Jamey Johnson: “When I Get Ready to Write, I’ll Write”
For those waiting for either new music from Jamey Johnson, or some sort of resolution to the convoluted contractual situation in which he finds himself entwined in, you might want to get comfy.
Ahead of a benefit in Nashville that Johnson will play Wednesday, July 9th at Marathon Music Works for the Nikki Mitchell Foundation for pancreatic cancer, the songwriter let it be known that he’s still not writing, and there’s no resolution to his label issues in sight.
“When I get ready to write, I’ll write,” Jamey Johnson told Peter Cooper of The Tennessean succinctly. “Until then, like Hank Cochran said, I’m living for a song.”
Jamey’s last album was a 2012 tribute to the late Hank Cochran, who was recently named the Country Music Hall of Fame’s newest inductee under the songwriting category. But his last album of original music was the double LP The Guitar Song released way back in September of 2010. For someone primarily known as a songwriter, the screeching halt to Johnson’s output has created an unwanted vacuum in the listening habits of many of his fans.
Johnson first explained that he was in the midst of label problems in February of 2013. “Financially speaking, they treat me worse than they ever did the Dixie Chicks,” Johnson told Rolling Stone. “I feel pretty used by the music industry, in that my contracts are written in such a way that I don’t get paid … I wish I could tell you that I am writing. I’m not. I wish I could tell you I’m gonna go home next week and record another album. It’s not likely to happen. We haven’t reached such a gridlock that we can’t continue to do work with them in the future. But we can’t do anything right now until that gets resolved.”
In January Johnson spoke about the matter on stage in St. Petersburg, FL, but instead of clearing things up, it seemed to further complicate the matter.
“Last time we did a show without a record deal was ’06. Tonight’s our first show without a record deal. And somehow we’re still on the same label. We just didn’t have nowhere else to go. They set it up where now we just don’t have to stay. And here’s one for all of our friends back at Mercury Records in Nashville, Tennessee.”
In May, Saving Country Music reached out to Johnson’s label to see if his contract status could be determined, and Mercury not only confirmed that Johnson was no longer signed to the label, but the lady who answered the phone had no idea who Jamey Johnson was.
Read: Country Music Writes A Letter to Jamey Johnson
Peter Cooper in Wednesday’s interview with Jamey wasn’t able to ascertain anything more from Johnson. “I’d have to contact three managers, and some lawyers and all kinds of people to come up with a reasonable answer for that,” Johnson said. “Contracts are hard to read. Attorneys are hard to get on the phone. But if you’re in a situation where you’re supposed to be making money and you’re not, buddy, it’s up to you whether you quit or not … We play our instruments, and we have our time, and when we’re done we go visit with people until everybody’s too tired to talk anymore, and then we leave. Then we come back and do it again the next time.”
In other words people, don’t hold your breath.
Read The Complete Jamey Johnson Interview with Peter Cooper.
July 3, 2014 @ 4:56 pm
you mean we have to wait even longer for another Jamey Johnson album of over-rated faux outlaw country music?
yeah….terrible news.
July 3, 2014 @ 5:47 pm
I guess everyone has their own opinion, but I think Jamey’s last two original albums were about as good as you can get in country music.
July 3, 2014 @ 8:38 pm
His self-released debut album They Call Me Country is pretty good as well. It’s more atypical in terms of lyrical content, but nonetheless worth a listen. It’s available for “free” download from many sites torrents and given that original copies are almost impossible to come by you wouldn’t exactly be taking change out of anyone’s pockets.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZtFfjKV75E
July 4, 2014 @ 4:24 am
Those Albums were.
he is just to mainstream for most on here to give him any compliments.
July 3, 2014 @ 6:07 pm
If you are a fan of traditional country music this is bad news. JJ may not be cool or eclectic enough for the punk and hipster types but the dude is no “poser” ( Do you people still use that word?)
His last 2 original offerings are as strong and sincere as anything in the last decade. ( Mainstream or Underground or whatever you call it).
Dude has never claimed to be anything, especially not an outlaw. Its my opinion that some of the biggest panderers in the genre are the so called underground guys ( I’m more hardcore! No I’m more hardcore! What the fuck is an outlaw Carney anyway?)
Long story short, Jamey Johnson isn’t Faux anything, he’s as authentic as they come. If you don’t like his music then whatever, but don’t confuse yourself.
[This comment has been edited] -Trig
July 3, 2014 @ 9:23 pm
wasn’t JJ an inaugural member of the Outlaw Music HoF?
July 4, 2014 @ 12:23 pm
Was he? I can’t find anything about it. What if he was? Do people nominate themselves to things like this generally? Back your trash up with facts/cites/sources before you go flapping your fingers on the keyboard.
July 4, 2014 @ 4:26 am
New guy here, so still learning posting standards. But you couldn’t make your point without resorting to faggot?
July 4, 2014 @ 12:22 pm
Ha! Maybe you should find out who his employer is and see if you can get him fired. He said something politically-incorrect and some delicate’s feelers might get hurt.
July 4, 2014 @ 9:46 pm
Way of the world now aint it? Neo-McCarthyism at its finest.Bow down to your liberal idols or suffer the penalty. I’m glad I’m an American and a carpenter. I don’t have to worry about it either way. Imagine a carpenter getting fired for his political and social views…Wouldn’t have any carpenters left…just a bunch of Guatemalan roofers…..
I’d like to see liberals live in houses built by them. Liberals constantly criticize the American working class that makes their lifestyle temporarily sustainable.Fuck a bunch of folk that make their money livin’ behind a computer screen chit chatting on Facebook all day. They do nothing actually useful. No war but class war.
July 4, 2014 @ 10:13 pm
Okay folks, let’s try to keep this on the topic at hand. We can all respect each other’s musical tastes, or hey, find a universal consensus behind the fact that no matter how we feel about Jamey Johnson’s music, it’s probably not right for an artist to get hosed by his label. I came to the defense of Tim McGraw too amid similar circumstances.
July 4, 2014 @ 10:22 pm
Liberals are the ones attacking the working class?
Last I checked, liberals are not the ones who want to destroy unions, drive down wages, defund infrastructure projects that create jobs, and abolish subsidies for health care and food so that they can give tax breaks to the wealthy instead.
Oh, and conservatives definitely were not the ones who came up with the phrase “no war but class war”.
July 4, 2014 @ 10:24 pm
Sorry, Trigger, I posted before I read your comment.
July 3, 2014 @ 5:00 pm
This is sad news. I’ve always enjoyed Jamey’s songwriting and voice. The Guitar Song was a strong album… I still frequently listen to “Can’t Cash My Checks” and “That’s How I Don’t Love You”.
July 4, 2014 @ 5:53 am
I share “That’s How I Don’t Love You” with people, all the time. One girl said something along these lines: “His voice is deep and gritty, like a love poem carved into a wooden table.”
I thought that was pretty succinct.
July 3, 2014 @ 7:08 pm
Damn. It’s a shame to hear. I hope he figures out his problems. I hate seeing such a talented artist get held back by a label. Nevertheless I look forward to seeing him at Buckle Up Music Festival in Cincinnati.
July 4, 2014 @ 8:17 am
I’ve seen this dude poor blood sweat and tears into his work, he may not be for everyone, but he sure ain’t a faux anything. He is a great promoter of traditional country music and if he never writes another song he will still be one of the greatest writers of our time. I know for a fact if this contract thing was cleared up Jamey could (without penning a single new lyric) release 5 albums of unreleased stuff next week that would all be better than anything we hear on the radio right now. JJ tell Mercury that “Nothing is better than you” and keep doing what you do Sir.
July 4, 2014 @ 10:42 am
I have to say I hate that there is no new music from him in sight but I do appreciate him sticking to his guns! I think country music needs a guy like him now more than ever sadly. He also seems to tour non stop bringing traditional tunes to his fans, I’ll be seeing him in KY in August for the first time, very excited! I hope things work out in Jamey’s favor, we need him!
July 4, 2014 @ 10:44 am
I love Jamey Johnson. I really do. Say what you will about “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” and “Rebelicious”, but the fact of the matter is, the man can write a damn good song, and the man can sing. Plus, he has a respect for traditional country that is almost unheard of in Nashville these days, and he’s earned the respect of Willie, Billy Joe Shaver, Bill Anderson, Kris Kristofferson and other legendary artists because of that respect. It sucks that all this record label crap has soured him on the industry, and I hope everything works out and we can get some new music from this guy. I may be alone on this, but I think if we lose Jamey Johnson for good it’s going to hit country music harder than most expect.
Plus, a Jamey Johnson/Kacey Musgraves duet would be killer.
July 4, 2014 @ 3:10 pm
The loss of Jamey Johnson arguably has already hurt country music immensely, and created a vacuum for a critical voice on the male side of the genre. And his time away from releasing original material I think will significantly hurt his career. I can’t see him getting back to the level he was at when he released “The Guitar Song” after this hiatus. 20 years might as well have passed in country since then in the way things have changed so dramatically.
July 4, 2014 @ 6:14 pm
That being an accurate theory, let’s not forget about Willie having his first number 1 album in 28 years the other day. Or Dolly, Cash and Sturgill’s stellar debuts. I kind of wish Big Machine would sign him on their new “classic” format. I don’t quite understand why Janet doesn’t seem to be seeking a deal out as opposed to resting on his laurels.
July 4, 2014 @ 6:16 pm
*Jamey (dang autocorrect)
July 4, 2014 @ 1:02 pm
I read an interview with lyle lovett, he said that he has received almost nothing from
the millions of albums he has sold.
Mose Allison said something similar.
Nice business model.
July 4, 2014 @ 3:06 pm
Lyle Lovett was on Curb Records that entire time. Could explain it.
July 5, 2014 @ 9:41 am
you are correct.
“DETROIT (Billboard) – Lyle Lovett says he has “never made a dime” from album sales during his two-decade career, and hopes to rectify that situation when his contract expires.
The eclectic country singer has two more albums on his deal with Curb/Universal, his home since 1985,
Lovett, 50, has sold 4.6 million albums in the United States since 1991, the year when SoundScan sales data were introduced. ”
july 2008 Billboard
That is nuts.
July 5, 2014 @ 11:16 am
that is according to that article, he was signed to Curb records.
July 5, 2014 @ 8:49 pm
Okay…. but don’t wait too long.
“15. Bottom line.
Don”™t get depressed, it”™s all about the music. Make a good tune and these services are your bitch. They allow you to reach the whole world instantly. And if you haven”™t, maybe you weren”™t meant to. Maybe you”™re not that talented, maybe you make niche music. But as people see what succeeds, it will spark their creativity. They”™ll see the high standard, they”™ll see what”™s left field that breaks through. The only problem we have today is everyone”™s got a voice, and those who don”™t win complain, whereas we didn”™t used to hear from them. Ignore them. Focus on the winners. Spread the word about them. And know that if your identity is based on liking something no one else does, chances are you”™re going to live a very lonely life.”