Patience for the Ride

Jason Isbell describes Will Johnson’s songs as a poetic manipulation of language that employs “multi-syllable words used almost as musical instruments [and] detailed images flying at the listener with no time to fully decipher meaning before the next image appears.” Similar sentiments are echoed in many engaging essays shared here by John Krajicek in Patience for the Ride: The Art and Life of Will Johnson. Recollections from fellow musicians and artists show unwavering appreciation for Johnson, not only for his considerable artistic abilities but also for his admirable qualities as a human being. He is consistently described as extraordinary, funny, and “the nicest guy in the world.”

Born in Kennett, Missouri, but hailing from Texas since the age of eleven, Johnson fronted the prominent indie bands Centro-matic and South San Gabriel and is a member of Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit. His music is lauded by esteemed artists including Isbell, Jim James, Bonnie Whitmore, Jon Dee Graham, Craig Finn, and New York Times bestselling novelist Ron Rash. In addition to his music, Johnson―a St. Louis Cardinals fan since childhood―is an avid painter of folk-art style baseball paintings, eagerly sought by collectors nationwide. And in 2021, he published a novel, If or When I Call.

The contributions compiled by Krajicek paint the story of someone “both completely sincere and a kind of court jester. Both genius and an unassuming, regular guy.” Complete with entertaining and heartfelt stories, Patience for the Ride invites readers to know Johnson the way his closest friends do, paying tribute to a consummate musician, wordsmith, and a singular Texan artist.

JOHN KRAJICEK is a singer-songwriter, visual artist, and host of the video podcast Time to Connect. A former executive professor in the Mays Business School at Texas A&M University, he currently owns Krajicek Consulting and performs solo and with the band Borderline Social Club.