A Q&A With the Fast Track Promotion Winner Winner, Pug Johnson

Pug Johnson is the Fast Track promotion winner for his song, “Rancho Cucamonga,” which he co-wrote with Tyler Darby.

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“I’ve never been to Rancho Cucamonga. I wrote the first line of the song, and had to Google Rancho Cucamonga to figure out what it was,” Johnson told American Songwriter following his big win. “Eventually, I realized that I had heard the name on a couple TV shows.”

“I thought the first line lent itself to a narrator that’s a bit of a lovable loser, so my co-writer, Tyler Darby, and I had fun crafting a character and a story around that,” he added.

Once he learned about the contest, Johnson figured he had nothing to lose by submitting the track.

“I’ve been playing music a long time and figured it couldn’t hurt to throw my hat in the ring,” he said. “My wife, Mindy, and I have been going all-in on this thing for a while now. We’ve been touring, making records, and trying to keep the wheels on the wagon. I thought it’d be cool to get the songs in front of some more folks.”

Read on to learn more about Johnson.

Pug Johnson Q&A

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN SONGWRITING? WHAT GOT YOU INTO MUSIC IN THE FIRST PLACE?

I was always drawn to music. My grandfather was a music lover, and I spent a lot of time with him when I was a child. When I was about thirteen, my uncle introduced me to Billy Joe Shaver since I was already a huge Waylon [Jennings] fan. I’ve been writing songs ever since.

WHAT DOES WINNING THE CONTEST MEAN TO YOU?

It means a lot that people connected with the song. That’s really the whole point. I’m proud of that one, and I’m glad “Rancho Cucamonga” might get in front of some folks that otherwise wouldn’t have heard it.

WHAT SONGWRITERS AND ARTISTS DO YOU COUNT AS YOUR BIGGEST INSPIRATIONS?

Billy Joe Shaver, [Kris] Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, and Merle Haggard. As far as songwriting goes, these four have kind of touched on everything I’m trying to keep going. They could all say a lot with a little and make you believe every bit of it.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR PLANS IN 2026.

We kicked off a Kickstarter earlier this year to help make the next record, From a Beaumont Bar. We just finished tracking it, and I’m really excited about this one. It’s the down-home solid country gold heartbreak album I’ve been wanting to make for a long time. It has a lot of heartbreak and a couple of laughs, too.

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST CAREER DREAM?

My biggest career dream is to have the longevity of guys like Willie and Merle.

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL OTHER ARTISTS WHO ARE CONSIDERING ENTERING THE CONTEST?

S**t, I don’t know. Keep writing, I guess?

Photo by Lyza Renee