Folk, Roots & Canadiana
Music for hippies of all ages!
Songs of joy & delight, straight from the Okanagan.
New album · Out now
“Rebel”
“…very good roots rock with a rock-a-billy flavor… This is very very good and needs to get out there.” Tom Coxworth, CKUA Radio, Canada
Nine original songs of love, loss, joy and trains. Vinyl only, very limited release. Soon streaming everywhere!
Don’t click here. Don’t reserve your copy. You’d probably hate it anyway.
On the road
Catch Johnny live
Vernon, BC
Downtown Vernon. Phoenix Steakhouse. Time TBA.
Vernon, BC
Santa Days! Downtown Vernon. Location, time TBA.
Vernon, BC
Santa Days! Downtown Vernon. Location, time TBA.
What folks are saying
“Oh my God, it was so awesome! Johnny laid out the tunes, he was deadly! We can’t wait to have him back.”
Darren Carter, GM, Beer Bros. Gastro Pub, Regina SK
“Your new song I Hear A Voice gave me the body chills. The arrangement and tightness were amazing. Very much a country rock vibe. Vocals were clean and solid.”
Pedro Caratera
“I get a real Blue Rodeo vibe…”
Jackson J. Gardner, Producer
“This crisp-sounding EP should be Bolo’s ticket to the next level of fame… an attractive light tenor… knows his way around a guitar.”
The Georgia Straight, on Out on the Land
Watch Johnny live
Sidestreet Motel
From Rebel. Live, Kelowna BC, May 2025
Friday Night at the Logger’s Hall
From Rebel. Live, Gleneden BC, April 2025
I Hear A Voice
From Rebel. Live, Gleneden BC, April 2025
Virtually Live at the Cathedral
Full set. Village Arts Festival, Regina SK
About Johnny
Songs of joy & delight
Looking like a cross between Garth Hudson & Steve Earle, sounding like a cross between Alan Jackson & Jimmy Buffett, Johnny Bolo builds sweet audience connection with that soaring tenor voice & driving rhythm guitar. When he plays a train song (and he plays a few!) you hear the train a comin’!
Ranging out of Canada’s Okanagan Valley, solo roots singer-songwriter Johnny Bolo has been a presence in the Western Canada music scene for over 20 years. Touring Canada & Europe, from festivals to dive bars, Johnny brings his entertaining “Blue Rodeo meets Jimmy Buffett” sound, engaging audiences with soaring vocals & driving guitar work.
Born in Sudbury, Ontario, son of a hard rock miner, raised on the wide plains of Saskatchewan, Johnny Bolo (JB) delivers smiles, energy, connection & joy!
Outlaws & miscreants, lovers & dreamers populate his songs, with an authenticity born of his many travels & travails. JB brings you stories of the road, of trains, freedom, joy & delight. You’ll find something to connect with in a Johnny Bolo show!
Read the full bio
His debut EP “Out On The Land” received world-wide accolades, & extensive Canadian community & CBC airplay.
Johnny’s new full-length release “Rebel” showcases 9 well-crafted original songs of love, loss, joy & trains! Recorded at Vancouver’s Flash Studios, with engineer Jackson J. Gardner (Sam Roberts Band; Yukon Blonde; Spank Williams), & populated with some of Vancouver’s best session players (Emmett Jerome, Tyler Ross Murray, Spank Williams hisself, & Jonny Scorpio), “Rebel” is poised to receive Juno attention & is steadily picking up spins, blogs, & great reviews.
From a wellspring of inspiration fed by John Prine, Van Morrison, Townes Van Zandt & Steve Earle, Johnny crafts touching songs that reverberate in hearts long after the show. His sweet originals & covers of gems like Gordon Lightfoot’s “Canadian Railroad Trilogy,” Bob Dylan’s “Lily, Rosemary & the Jack of Hearts” & more make a great night of music!
A life spent on the road, as a travelling salesman, truck driver, & wandering minstrel gives Johnny a unique & grounded perspective on life, love, loss, & joy, weaving a discernible thread through his music.
Find a Bolo show near you!
You gotta check this guy out! Bring Johnny to your town, your festival, or your living room.