By the time he picked up a guitar at age 13, Will H. Johnson had absorbed heavy doses of The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and ZZ Top from his parents collection. Throughout his school years he performed in the halls every day at lunch, entered talent competitions (winning or placing 5 times), participated in Jazz Band and Solo & Ensemble (receiving its highest honor, a "1"), took college level classical guitar courses after school, tutored younger students at guitar, formed a band and recorded an original studio demo. After graduating in 1995 Johnson began exploring songwriting, forming the folk-rock band No Preservatives Added and releasing a full length CD. The project was hampered by shady characters in the business and Johnson's own inexperience, and the album was largely a disappointment. The band split up, and although he continued playing solo it was clear that he needed to go back to the drawing board.
A few years later he attended a songwriter's camp where he made new connections and learned from new mentors. Alaskan songstress Lili McGovern showed particular interest, and the two were soon performing as a folk-pop duo. McGovern soon released a solo CD, and Johnson realized he needed to update his discography. With only a few new songs, he decided to re-record the best cuts from No Preservatives Added along with the new songs. He enlisted Sean Mormelo to be his recording engineer in 2004, and "Paper & Fire" was released that July. After a year of supporting the album in Alaska, Johnson decided to take a chance and leave the state. He spent the next 2 years in Bellingham, WA, playing gigs there as well as in Seattle. Unfortunately, things never got rolling and pretty soon funds were running low. He even discovered that his name was trademarked by a different Will Johnson, prompting the addition of the initial "H". Adversity was leading to some edgy new writing though, so he decided to return to Alaska to get back on his feet. He was offered a job managing his favorite hometown cantina, and by 2008 he was ready to get things going again. He began attending a newly formed guild "Songwriters of Alaska", which helped get his network going. Johnson decided on Surreal Studios in Anchorage AK, and approached them about his new project which he described as "If Bruce Springsteen was becoming a serial killer".
Completed in December 2009, "Highway of Souls" features songs about prison breaks, vital organ theft, and a demented captor, among others. Utilizing heavier guitars and drums than previous works, Will H. Johnson expands on his musical identity while staying true to his fundamental elements: Hook-based writing and accomplished playing with a melodic edge.