Live! at the Baptist ft Selfish Sons

Originally born in Sydney, NSW, Damien Johnson has at one stage or another called Armidale, Bundaberg, Brisbane, Toowoomba and the Sunshine Coast, ‘home’. He now resides in the city of Ipswich, 45mins west of Brisbane.

Growing up in regional centers where peer acceptance came through playing sports, Damien did not explore his musical and artistic abilities until later in life, first taking up guitar as a 16 year old as a means of coping with heartbreak and loss.

Damien has always struggled to ‘fit in’ and has often felt misunderstood and rejected throughout his life, frequently wrestling with his self-identity, spirituality, sexuality and gender.

In 2019 Damien released his first EP, titled, ‘Parked’, which featured four tracks, with the stand out being the up-beat pop-rock song, ‘Hot Days’.

The following year saw Damien release a full length album, ‘Passive Aggression’, which was entirely self-produced and began to define Damien as a looping artist who fused elements of hip-hop and indie rock. The title of the album came from the idea that many of Damien’s song lyrics, though general in nature, were often directed at very specific individuals and that music was Damien’s way of passively releasing his hurt towards those individuals.

In 2020 Damien’s music evolved further, taking on a heavier, electronic element, whilst also maintaining the looping and hip-hop elements of the previous release. He ended the year with back to back sold out shows in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley.

Damien has received national airplay and has featured in local, national and international publications. He has shared the stage with the likes of Daryl Braithwaite, The Temper Trap and The Angels and has charted on Triple J Unearthed.