The Goldfinch Room: Royce Johns and Caleb Elliott
The Goldfinch Room’s final Songwriter Showcase of the season features Royce Johns and Caleb Elliott.
Royce John Schwienebart, otherwise known as Royce Johns, is a husband, father, guitar picker, and singer/songwriter. He’s been pickin’ and grinnin’ for the last decade and has been fortunate enough to work with some talented singers, songwriters, and musicians.
After recording an EP and two records comprised of other songwriter’s songs and co-writes, Johns finally got talked into writing and recording his own songs, thanks to Caleb Elliott. He encouraged Johns to make a record called Thank Ya Kindly. Johns said that experience opened his eyes to what being a songwriter can be.
Caleb Elliott’s sophomore album Weed, Wine & Time is beauty and grit personified. From the first track of the record (Sweeter Paradigm), Elliott lays bare a thesis of hope and healing that continues throughout the album. Elliott’s opening chorus states that “you learn as you go along, simple as a song” and this theme courses like blood through each of the tracks that follow.
Born and bred in a small northern Louisiana town called Natchitoches, Elliott was raised on traditional gospel and classical music. While these may not be genres he’s drawn to in adulthood, the remnants of a childhood spent practicing cello and singing church tunes around a piano with his family have bled into the musician, and man, he is today. Each paneled-song of the WW&T quilt is a study in adversity, followed by a friendly hand reaching out to help.
