Modern day outlaw Sturgill Simpson is on tour this fall, and his three hour sets have been universally praised for their energy, musicianship, and timeliness. Sturgill's newest album, Passage du Desir (released under the pseudonym Johnny Blue Skies), has received acclaim from both fans and critics, with many people saying it's some of his best material ever.
Among alt-country fans, Sturgill has achieved legendary status for his incredible voice and songwriting chops, but also for his no-BS attitude. Sturgill is both an outlaw and an artist in the purest sense, a trait that has made him polarizing to some, but has also cemented his legacy as one of the most influential and interesting artists of the modern era.
Before you head out to see Sturgill this fall, you might want to take a minute to get familiar with who he is as an artist - if you can even do that at all. This is Sturgill Simpson in 8 songs.
0:00 - Why Not? Tour
1:17 - Understanding Sturgill
1:51 - Life Ain't Fair and the World is Mean
2:43 - Life of Sin & Metamodern Sounds
3:37 - Sturgill in the Public Eye
4:08 - Keep It Between the Lines & Sailor's Guide
4:54 - Tyler Childers & Universal Sound
6:00 - Pressure of Fame and Music Industry
6:47 - Sound & Fury
7:39 - Make Art Not Friends
8:21 - Shutdown & Cuttin' Grass
9:50 - Hobo Cartoon & Merle Haggard
10:40 - Dood & Juanita and the 5-Album Arc
12:10 - Honorable Mention, Call to Arms Live
12:30 - Identity & Johnny Blue Skies
13:15 - Who I Am
14:03 - Who Will Sturgill Be Next?
Life Ain’t Fair and the World is Mean serves as a mission statement for Sturgill’s career. This was the first indicator Sturgill is a true outlaw - rejecting the Nashville establishment, and choosing to live his way rather than the easy path to success.
Life of Sin is a reflection of the debauchery around being a musician, drinking and smoking, and giving up so much in pursuit of a dream. By the time Sturgill recorded Metamodern Sounds in Country Music, he had experienced the difficulties artists face when you’re just trying to make a name for yourself. Sturgill was not expecting this album’s success - after only minor success, and with his son on the way, Sturgill thought this was his last chance to put it down on tape.
Keep It Between the Lines contains the values he wants his son to understand, putting them on tape because he knows that he won’t always be around to share them. On “A Sailor’s Guide to Earth,” Sturgill reflects on everything that led him to this point and what it means in the context of his newfound fatherhood. This is most clear in “Keep it Between the Lines,” where Sturgill is sharing hard-learned lessons so that his son might not do the same.
Universal Sound sees Tyler Childers connecting with Sturgill Simpson on a spiritual level. After being introduced by drummer Miles Miller, Sturgill agreed to produce Tyler Childer’s ‘Purgatory’ alongside Kentucky legend Dave Ferguson. Philosophically, the track is reminiscent of Sturgill’s Turtles All The Way Down.
Make Art Not Friends reflects how the pressures of the music industry and fame were getting to Sturgill, likely as a result of the toll it was taking on his family and personal life. He had won the Best Country Album for “Sailor’s Guide to Earth” at the Grammys with little recognition from Nashville, resulting in the infamous Bridgestone arena busking incident. Sturgill shocked fans with “Sound & Fury,” a guitar and synth driven rock album where he laments how the music business has ruined his relationship with art, put strain on his relationships, and impacted his ability to trust.
Hobo Cartoon, a song that Merle Haggard wrote the lyrics for and gave to Sturgill to finish, is a nostalgic and fitting tribute to a close friend. Sturgill before lockdown vs after seem like two different people, and it seems that the isolation gave him an opportunity to rediscover the joy of music without the pressure to perform. The “Cuttin’ Grass” albums were a return to form and a return to joy, connecting back with his roots in the Bluegrass State.
Played Out is part of story album “The Ballad of Dood & Juanita,” but it feels like Sturgill is inserting his own life. This concept album, created as a tribute to his grandparents, follows the story of a mountain man saving his wife and seeking vengeance on her kidnapper. I interpret it a bit as Sturgill recovering from his negative brushes with the music industry. This album concluded Sturgill’s 5-album arc, and he disappeared from the public eye for a long time, leaving many fans wondering - was that the end of Sturgill?
Who I Am reflects Sturgill’s contrarian view of his own identity. When he returned on the album Passage du Desir under the alias Johnny Blue Skies, fans rejoiced. We’d soon discover this wasn’t the end of Sturgill, it was a new beginning. I don’t know that Sturgill ever really figures out who he is. And maybe that’s okay - after all, do any of us really ever know who we are?
Make Art Not Friends: Sturgill Simpson in 8 Songs
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Johnny Blue SkiesSturgill Simpsonalt-countryalt-country legendsalt-country musicalt-country scenealt-country soundappalachian legendsappalachian rootsappalachian soundbluegrass musiccountry musiccountry music scenecountry storytellinghillbilly souljohnny skieskentucky artistskentucky musicmodern outlawnashville alternativeoutlawoutlaw countryoutlaw legendsoutlaw movementoutlaw vibeoutlaw vibestyler childers