Will Johnson

The surviving members of Magnolia Electric Co. band together with Will Johnson for a tribute to their late friend Jason Molina. The new group, Magnolia and Johnson Electric Co., will play Midwest dates in August.

Magnolia and Johnson Electric Co. is a new musical partnership between Jason Molina’s longtime bandmates in Magnolia Electric Co. and Texas musician Will Johnson of Centro-Matic, South San Gabriel, and Jason Isbell’s band the 400 Unit. Also a prolific solo artist, Johnson’s 2025 solo album Diamond City is critically acclaimed. In 2009, he and the late Ohio songwriter released the collaborative album Molina and Johnson, a beloved and sacred work among Molina fans, which the pair never toured behind due to Molina’s struggle with alcohol use disorder.

Today, the new group performs loving, spirited, and powerful versions of songs from Molina’s Songs: Ohia and Magnolia Electric Co. catalogs. As a friend and close artistic ally, Johnson is a very natural and respectful stand-in for Molina on lead vocals. Like his late friend, Johnson was born in the Midwest and raised on Southern culture and artistry; he’s one of few people who can approximate Molina’s distinct Mid-South sound and perspective in a capable way. And nearly 20 years on, the members of Magnolia Electric Co., who’ve remained friends and musical collaborators, play like a singularly connected unit driven by psychic force.

In September 2025, Magnolia and Johnson Electric Co. released a three song EP on the Austin-based label Keeled Scales, which features new arrangements and studio recordings of two songs from the Molina and Johnson record – “Wooden Heart” and “Twenty Cycles to the Ground” – and a studio version of the Magnolia classic “The Big Beast,” which, previously, was only ever captured live.

The band has played eleven capacity shows in Texas, the Southeast, and the Northeast, both to celebrate the release of the Magnolia and Johnson Electric Co. EP and pay tribute to their work with Molina. The tour continues on in some very important and significant cities to both Molina and his bandmates in August, starting in Bloomington, IN (former home to Molina and most of his band, plus the home of their long-time record label, Secretly Canadian), Chicago, IL (Molina’s former home and the location of the recording of most of Magnolia’s records), Louisville, KY (the site of the recording of the Amalgamated Songs of Rest EP with Molina, Will Oldham, and Alasdair Roberts), and Cleveland, OH (just miles from Molina’s hometown of Lorain, OH, and a thematic fixture in many of Molina’s songs).

Expect multiple sets and a solemn yet celebratory evening in memory of Jason Molina — their bandmate, collaborator, and friend.

Magnolia and Johnson Electric Co.

August in the Midwest
Thursday, 8/27 – Bloomington, IN – The Bluebird
Friday, 8/28 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall
Saturday, 8/29 – Louisville, KY – Whirling Tiger
Sunday, 8/30 – Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom

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Will Johnson will be supporting Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit in the UK in June.

6 June : Gateshead UK @ Glasshouse
8 June : Manchester UK @ Bridgewater Hall
10 June : Birmingham UK @ Symphony Hall
11 June : London UK @ Royal Albert Hall

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Will Johnson and the members of Magnolia Electric Co. release version of “The Big Beast,”
Announce September Texas tour and 7-inch record.

Will Johnson and the remaining members of beloved band Magnolia Electric Co. have joined forces for new recordings as Magnolia & Johnson Electric Co.

In September, Magnolia and Johnson Electric Co. will pay tribute to their work with the late Jason Molina and perform four shows in Texas, September 18-21, 2025.

Today they share a roaring version of “The Big Beast“ and announce a seven-inch record out in September.

On September 19th they’ll release the two-song 7″ record “Wooden Heart” / “Twenty Cycles To The Ground,” which are full band recordings of two of the songs from the Molina and Johnson album.

Will Johnson released his 10th solo album Diamond City last month, and was part of the 2009 collaborative album Molina and Johnson, a record for which a tour was canceled due to Molina’s struggles with alcohol.

The September tour follows the well-worn Texas trail that Molina and Magnolia traveled many times during their seven years of near non-stop touring as Magnolia Electric Co. It marks the 20th anniversary of a ten-show Texas tour undertaken in 2005 as part of their massive world tour supporting the 2005 albums What Comes After the Blues and Trials and Errors. Expect multiple sets and a solemn yet celebratory evening in memory of Jason Molina — their bandmate, collaborator, and friend.

Magnolia and Johnson Electric Co. (featuring Will Johnson along with original Magnolia Electric Co. members Mike Brenner, Jason Evans Groth, Michael Kapinus, Mark Rice, and Pete Schreiner) convened in Texas earlier this year to record new studio versions of both Molina’s and Johnson’s songs, much in the vein of the 2018 Goshen Electric Company collaboration between Magnolia and Tim Showalter of Strand of Oaks.

The sessions were recorded and mixed by Johnson’s longtime collaborator Britton Beisenherz and mastered by Magnolia mastering engineer Matthew Barnhart. Iconic artwork by Will Schaff graces the cover, whose artwork has now been inextricably linked to Jason Molina’s songwriting.

Magnolia and Johnson Electric Co.
“The Big Game is Every Night” Texas Tour 2025

Tickets on sale now!

Thursday, 9/18 : Austin TX – 29th Street Ballroom
Friday, 9/19 : San Antonio TX – The Lonesome Rose
Saturday, 9/20 : Denton TX – Rubber Gloves
Sunday, 9/21 : Houston TX – Continental Club

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“The idea for ‘Floodway Fall’ cropped up before a summer 2022 rehearsal with Scott Danbom. We were still setting up, getting sounds and levels. I remember him looking out the window, loosely playing along on his fiddle, likely unaware that I was recording it. I quickly forgot about it, then stumbled across it a few months later and decided to see the song through. For the most part, it’s a small town document of tension, travel, and ultimately undying love.” – Will J.

Listen to “Floodway Fall” and pre-order your copy on Denim Blue Vinyl or CD or pick up a Diamond City shirt, ball cap, or pennant.

PRE-ORDER “Diamond City”
https://undertowstore.com/collections/will-johnson

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I’m thankful to Keeled Scales for helping see my new LP, “No Ordinary Crown” into the world today.

Thank you Ramble Creek, Lindsey Verrill, Ricky Ray Jackson and Roberto Sanchez for being a part of it. We have a good number of recording hours between us at this point, and the trust levels are such that there’s not much preparation, or any rehearsal on the ramp up. Each session is largely based on gut instinct, and working in the moment. It’s not a refined or flawless approach, but (to me) embodies the best sensations of what making something together is about.

Thank you Adam Young for the stunning cover art, Helms Workshop for the layout work, Maddy Underwood for the design and merch help, to Britton Beisenherz and Jim Wilson for their generosity and efforts in engineering, mixing and mastering, and to Undertow for helping guide the ship for decades.

There will be a (solo) in-store at Waterloo Records on September 25, and a Texas full band 4-step (including everyone from this session) with the great Renée Reed in February. 

Thanks for reading this, and maybe see you down the road. 
-wj

BUY “NO ORDINARY CROWN”
Undertow Store : https://tinyurl.com/5n7hcjmu
Keeled Scales : https://tinyurl.com/38bc2jvy
Keeled Scales UK/EU Shop : https://tinyurl.com/2pb7cxae
Bandcamp : https://willjohnson.bandcamp.com
Streaming : https://lnk.to/WillJohnson

SHOWS
September 25 : Austin TX – Waterloo Records In-store performance @ 5pm
February 1 : Denton TX – Dan’s Silverleaf – TICKETS
February 2 : Houston TX – Continental Club – TICKETS
February 3 : San Antonio TX @ Lonesome Rose – TICKETS
February 4 : Austin TX @ Ballroom – TICKETS

We’re excited to announce these full band shows happening in February! The band will be the same folks who played on the new album…. Britton Beisenherz, Lindsey Verrill, Ricky Ray Jackson and Roberto Sanchez.

Tickets are on sale for all shows. Come out and see us if you can. 

February 1 : Denton TX – Dan’s Silverleaf – TICKETS
February 2 : Houston TX – Continental Club – TICKETS
February 3 : San Antonio TX @ Lonesome Rose – TICKETS
February 4 : Austin TX @ Ballroom – TICKETS

I have a new song in the wild this week. “Sinker, Sinking” fell together in a Tulsa hotel room fairly quickly in 2021. It’s a pop song for the greater part, zeroing in on its subject’s hiding out as a storm builds outside. I guess it’s no stretch to suggest that the storm represents a kind of anxiety, and the hope is to zoom out, let the movements of the day occur naturally, and try to omit the waves of incessant worry. I knew I wanted the band to shine as the outro unfurled, and they certainly did.

“No Ordinary Crown” is my new full length LP, and it comes out courtesy of Keeled Scales on September 15. Vinyl and CD pre-orders are up and running via Keeled Scales or Undertow. There will also be a pink vinyl edition from Good Records limited to 200 copies, hand numbered, including an art print and baseball card.

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The Keeled Scales merch store will also include a classic diner mug, a gradient-printed silkscreen shirt, and mesh hats w/ sewn on patch. These new items will also be available from Undertow starting on August 16.

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The LP art and design elements were assembled by my dear friend Adam Young. Album layout by Helms Workshop. Merch designs by Maddy Underwood. New press photos by the great Todd Wolfson.

No Ordinary Crown was engineered and mixed by Britton Beisenherz at Ramble Creek, mastered by Jim Wilson, and played by Britton Beisenherz, Ricky Ray Jackson, Little Mazarn, Roberto Sanchez, and me.

Thank you for checking it. ♥️, -wj

Links to pre-order vinyl, cd, new merch and pre-save digital here…
https://lnk.to/willjohnson

Jason Isbell and I have gotten to make a whole bunch of racket, see a good number of touring miles, and sing a lot of songs together in various forms since 2004. As of this week I’ll be joining along on drums, percussion, guitars, backing vocals (and gong) as part of the 400 Unit for a bunch of touring through the rest of this year, and maybe even some more down the road.

Come hang with us this summer. If the Weathervanes release show on Friday was any sign of things to come, I think the joy buffet will be more than plentiful.

♥️, -wj

(photo by Todd Wolfson)

Will is headed out on tour in March and April, playing all acoustic shows in small capacity spaces.

BUY TICKETS:
https://undertowshows.com/collections/will-johnson

Wed March 22 : St Louis MO – SOLD OUT
Thur March 23 : Chicago IL – SOLD OUT
Fri March 24 : Detroit MI – SOLD OUT
Sat March 25 : Cleveland OH – SOLD OUT
Sun March 26 : Pittsburgh PA – SOLD OUT
Mon March 27 : Buffalo NY – SOLD OUT
Wed March 29 : Syracuse NY – SOLD OUT
Thu March 30 : Boston MA – SOLD OUT
Frid March 31 : Weehawken NJ – SOLD OUT
Sat April 1 : Philadelphia PA – SOLD OUT
Sun April 2 : Baltimore MD – SOLD OUT
Tue April 4 : Washington DC – SOLD OUT
Thu April 6 : Athens GA – SOLD OUT
Fri April 7 : Atlanta GA – SOLD OUT
Sat April 8 : Waverly AL – SOLD OUT
Sun April 9 : New Orleans LA – SOLD OUT

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Undertow Shows are intimate events hosted by fans in private spaces such as: living rooms, lofts, recording studios, coffee shops, museums, yoga studios, bike shops, churches, indoor skate parks, and more.

Each show is completely unique. We try to find the most accommodating spaces for both the artist and the fans. Things we always try to consider is: acoustics of the room, accessibility, available seating and proximity to parking and public transportation. It all adds up to a magical experience.

Thank you!