Q& A WITH JOHNNY IRION
3 Questions with
Johnny Irion The folk singer-songwriter answers our questions about his creative process BY JENNIFER HUBERDEAU
I
t was late 2019 when folk-artist Johnny Irion returned home to the Berkshires, putting the past two years of touring in Europe for his album “Driving Friend” behind him. He was intent on building up his Washington studio and shifting to work that allowed him to stay in one place a little longer, writing music for commercials and films. The timing couldn’t have been more
music for a few commercials. One was
perfect. A few months after making
the Ancestry.com commercial featuring
the decision to “take the jump” off the
Rob Lowe. I’ve also shot some videos and
touring circuit, pandemic precautions
worked on an indie film.”
put most of the world in lockdown. Irion kept busy in his studio, making music. “I’ve definitely been busy,” Irion said during a recent interview. “I’ve done
And then in 2021, as COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, the itch to play music in public hit him. He found himself at the Apple Tree Inn, guitar in hand.
“What I love about having the studio is that if I’m really into the song, I can just release a song,” Irion says of having his own studio in Washington, where he lives with his wife Sarah Lee Guthrie.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY JOHNNY IRION
SUMMER 2022 I Berkshire Landscapes 55
