John Louviere - musician/storyteller | by Autumn Thatcher

When John Louviere moved to Utah from Washington 18 years ago, he was shocked to find that socializing largely overshadowed performances in Salt Lake. A musician who gives the most raw and vulnerable pieces of himself to the audience, Louviere needed a captive audience to truly get his message across. In Seattle, he had grown accustomed to audiences who were so quiet, he could hear a pin drop between songs. His are performances that require a listening ear not only as he sings and strums the guitar, but when he stops to talk and share some of his most difficult personal stories with the audience. Feeling unable to create this relationship with audiences in Utah, he retreated within himself and stopped performing.
A recent evaluation of his life and what he wanted from it led Louviere to re-surface. 

Louviere grew up in a crushingly secretive family, which led the self-described confessional singer to share all of himself through music and performing. In this way, Louviere explains, “there is nothing to use against me.” When listening to music, he is drawn to others within the folk genre like Damien Jurado. Louviere’s soulful folk music has inspired a growing fan base that extended beyond private parties to occasional performances at the State Room. 

A psychologically aware person, Louviere admits that his music is pining, often touching on painful memories of abandonment as a child. His songs and stories grow and develop with him, and are constantly inspired by deeply honest and soulful people. Louviere is drawn to those who are experiencing life, who are “stuck and trying to navigate loss.” He understands their journey, and hopes that his music resembles that.  

Every lyric written in a John Louviere song has been painstakingly analyzed, ensuring that in the end, the song is completely honest. He feels profoundly, and is not afraid to share that in his music. Louviere’s are the songs for the human heart, and his is on his sleeve for everyone to see.   

Experience John Louviere’s music at: johnlouviere.bandcamp.com