John Floridis is a Missoula-based guitarist, singer-songwriter, and composer—and recipient of Arts Missoula’s 2024 “Individual Artist Award.” His music spans folk rock, blues, and solo acoustic guitar. Long-time host and producer of Montana Public Radio’s Musician’s Spotlight program, he has interviewed more than 200 musicians from all over the world. He is best known for two winter-themed albums, “December’s Quiet Joy” and “The Peaceful Season,” around which he builds annual holiday benefit concerts. But when we sit down at Draught Works, he tells me his favorite season is actually autumn.
Why is Draught Works one of your favorite venues?
This spot has a feel of being a show, and the audience tends to be more tuned in. There are no screens, and I think that has a big impact. This is a spot for real flesh-and-blood engagement with three-dimensional human beings. I welcome that.
What first sparked your passion for music?
I have a strong memory of an old R&B song called “Me and Mrs Jones.” There’s something about the reverb that really drew me in. It could also be hearing my parents play around on the piano, which is something people did back then. On my parents’ Zenith console, I would try to play along with Jimi Hendrix for a bit, then I’d put on Andrés Segovia, and try to play along with that. Those guys were so good, it was hard to grasp what they were doing. An old Rolling Stones album, “Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out!” was great but it was simpler. Keith Richards was my first guitar teacher. I could play what he played. Then eventually I would play another note and realize, that’s not the note he played, but it still works and sounds kinda cool.
When you're working on a new song, what does your creative process look like?
I am a musician first, before anything else. Ideas musically come really quick. Lyrically it’s a different process. A lot of times what is helpful, if I can write lyrics ahead of time, and shape the lyrics into the music rather than the other way around.
You've been part of the local music scene for a while now. How do you see the community here influencing your music?
There was definitely a time I struggled with, do I even belong here musically? I knew people respected what I did, but I didn’t feel like I had a real niche. A lot of what changed, frankly, is places like we’re in right now. That’s where I kind of felt like, this is a setting where my music fits. Because it doesn’t fit into a convenient category. But this is who I am, this is the music that’s going to come out of me. If people like it, they like it. If they don’t like it, I’m not going to become something I’m not. That was a process for me, not an immediate thing.
Do you think about the role of masculinity in your material or your performances?
Absolutely. I’ve always strived to have a balance between masculine and feminine energy. Not to play armchair psychiatrist, but I think that comes from having two strong, excellent parents. The message I always got as a kid was that balance between the two of them. When I’m composing I’m frequently looking for ways to get that balance. One thing I like to do is cover songs written by female writers and try to see, if I come at that with a strong masculine energy, how does the song hold up or how does it shape itself?
Tell me about a show you’ve performed where you felt like you really connected with the audience.
A recent one at Sacred Ally. There weren’t a lot of people. But the people that were there were hanging on every note, hanging on every word. One of the songs I did is called “Almost 50,” which I wrote, yes, on the verge of turning 50. And now I’m 62. A couple women came up to me afterwards who are exactly my age, talking about being 62 in 2025. That was a unique, very specific connection.
Anything else you want readers to know about you or your music?
I’m really at a stage where I don’t know where this is all going. There’s a lot of things I’ve set out to do that I’ve done. I’m not certain which way I’m going, but I’ve never felt more confident in what I can bring to the table. What are you supposed to do when you’re in your early 60s and feel like you’re at your best, at a time when most people think about retiring? It’s an interesting dilemma.
Where can folks find your music and follow you for updates?