[2] He began touring around Canada in 2002, performing songs that are often comedic in nature and include pop cultural references to sports teams, junk food, and video games.

[12] His ninth album Shit Sucks was released in 2015 and was a long list nominee for the 2015 Polaris Music Prize.

[5] That year his album Gremlins III, a mixture of folk and punk music, was released through Wyatt Records.

[15] That year a feature article about Johnston in the Globe And Mail acknowledged his polarizing status in the Canadian music scene, noting that for some he is a "modern-age Stompin' Tom Connors.

"[16] However, unlike Connors, Johnston's references to life in modern-day Canada are exaggeratedly irreverent and unromanticised, featuring ironic swipes at large Canadian institutions like Foodland, No Frills, and Tim Hortons.