Meet Tanner Johns | musician

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tanner Johns and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tanner, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I wanted to be free from the 9 to 5. I wanted to be my own boss. I wanted to make a difference in the world. By starting me own path I have found all of those things. However, I have had to overcome many hardships in my endeavor to escape the matrix.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am most proud of the fact that I can support my lifestyle by playing music. I am most excited about giving back to the word through original music and I hope that my music will impact somebody the way that other people’s music has impacted me. I spent over 15 years learning my craft and playing any gig that came my way, i worked very hard to become a better player and eventually be able to quit my “day job” to support myself and my family. Everyday brings new challenges, even after 4 years of solely playing music full time. However, I take the lessons I have learned from previous hardships and continue to learn and grow. If there was one lesson I could impart to young artists starting out, it would be no matter what you do, it is going to be a struggle. The struggle is guaranteed, the success is not, so pick one thing that you can be happy doing everyday whether you are failing or succeeding. No matter where you are from, or what your background is, you can achieve your goals with enough hard work and belief in yourself.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
The 445 Martini Lounge is one of the original hubs I gigged in Rapid City SD, plus I met a lot of friends who worked there. So that will always be home base for me. The world needs more venues that support smaller and a variety of artists and genres. Aby’s has been a sanctuary for music of all genres to blossom and share their art with the world. If i was taking my best friend through the town, those would be my first two stops. Murphy’s Pub has been another great place that has supported us local artists and has continued the perpetuation of Rapid City nightlight. I am also a person that likes to get “lost” in the woods, living in the Black Hills provides a lot of opportunities to explore. I would never miss an opportunity to share the wonders of the Black Hills to a friend.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I owe a lot to my grandmother who taught me my first three chords on guitar, and Charles Carey, my guitar instructor who helped me transition out of the plateau of being a bedroom player to a full time gigging musician. I also want to thank everyone else who believed in what I was doing and who has supported me throughout this journey.

Website: tannerjohnsmusic.com

Instagram: tanner_johns_music

Facebook: TannerJohnsMusic

Youtube: @tannerjohns4588

Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6PJXQRUQPrxP5xz2gPtRxb?si=uWJRZYtjTdS8d0H_bRDYQw

Image Credits
Roxanne Rathbun Bailey Johns Ethan Eicher