we all put in, but it doesn't make the work any less valuable to me. We musicians carry on a legacy of human culture that transcends time, language, and culture; music makes us human. We make noises and share ideas and paint the time with sound. In a tumultuous time when that core source of human expression is simultaneously at risk of automation and actively being diminished monetarily and reduced to content by platforms antithetical to artistic expression, I think our job as temporary torchbearers within the context of that rich history is all the more important." - Jay Johnson
Do you have any advice for other aspiring independent musicians?:
"Never stop learning, never stop growing, and never stop having fun. Spread love and joy with what you play. Give more than you take, appreciate the space, and leave things better than you found them. Our job is to make people feel something, which is a beautiful responsibility. So make it genuine, and make them feel whatever you have to share."
Listen to Jay Johnson here
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OTC Collective: Instagram
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