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From Uncle Trent's garage to iHeart's Top 40 Rock Charts
Description
Johnny Ross - The RIFF S2 ep3
Johnny Ross, frontman of Canadian rock band Learhaven, joins Gary and Jeremy on The Riff Toronto for one of our most honest and entertaining conversations yet. Johnny breaks down the wild chaos of touring Spain and Switzerland (burst pipes, gear crashes, and empty venues that filled up in 5 minutes flat), the story behind "Soulbreaker" landing on Hockey Night in Canada, and why his obsession with '70s tone, vintage gear, and vinyl isn't nostalgia — it's a philosophy.
We get into the real talk: why comfort is the enemy of great art, what it actually takes to build a band that lasts, and the one thing Johnny says every great — from Zeppelin to Warren Buffett — has in common.
Plus, Gary and Jeremy try Quan Quan on the Esplanade — a Vietnamese hidden gem with a 4.9 ⭐ Google rating that looks like a convenience store from the outside.
🎸 What's in this episode:
- 0:00 — Intro & the Rush T-shirt story
- 10:00 — Johnny's origin story: Uncle Trent's garage, drums & the family instruments
- 20:00 — Hockey goalie → rock frontman (the connection is real)
- 30:00 — Building Learhaven, the writing process & vintage tone obsession
- 33:00 — The European tour: burst pipes, gear crashes & packed venues
- 45:00 — "Soulbreaker," vinyl, and the art of the album
- 52:00 — What separates the greats? Johnny's answer: "artistic nicotine"
🔗 Follow Johnny Ross & Learhaven: 🌐 Website: learhaven.com 📸 Instagram: @JohnnyRoss5th | @Learhaven 🎵 Stream "Soulbreaker" on all platforms
🌆 Toronto's best kept food secret: 📍 Quan Quan — 140 The Esplanade, Toronto 🌐 mytoronto.ca
🎙️ Follow The Riff Toronto: 📸 Instagram: @TheRiffToronto 🌐 mytoronto.ca
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