Even though he's an easy-going guy, Telegraph Canyon's Chris Johnson has some serious convictions. Last spring, he traveled to Washington, D.C., to take part in an anti-war protest. When uniformed federal "peacekeepers" drew a line on the White House lawn, he calmly walked across it. He was arrested, but he felt he'd made a point.
Maybe not so ironically, a few months later, Johnson and musicians he'd carefully selected to form the septet Telegraph Canyon found themselves recording their debut album, All the Good News, in a studio in McGregor, a short distance from the President's Crawford bunker. Guitarist Erik Wolfe recalls that if you were driving through Crawford and took a wrong turn, "you'd find a guy with a machine gun." Never assuming the role of political prophet, Johnson nonetheless creates music that he describes as socially conscious. "The record is political in some ways," he said. "It's there if you want to gather it. You can't make art without your environment affecting you, and we live in a chaotic world."
All the Good News was recorded and produced with the help of Steve Collins, a student and friend of renowned producers Mark Howard (Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris) and Canadian Daniel Lanois (Bob Dylan, U2). In only six 12-hour recording sessions, All the Good News was born and began to receive attention in underground markets across the U.S. and Canada.
With the addition of new members, drummer Austin Green and pianist/vocalist Sherilyn, and an ever-growing inventory of instruments, Telegraph Canyon is filling 2008 with tour dates that will take them through the U.S. and Europe, as well as putting the finishing touches on their follow up to All the Good News.
"We are not an arena rock band and we don't play music that everyone with a taste for what's on the radio immediately falls in love with," Johnson says. "We realize we are not making music for the masses, nor the impatient or the casual listener. We make music for people that want something sincere and provoking, equal parts chaos and beauty, just like the world we live in."
*Portions taken from Caroline Collier's article on Telegraph Canyon entitled "Old New World" published by the Fort Worth Weekly.
Chuck Brown: Bass, Vocals & Trombone
Chris Johnson: Acoustic & Electric Guitar, Vocals, Harmonica & Banjo
Austin Green: Drums & Percussion
Sherilyn: Synth, Piano, Sequencers & Vocals
Tamara Cauble: Violin & Vocals
Andrew Skates: Organ, Rhodes, Accordion, Electric Guitar & Mandolin
Erik Wolfe: Electric Guitar, Banjo & Bass Drum
Todd Pertll: Steel guitar
Telegraph Canyon