Photo courtesy of Hannah Whittington

Johnson's Crossroad has been described by friends and fans as everything from "Appalachian Soul" to "Hillbilly Metal." The new album 'Mockingbird' puts songwriter Paul Johnson squarely in line with names like Guy Clark or Zac Brown and his powerful voice evokes memories of folk stars like Tom Waits, Taj Mahal or Burl Ives. The sincerity of his songs and simplicity of his lyrics make you want to pour a brew, put your feet up or head to the hills. Johnson's Crossroad makes you remember what is important in life.

"I like to keep the words simple," said Paul Johnson. "I try and follow Hank Williams as much as possible, let the words tell the story and the music back it up," Johnson said. His inspiration is simple yet intently focused. "I was born in the mountains of West Virginia, I've always been in the mountains all my life,” said Johnson who now calls Asheville, NC home. A dark power, like the steep slope on the backside of a ravine, where the water tumbles down, seeps into his songs and gives the simplicity of his words the strength of a freight train running through a mountain pass. Dobro, mandolin and fiddle back up his clean lyrics on some, other times its simple finger picking to a folksong.