Johnno Casson aka Snippet is a respected Colchester based music artist who creates delightfully wonky pop songs for your ears & hearts.
Johnno started out writing songs at 15 in his bedroom on a Hackney council estate with a tennis racket for a guitar and a soap-on-a-rope microphone.
He honed his craft and toured extensively as the lead singer of various bands before hooking up with trip hop pioneers Deep Joy, working with the likes of Andrew Weatherall (Primal Scream), James Lavelle (Mo’ Wax/UNKLE), Adrian Sherwood (On-U-Sound) and David Harrow (James Hardway).
A former railman on the London underground and a caretaker on council estates, Johnno juggled being in a band with holding down a normal job (playing a packed Astoria at night and washing out s**t stained lifts in the morning).
During a musical sabbatical to raise a family and be normal Johnno built a career and climbed up the ladder from caretaker to corporate manager for the local council.
11 years ago Johnno went down with a debilitating medical condition called M.E/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and housebound for a year or two he had to give up normal work and took on a fight for some semblance of a normal life.
Over recent years Johnno has reshaped a life to be a creative one that has seen him forging a wonderfully vibrant path, he may not be able to take on extensive national tours but he has been releasing music under a variety of different names (including his own, Snippet , Old Tramp and 3 Potato 4) alongside being a long term champion of new music artists - offering advice and support to a wide array of independent music makers - as a senior team member and moderator of Tom Robinson's Fresh On The Net music blog
(*Footnote - Tom invited Johnno to join the team after he became the most played artist on his show).
Johnno is the founder/producer of the community arts, music & history project The Warm and Toasty Club - holding weekly Memory Afternoons at retirement venues to make older folk feel cherished.
He has released eight albums & six EP’s which have attracted a world wide following and picked up great radio support from the likes of Radio 1, BBC 6 Music, Amazing and an array of wonderful national and international radio stations, his song ‘We Luv The Sunshine’ features on the soundtrack to ace new movie The Space Between.
Snippet was named by Tom Robinson as the most played artist on his BBC Introducing show on BBC 6 Music.
Now a well-established and respected member of the DIY indie music scene in the UK Johnno continues to ride against the grain and yet somehow always comes up smelling of roses.
You can find Johnno's releases on many of the usual platform's and all of them on his Bandcamp page
Nice words from the media
“I feel about Snippet much like John Peel felt about The Fall-
Snippet: A National Indie Treasure” Tom Robinson BBC 6 Music
"With Future Melancholy Pop Music, Johnno offers an album that is thought-provoking and intimate. This is a brave collection, delivered through compelling vocals and wrapped in accomplished musicianship" Angry Baby
"Often thought provoking, the tracks on his new album are possibly his best work to date, an artist clearly in his ascendancy" Louder Than War
“Pop genius” Hiapop
“An East End Brian Wilson on a budget” Americana UK
“A quintessential English musician. Prolific, diverse, entertaining, clever and wistful” Ralph’s Life
"Addictive…welcome to the loveable universe of Snippet!" Folk Radio UK
"There's much to recommend - well-crafted,soulful,inventive,touching" Echoes and Dust
"Casson has a remarkable knack of developing music and channeling it through one of his three known aliases: Snippet, Old Tramp, and Johnno Casson. Ultimately, whether he’s Snippet, Old Tramp or just himself, he’s Johnno the incredibly talented and prolific bloke from Colchester”
The Dadada
