Peter Johnston RVA
To put it simply, Peter Johnston RVA is Catholic indie rock; you wouldn't hear this music at mass, but it does try to prove that traditional Catholic thought and indie rock are not mutually exclusive. It began easily enough as a few home recordings but has slowly turned into a full on project that explores matters of human dignity and common good in society. Peter Johnston RVA has released six records since 2020 with songs inspired in large part by Pope John Paul II’s open letter to artists from 1999. Peter Johnston RVA songs have drawn from a wide range of Catholic topics and imagery, with songs about everything from Simeon’s perspective on the day of the Presentation in the Temple to a Byzantine Catholic requiem prayer, and everything in between. The King of Kings EP released in late 2020 featured an upbeat soundtrack to the end of times, and the most recent release was a split Christmas single with North Carolina’s SEE IT ALL AT ONCE.
The primary goal for Peter Johnston RVA songs is to faithfully draw inspiration from Catholic Christian theology and tradition. The history, traditions, writings and art associated with the Catholic Church, particularly the early Church, are an infinite well of beauty that can and should inspire current artists.
The music hopes to reach anyone that enjoys listening to indie-rock, while encouraging other Catholic artists to embrace and share their Catholic Christian faith through art and their daily interactions, knowing that they are not alone and have been preceded by a long line of Christian faithful that moved humanity forward with the same approach.
