ABOUT

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When he first picked up the electric bass, a few months shy of his fifteenth birthday, Johnnie Gilmore knew he’d found his calling. As a music student at Wesleyan University, Johnnie began to find his voice as a solo player and songwriter—think Paul McCartney’s melodicism, Stevie Wonder’s hard-edged harmony, and Victor Wooten’s technical showmanship thrown in a blender—and honed his repertoire and stagecraft as a street performer and local fixture in his hometown of Boston.

Since moving to Los Angeles in 2018, Johnnie has released a single and two solo albums on RMI Records, toured across the U.S., and opened for living legends Stu Hamm and Fareed Haque as a solo artist; his music has been featured in Forbes and No Treble and shared on social media by celebrities such as James Taylor, Carole King, Trey Songz, Blake Mills, and Roy Choi. He also continues to work as a sideman, including opening for The Wailers on their 2020 winter tour and performing at the Freespace Happening festival (Hong Kong) in 2018, Topanga Days Festival in 2019, and SXSW in 2022.

 

PRESS/TESTIMONIALS

“Just like all of his videos, [“You’ve Got a Friend” is] absolutely gorgeous. Utilizing a capo and incredible plucking hand technique, Gilmore delivers the song in the rich, intimate sound it deserves.”

—NoTreble Magazine (click for full feature)

"When the shutdown began, Gilmore was mere days from embarking on his first nationwide solo tour. In May, both of his mother’s parents died of the coronavirus; he performed music at the funeral, by submitting a prerecorded video. His home felt less like home the more time he stayed inside. These musings led to When You Come Home...this summer, Gilmore needed to write it."

—Forbes (click for full EP review)

"Has a bass ever whispered into your ear?...Listening to [When You Come Home] feels like sitting on the couch next to a friend as they tell you their most personal stories. Underneath the soothing, humming surface of the music lies a subtle restlessness, an intricate mosaic of ever-shifting textures, rhythms, and harmonies. Each song feels like a different story told with care, with parts that repeat but are never played quite the same way twice."

—Sonic Smoothie (click for full feature)

“He’s working to revolutionize the bass guitar. Who needs a voice when those four strings do all the talking?”

—The Courier (UK) (click for full feature)

“The Boston native has undeniably made a splash as a solo bassist.”

—For Bass Players Only (click for full interview)

“Gilmore’s return to concert stages in Southern California and around the nation is just one of the many things we all have to look forward to in the future—but until then, this EP [When You Come Home] will provide inspiration, comfort, and companionship to all who hear it.”

—The Hype Magazine (click for full feature)

“One of my favorite new rising stars on the bass guitar…I was blown away by his musical grace.”

—Grant Stinnett (YouTube star)

“Gilmore is a brilliant young bass player and songwriter pushing the boundaries of the instrument’s capabilities, both as a soloist and accompanist.”

—Messenger Mountain News

 

NOTABLE VENUES

  • House of Blues (Anaheim, CA)

  • The Elephant Room (Austin, TX)

  • The Starry Plough (Berkeley, CA)

  • Faneuil Hall Marketplace (Boston, MA)

  • Top of the Hub (Boston, MA)

  • Wally's Jazz Café (Boston, MA)

  • Fox Theatre (Boulder, CO)

  • Radio Bean (Burlington, VT)

  • Middle East Upstairs (Cambridge, MA)

  • The Plough and Stars (Cambridge, MA)

  • Toad (Cambridge, MA)

  • V&A Waterfront Amphitheatre (Cape Town, South Africa)

  • The Mahogany Room (Cape Town, South Africa)

  • Kaleidoscope Café (Cape Town, South Africa)

  • GMan Tavern (Chicago, IL)

  • Uncommon Ground (Chicago, IL)

  • Amazing Things Arts Center (Framingham, MA)

  • Lighthouse Café (Hermosa Beach, CA)

  • Freespace Happening (Hong Kong)

  • Peel Fresco (Hong Kong)

  • GruvGear HQ (La Habra, CA)

  • Adults Only (Los Angeles, CA)

  • Bootleg Theater (Los Angeles, CA)

  • Catch One (Los Angeles, CA)

  • Clifton’s Republic (Los Angeles, CA)

  • El Cid (Los Angeles, CA)

  • The Federal (Los Angeles, CA)

  • The Goldfish (Los Angeles, CA)

  • The Hotel Cafe (Los Angeles, CA)

  • Lock and Key (Los Angeles, CA)

  • Lucky Strike Live (Los Angeles, CA)

  • The Mint (Los Angeles, CA)

  • The Moroccan Lounge (Los Angeles, CA)

  • The Study (Los Angeles, CA)

  • The Venice West (Los Angeles, CA)

  • Universal CityWalk (Universal City, CA)

  • Rotary Rock'n Ribfest (Merrimack, NH)

  • The Buttonwood Tree (Middletown, CT)

  • The Canyon (Montclair, CA)

  • Intrinzik (Montrose, CO)

  • Big Shotz (Nashville, TN)

  • Bowery Electric Map Room (New York, NY)

  • Club Groove (New York, NY)

  • Studio at Webster Hall (New York, NY)

  • The Burren Backroom (Somerville, MA)

  • Topanga Days Festival (Topanga, CA)