Making room for the songs
After years in construction, John decided at 35 to make a real place for music in his life. Songwriting became a way to find his own path again.
About
A long road toward the music.
John Metza is a W8banaki (Wabanaki) singer-songwriter born and raised in Saint-Eustache, Quebec. His music brings folk, country and Americana together through a deep, weathered voice and writing shaped by lived experience.
Reconnection
John is W8banaki (Wabanaki). He did not grow up closely connected to his culture, but over the years he reconnected with the Wolinak community, connected with elders and began taking part in community events and ceremonies. That reconnection now forms a natural part of his path as an artist and of the way he sees the world.
A musical world with room to breathe
Rooted in folk, country and Americana, John's music also carries western colours. Acoustic and electric guitars, violin, harmonica, accordion, mandolin, upright bass and lap steel move around the songs without crowding them. Some pieces remain sparse and intimate; others become darker, cinematic or distinctly western.
At the heart of the songs is a deep, resonant voice, carried by concrete images and simple words. Solitude, love, mistakes, heartache, regret, the passing of time and the possibility of changing direction run through his writing. Roads, mountains, forests and winter return often in his lyrics and give each story a clear setting.
It’s never too late to follow your path.