Nick Johnston: "I wanted to evolve – and for me that meant learning how to sing, changing the guitars I use and experimenting with my tone"

Nick Johnston and Ben Ragan
(Image credit: Wyatt Clough)

The last year has been one of rapid change for Canadian virtuoso Nick Johnston. First, he announced his partnership with Orange amps, joining the British manufacturers as a brand ambassador and trusting in the Rockerverb MKIII to handle his wonderfully expressive tones. 

Then, just a few weeks ago, he started to tease his newest signature model with Schecter – the big surprise being the switch from Strat-style to Telecaster bodies. And now he’s just announced his latest project Archival – a radical departure from the instrumental fusion rock he’s known for, moving into singer-songwriter territory.

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Amit Sharma

Amit has been writing for titles like Total GuitarMusicRadar and Guitar World for over a decade and counts Richie Kotzen, Guthrie Govan and Jeff Beck among his primary influences as a guitar player. He's worked for magazines like Kerrang!Metal HammerClassic RockProgRecord CollectorPlanet RockRhythm and Bass Player, as well as newspapers like Metro and The Independent, interviewing everyone from Ozzy Osbourne and Lemmy to Slash and Jimmy Page, and once even traded solos with a member of Slayer on a track released internationally. As a session guitarist, he's played alongside members of Judas Priest and Uriah Heep in London ensemble Metalworks, as well as handled lead guitars for legends like Glen Matlock (Sex Pistols, The Faces) and Stu Hamm (Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, G3).