Johnson Releases “500 Pesos To Oz” As Precursor To Full Album
Middle Georgia songmaker Andy Johnson independently released his new single “500 Pesos to Oz” on July 7, 2020. The song is his first release since the conclusion of Royal Johnson, his past songwriting vehicle. A full album of material will be released later this year.
Everyone has special places and special memories that they sometimes use as an escape. Those might include a birthday party in your backyard as a kid, or a lazy afternoon with friends in the creek behind your neighbor’s house as an adult, or maybe a particular vacation to a beach a couple hours away. Most people have at least a handful of memories where everything in the universe seemed to line up and make sense. Many of us may be feeling the anxiety of wondering if we will ever see these places again. This is especially true for musicians who rely on social intimacy to make their living.
“500 Pesos to Oz” is a song about one of Johnson’s memories of a special day in Todos Santos, BCS, Mexico. “This song is dedicated to anyone that has felt cut off from their own special happy places,” he said. “If you can use your imagination, your ‘Casa Azul’ is only a song away!”
Once again Johnson turned to his highly trusted musical companion Daniel NeSmith and his Sky South Studio for the recording of the new material. The collaboration dates back to “Jars,” (the final release from the band Royal Johnson) in 2019.
NeSmith is producing and engineering the album, while also performing a variety of instruments. “500 Pesos to Oz” features Johnson on guitars and vocals, NeSmith on banjo and mandolin, Rusty Bridgers on bass, Kenneth Robinson on percussion and Norris Hilliard on accordion.