Eric Johanson is blues powerhouse who combines top-quality guitarwork with impeccable songwriting and an engaging personality, and is one of the rising stars on today’s blues-rock scene. Johanson weaves both old styles and fresh interpretations together with some Southern rock and a bit of metal thrown in; his purposeful playing avoids meandering solos in favor of serving the song itself.

The Alexandria, Louisiana native was born into a musical family and in his early years could be found leading underground rock bands and developing his chops in New Orleans clubs; eventually becoming an integral part of the local music scene. After Hurricane Katrina destroyed basically everything he owned, he left the country for about four years. When he returned, he worked as a session player with artists like Anders Osborne and Cyril Neville, and in bands led by Terrance Simien and Corey Henry. Veteran bluesman Tab Benoit gave him a record deal and a slot in Benoit’s Whiskey Bayou tour. Johanson’s debut album, the 2017 Burn it Down, put him on the map.

Since then, Johanson has toured and recorded fairly relentlessly (with the North Mississippi Allstars, Samantha Fish, Mike Zito, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, and others) and his reputation continues to grow. He wisely used the pandemic as an opportunity to stay in touch with his fan base by offering weekly live streams full of musical surprises, which led to a two-volume album release of those covered tunes, ranging from The Beatles’ “And I Love Her” to the Neville Brothers’ “Yellow Moon.”

His 2023 album Deep and the Dirty debuted at #1 on the Billboard Blues Chart. He was named one of Guitar Player Magazine's 25 Best New Blues Guitarists and earned a spot in Total Guitar Magazine’s list of the 100 Greatest Blues Guitarists of All Time.