Today we’d like to introduce you to Keifer Johnson.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Keifer. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Music has always been a part of my life. Even from a very young age, I have fond memories my mom exposing me to different styles and genres of music; the artists that leap out to me the most are Sade, Erykah Badu, Bob Marley, TLC, Queen, and No Doubt.
That passion for music ultimately led me to picking up the trombone, an instrument that I did not initially care for but has grown to become another part of my being. I had my first professional gig at 15, where myself and a few of my classmates had the opportunity to perform with Ne-Yo for the 2008 All-Star Hockey Game Halftime Show, and that moment, being able to perform for that many people, made me realize that all I ever wanted to be is a musician.
Since that moment, I’ve become a prominent session trombonist, performing with many projects based not only in Atlanta but other cities in the nation as well, including Brooklyn and Nashville. Through hard work, patience, and determination (as well as a lot of luck!), I’ve carved out a place in the Atlanta music scene that I can honestly say is uniquely me.
Has it been a smooth road?
Hahaha, it has definitely been everything else BUT a smooth road. I don’t think that anyone that has walked the path being a creative for a living has had a path paved for them to reach their ideal destination. For me, walking away from Psychology (and dealing with the backlash from friends and family about that decision) was a major roadblock for me to overcome. Not always being able to make enough money to sustain a healthy living was also very discouraging, and has almost made me quit music on several occasions.
Probably the biggest roadblock for me was, and sometimes still is, learning to treat my craft as a profession. It’s very easy to mix personal feelings and professional affairs in this line of work, and has led me to make bad decisions, or put me in sticky situations: being underpaid for gigs, souring great friendships to the point of causing irreparable damage to those dynamics, and sleeping on the front lawn of a house in the mountains of Colorado with a cat named Eleanor… true story!
Can you give our readers some background on your music?
I am a session trombonist. I perform and record with different artists that are looking for specific instrumentation; in my case, either trombone or other brass instruments. In my career, I can definitely say that I’ve performed with more than a few acts, and made lots of positive connections. Because of the fact that there aren’t many trombonists roaming around the city, I feel like I’ve cornered a market of necessity in live instrumentation, as well as have built a positive reputation for myself as a reliable, talented, and cool guy to have on your project haha.
Currently, the projects that I’m apart of are: Lightning Orchestra (who is currently signed with Acid Jazz Records and releasing our debut album Source and Deliver in July 10th worldwide), Rollingchild (current album Post Party Depression available everywhere via Burger Records), projects produced by Randy Michael and the InCrowd (those projects include Rollingchild, Katie Drake, Nadia Marie, Ian & the Revelations, and many more) and a session horn section known as the Fluffy Pipes. (This Group consists of my Robert Harrington on Trumpet and William Hollifield on Saxophone/Flute/Clarinet)
Other projects that I currently work with/have worked with in the past include Kebbi Williams and the Wolfpack, Blackberry Smoke, the Pussywillows, Fiona Silver, Big Brutus, and so many more I honestly can’t remember at this moment. Also, I am currently writing and producing on a solo/collaborative EP showcasing some of my favorite artists in Atlanta that will be released at the end of this summer! The project is tentatively called “The Truth Hurts,” so be on the lookout for that!!
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Oh absolutely! Besides the wealth of talent and experience that exists here, I think that one of the best things about being a creative in Atlanta is the sense of community and support that people have for one another. One of my favorite phrases about this community is “Atlanta’s big, but it’s small, and everybody knows everybody.” We are very different from other major music scenes across the country in that regard, and I think that its that same sense of community that makes us stand out.
No matter what your art is, there is a place for it, and a community that supports it here; that above all else makes Atlanta a good place to do what we do.
Contact Info:
- Website: incrowdrecordings.com
- Email: keiferj92@gmail.com
- Instagram: kj_thetruth
- Twitter: kj_thetruth
Image Credit:
Marina Delanie-Siegel
ManonHill Media
Ilene Rouamvongsor
The Mainline
Erin Atkinson
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