Sophia Johnson

Originally from Birmingham, England, where she was the driving force behind her family's folk/bluegrass act the Toy Hearts, guitarist Sophia Johnson moved to Austin just One Year ago. That she fit into the roots-country music scene here so effortlessly is a testament not only to her instrumental prowess, but her willingness and ability to play a variety of styles with grace and panache. Her first solo effort displays all those qualities as well as an ability to compose tunes and choose cover material with a sensibility fitting into the country music canon – simple, direct, and possessing a broad sense of humor. That latter dimension comes across with an appropriately hillbilly take on Silas Lowe's "I'm Moving to Manchaca." Meanwhile, her own songs like autobiographical Western swing "Visa Blues" and the downbeat title track show Johnson is comfortable composing in a breadth of forms. She's accomplished a lot in just about 12 months, and One Year earns its place among the best local debuts of 2016.