Dean Johnson balances sorrow and wit on I Hope We Can Still Be Friends
Seattle songwriter Dean Johnson returns with I Hope We Can Still Be Friends, his anticipated sophomore record and Saddle Creek debut.
Produced by: Sera Cahoone
The album reflects Johnson’s ability to weave humor, melancholy, and profound truths into timeless songwriting. With influences ranging from Roy Orbison and The Everly Brothers to John Prine and Kris Kristofferson, I Hope We Can Still Be Friends offers easygoing twang, sharp wit, and observations on universal struggles. Recorded at Unknown Studio in Anacortes and produced by Sera Cahoone, the project features sparse instrumentation and Johnson’s resonant voice, making room for sorrow and levity.
The record’s seventh track, ‘Death of the Party,’ exemplifies Johnson’s knack for sardonic humor. Centered on the archetype of an “energy vampire,” the song brims with cutting yet hilarious lines, all while Johnson channels the spectral ache of Roy Orbison. “Words don’t come easily to me / I notice you don’t have that problem / It sounds to me you cannot stop them,” he sings, blending comedy and pathos into something unforgettable.
Johnson reflects on the song’s origins, drawn from his years bartending in Seattle: “‘Death of the Party’ is a great example of that. Being in that environment, lyrics did solidify. If I was working on a song, it wasn’t unusual for some new aspect of it, or a line that was too vague, to suddenly come into focus.”
Spanning eleven tracks, the album bridges Johnson’s early songwriting with his present-day voice, offering both long-standing setlist favorites and brand-new material. Songs like ‘Carol’ critique America’s fading cultural attention, while ‘So Much Better’ transforms heartbreak into wry humor. Elsewhere, ‘Before You Hit the Ground’ searches for optimism amid mortality, and the closing track ‘A Long Goodbye’ captures the bittersweet resilience of love and loss. Together, the collection navigates a delicate balance between timely social commentary and timeless human experience.
With I Hope We Can Still Be Friends, Dean Johnson has crafted a body of work that feels like powerful medicine—an album that invites laughter, tears, and reflection in equal measure.
Standout Songs: ‘Carol,’ ‘Shake Me,’ and ‘Perfect Stranger.’
Release Date: August 22, 2025
6.8
We’ve covered Dean Johnson previously: ‘So Much Better,’ ‘Death To The Party,’ and ‘Before You Hit The Ground.’
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