Of Course Sturgill Simpson Couldn’t Stay Away. Welcome Johnny Blue Skies
If there is one thing that’s constant in music, it’s that these folks just can’t stay away. It isn’t always a marketing scheme when we hear an artist say they’re releasing a final album, or going on a final tour, only to invariably see them re-emerge. Sometimes they truly believe their own retirement pronouncement too.
But making music is what musicians do. They create and they perform. How Barbara Mandrell has stayed gone and stuck to her guns for so long is the exception, not the rule, and one of the modern marvels of music. Even Robert Earl Keen swore up and down and was as emphatic as possible that when he said it was over, it was over. And this isn’t KISS, it’s Robert Earl Keen. Meanwhile he’s got a full calendar worth of shows and just played The Ryman.
Sturgill Simpson swore he’d etched out a five album cycle, starting with the Kentucky-inspired High Top Mountain (2013), and ending with the conceptualized Ballad of Dood & Juanita (2021), and after that, he was done. Granted, he did leave open a small window around the release of Dood & Juanita that he could return with a “band,” and now that’s exactly what he’s done. Welcome Johnny Blue Skies.
The name first appeared as a moniker when Simpson collaborated with the thrice accused rapist and EDM country interloper Diplo on the track “Use Me (Brutal Hearts).” Some people also observed that outside of Stagecoach Festival in Indio, CA in April, there was a Billboard that read, “Beware the dread pirate Johnny Blue Skies.” This same phrase appeared in the liner notes of Sturgill’s Grammy-winning album A Sailor’s Guide to Earth.
Simpson announced on April 23rd that he was reuniting the most legendary version of his backing band with guitarist Laur Joamets, Kevin Black on bass, and Miles Miller on drums, and that they would play Outside Lands on California in August. This will officially be the nucleus of the Johnny Blue Skies band. Simpson has also confirmed that he will be playing his entire catalog on the tour, not just new music.
Keyboardist Robbie Crowell also joins the band. Known just as much as a drummer and bass player, the Nashville-based multi-instrumentalist has worked previously with Midland, Kesha, and Los Lobos, and well as being a long-time member of Deer Tick. Simpson has also announced a slew of new dates, as well as an album under the Johnny Blue Skies name. But the Outside Lands appearance will still be his first back.
As for the new album, it will be called Passage du Desir, and is out July 12th on Sturgill’s High Top Mountain Records. It was produced by Sturgill with long-time collaborator David Ferguson, and recorded at Nashville’s Clement House Recording Studio (a.k.a. “Cowboy Arms”) and London’s Abbey Road Studios.
Aside from those details and the eight song track list, we don’t have a whole lot of insight on what to expect from the new album. You can’t take it for granted that it will even be country. It’s probably a good bet that it will be a conceptualized song cycle of some sort. Sturgill Simpson may or may not release a single ahead of the album. He does things his way.
Passage du Desir is now available for pre-save and pre-order.
For tickets, pre-sale registration is open now until Monday, June 10, and the presale begins June 12 at 10 AM local. A “limited number” of tickets will then go on sale to the general public on June 14 at 10 AM local. Fans who purchase tickets on Ticketmaster will have the option to resell their tickets at the original price paid using Face Value Exchange. To protect the Exchange, Simpson has requested that all shows ticketed by Ticketmaster where Face Value Exchange can’t be mandated.
Track List:
01 Swamp of Sadness
02 If the Sun Never Rises Again
03 Scooter Blues
04 Jupiter’s Faerie
05 Who I Am
06 Right Kind of Dream
07 Mint Tea
08 One for the Road
Why Not? Tour Dates:
08-11 San Francisco, CA – Outside Lands
09-14 Los Angeles, CA – Greek Theatre
09-15 Santa Barbara, CA – Santa Barbara Bowl
09-17 West Valley City, UT – Maverik Center
09-19 Bend, OR – Hayden Homes Amphitheater
09-20 Quincy, WA – Gorge Amphitheatre *
09-22 Bonner, MT – KettleHouse Amphitheater
09-24 Moorhead, MN – Bluestem Center for the Arts
09-25 Minneapolis, MN – Roy Wilkins Auditorium
09-27 Lexington, KY – Rupp Arena
09-28 Detroit, MI – Fox Theatre
10-01 Chicago, IL – Salt Shed
10-02 Chicago, IL – Salt Shed
10-04 Brandon, MS – Brandon Amphitheater
10-06 Austin, TX – Austin City Limits Music Festival
10-08 Oklahoma City, OK – Criterion
10-09 Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP
10-13 Austin, TX – Austin City Limits Music Festival
10-15 St. Louis, MO – Fabulous Fox Theatre
10-18 Pittsburgh, PA – Petersen Events Center
10-21 Asheville, NC – Harrah’s Cherokee Center
10-22 Cary, NC – Koka Booth Amphitheatre
10-24 Duluth, GA – Gas South Arena
10-25 Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
11-12 Philadelphia, PA – The Met
11-15 Hampton, VA – Hampton Coliseum
11-18 Washington, D.C. – The Anthem
11-20 Toronto, Ontario – Massey Hall
11-21 Toronto, Ontario – Massey Hall
11-23 Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall at Fenway
* with Lord Huron
June 5, 2024 @ 8:27 am
Surely Sturgill just needs the money, as do other artists, including the Rolling Stones.
I’m glad he’s back on the road, I’m sure they will be killer shows!
June 5, 2024 @ 1:36 pm
Personally I think that the older artists like The Rolling Stones are touring because they still enjoy playing music. When the rolling stones started playing together they wouldn’t have had an inkling of how big they were gonna get. Making music would have been as a hobby when they first starting and for the older artists I believe it ends that way too.
We could discuss covid till the cows come home but as a carer I was a bit angry at the time with the attitude of the likes of Van Morrison and Eric Clapton when they couldn’t tour and moaned to high heaven because lots of people their ages wouldn’t be working anyway. Van in particular made it sound like he didnt care if loads of people died of covid after playing a show just as long as he was making money and at that time I believe the safety of your audiences should have been your priority.
Anyway Ive gone slightly off subject I know but Im excited about the new album but dont understand the need to change the name . I mean just saying that you missed making music would be enough to satisfy your fans, no one would care that you backed down on making no more records. Its ok to change your mind.
June 5, 2024 @ 8:29 am
This changed my fall concert itinerary, again. Packed in September and August. Maybe I’ll wait to hear the album.
June 5, 2024 @ 8:42 am
Unrelated but this gives me hope that Tyler Childers isn’t actually gonna do a count down with his track lists for his albums.
June 5, 2024 @ 8:42 am
Somewhat pretentious and flighty he may be, but I’m always happy to hear about a new Sturgill album. Even the stuff that I don’t love from his catalogue – and I love a lot of it – is at least interesting.
June 5, 2024 @ 8:48 am
“You can’t take it for granted that it will even be country.”
I think if anything it’s a solid bet it won’t be. He came up with the Johnny Blue Skies character for that Diplo song, and that wasn’t remotely a country song.
I think that the show at the Gorge being with Lord Huron may give a hint as to the musical direction they’re going, along with the Diplo track. I’m betting some of the tracks will be country, but not the whole record.
June 5, 2024 @ 9:05 am
“I’m betting some of the tracks will be country, but not the whole record. “
We’re all just wild-eyed guessing at this point, but that would be my guess as well.
If this was some full-blown EDM album, why do it in collaboration with a bunch of backing country musicians? “Johnny Blue Skies” could have just been the moniker used for the Diplo collaboration because at that point, “Sturgill Simpson” had been retired.
June 5, 2024 @ 8:49 am
Cool! Clement House studio is my favorite studio in Nashville, too. Cousin Bob and his engineer Cameron are among the best humans I know.
June 5, 2024 @ 9:06 am
Well, this is exciting news. And Laur Joamets and Kevin Black being back in the fold makes me happy.
June 5, 2024 @ 9:14 am
Wow can’t wait for this! Sturgill is such a singular talent that I will be excited for absolutely anything he is doing
June 5, 2024 @ 9:15 am
Do we know if Johnny Blue Skies is the band name, or are we dealing with a Chris Gaines alter ego type situation?
If so, is there an SCM article about other country artists who have gone that route?
Serious like Chris Gaines or comedic like Douglas Douglason (Hot Country Knights) and Earl Dibbles Jr.
June 5, 2024 @ 9:27 am
I believe “Johnny Blue Skies” is to be taken as the name of a band as opposed to an alter ego of Sturgill Simpson. But maybe it’s both. The thing is though, if you want the public to pay attention, you also have to make sure people know Sturgill Simpson is behind this. You’re not going to sell out the Rupp Arena by putting “Johnny Blue Skies” on the marquee.
It will be interesting to see once we hear the music and get our noses in the liner notes just how collaborative this project is, or if it’s basically Sturgill.
June 13, 2024 @ 1:18 pm
From the FAQ on sturgillsimpson.com,
Q: Is Johnny Blue Skies Sturgill Simpson?
A: Yes
Sounds pretty alter ego-ish to me. I’m sure Sturgill won’t clarify any more than that.
June 5, 2024 @ 9:16 am
No idea where this is going, but know it’s going to be fun as hell.
You have to wonder if this is a stylistic reversion given the personnel on the project. I was a little disappointed to see that “Robbie” didn’t refer to Robert (Bobby) Emmett, but Bobby always seemed a little more Detroit Rock City than Nashville. Bad MFer, regardless.
June 5, 2024 @ 9:20 am
Delighted he’s back.
1. Be prepared for this to not be a country album.
2. This whole different name this is silly, but won’t make me love it any less.
June 5, 2024 @ 3:34 pm
It’s a better name change than Silverada, but that’s not saying much. And it least there’s a little history with Johnny Blue Skies.
June 5, 2024 @ 4:40 pm
I remember when Sturgill canned Sunday Valley and started using his middle name. There were a bunch of naysayers just like with Silverada. Ultimately, it’s all about the music. If the music is good, it doesn’t matter the name.
June 7, 2024 @ 11:23 am
I also like the “Mike and the Moon Pies” name more; it’s memorable and kind of humorous. They lost the humour aspect with the change to “Silverada,” which sounds un-memorable and generic. What they should have done instead is keep the old name and only introduce a lovable redneck-type cartoon character mascot, “Mike”, who looks kind of like Larry The Cable Guy and feature this mascot on all their future albums; also get a giant inflatable “Mike” mascot they could use on stage during their shows, as well as sell stickers and merch of the cartoon “Mike.” This would get them famous. Can you name a country band with it’s own mascot? No? Me neither. They would be the first and it would make them famous. The only band I can think of with a mascot is Iron Maiden with their “Eddie” mascot, which people love. Mike and the Moonp…ahem “Silverada,” if you’re reading this, it’s not too late! This is golden advice I’m giving you here!
June 7, 2024 @ 7:23 pm
Mike & The Moon Pies was a goofy name, which is like one of the reasons the band changed it. It was a cartoon name, which is exactly what you suggest. “…introduce a redneck type cartoon character mascot.” Something tells me the band wants to be taken more serious than that.
June 6, 2024 @ 6:48 am
Yea ya know I’ve gotta be honest, I’m pretty bummed Bobby isn’t here, that dude really left it all out there every single time. While I love the entirety of “Call to Arms” on SNL that dude bleeding all over his keys and surfing the keyboard gets me so hype every time just as when Sturgill knocks over Miles cymbals and Miles just keeps going. They’re always so fun to watch.
June 5, 2024 @ 9:28 am
Sign me up for anything with Sturgill.
Only disappointment – and surprise – is no Red Rocks show. Always hoped to catch him there
if/when he made a comeback. Fingers crossed to see one added there, to which I will inevitably pay good money to see.
June 5, 2024 @ 9:48 am
Fingers crossed that as soon as these dates instantly sell out he announces more.
June 5, 2024 @ 9:29 am
Biggest news of 2024 as far as I’m concerned. I’m not all that concerned about the genre or sound of the album, I’ve followed Sturgill in whatever direction he’s wanted to go prior to this and thoroughly enjoyed every album. I even really like that Diplo song, it tricked me into thinking the other Diplo songs might be good (they were not). Just glad to have him back and excited to see the direction he takes.
June 5, 2024 @ 9:52 am
Excited to Hear Johnny Blue Skies, but will be hard to top Brother Marshall and the Choir of Fire!!
June 5, 2024 @ 10:29 am
All French polkas. Mark it, dude.
June 5, 2024 @ 10:42 am
Can’t mention Robbie Crowell without referencing his work with Deer Tick
June 5, 2024 @ 11:28 am
Well, we just saw the supposedly “retired” Robert Earl Keen on Sunday at the Ryman, and I have no doubt we will go to this show. I am prepared for whatever he chooses to play (last time we saw him in 2020 he played mostly Sound and the Fury songs).
June 5, 2024 @ 11:36 am
Glad he’s making music again. I would love to hear something similar to High Top Mountain. I just love that record. It’s the best record he’s ever done in my opinion. But I’m guessing that isn’t going to be what the new album sounds like. But damn I hope he does something similar to that one day.
June 5, 2024 @ 11:48 am
People seem to have either forgotten or didn’t realize that the phrase “Beware the dread pirate Johnny Blue Skies” is in the liner notes of the Sailor’s Guide album. You’ll find it under the lyrics, next to the Atlantic logo. Long before the Diplo business.
June 5, 2024 @ 3:11 pm
Sure, but the Diplo recording is where we first saw Sturgill’s name affiliated with it as a pseudonym or band name that he would perform under.
June 5, 2024 @ 3:22 pm
Fair enough
June 5, 2024 @ 11:50 am
He’s been teasing Johnny blue skies since it was printed on the poster that came with vinyl copies of sailors guide. He’s also using the same pirate flag skeleton art (or a modified version of it) to promote the entire “comeback” since the first countdown.
I have absolutely no basis to this claim, but I am betting that he’s been sitting on these songs awhile. I remember back in 2017/18 he was on JRE and claimed to have an entire double album he was either working on or had just finished. We never saw that double album materialize. Methinks this may be reworked/rerecorded material from those sessions, especially because he’s back with the original band that was behind him then.
I don’t expect it to be a lazy release of tracks from the cutting room floor, but rather the full realization of an earlier concept. Either way I’m here for it.
June 6, 2024 @ 11:48 am
I got my hands on liner notes. Very low quality image but I could make out most of it. Here’s what they say:
All songs by JS Simpson
Produced by Johnny blue skies and David ferguson
Engineered by (?)
Assistant engineers Cameron Davidson and ed farrell
Musicians
Johnny blue skies – guitar and vocals
Jake bugg -(?) guitars
Matt Combes -strings
Dan Dugmore – Pedal Steel
Fred Eltringham – drums
Sierra hull – (?) but presumably mandolin
Steve Mackey – bass (this one is interesting. Is it the Nashville session bass player OR the late Steve Mackey from pulp? Would make sense given the London recording sessions)
Mike Rojas – keys
Recorded at Clement House Nashville, Abbey Road London
Mixed at the butcher shoppe (further proof it has been in the bag for awhile)
Photography by JSS and Deez Nuts
Art direction by Fetzer Design
June 6, 2024 @ 12:40 pm
I’m wrong. It’s not the butcher shoppe, it’s david ferguson’s butcher shack. Forgive me for jumping to conclusions.
June 7, 2024 @ 11:56 am
Interesting, haven’t listened to Jake Bugg in 10+ years. Really enjoyed his s/t album when it came out and lost track of him since. Very cool
June 5, 2024 @ 12:02 pm
Missing some dates on your tour list.
June 5, 2024 @ 12:09 pm
Which dates are those?
There was an older list of tour dates that had different dates for the North Carolina shows that has been corrected. But not seeing anything more than 30 dates total.
June 6, 2024 @ 2:58 pm
NYC one of them
June 5, 2024 @ 3:18 pm
Like Hayes Carll sang “No one in this line of work retires”
June 5, 2024 @ 3:45 pm
Fred Neil did.
June 5, 2024 @ 4:23 pm
I don’t follow Sturgill–or Tyler Childers or Jason Isbell or Charley Crockett–near as closely as you and many other visitors to the site do–but I don’t think Sturgill said that he was permanently retired from making albums. From my recollection, he said that his last album completed an “arc” and that he would be moving on to other forms of art or expression. But he specifically mentioned wanting to do new music with a group in the future. I don’t see this announcement as a big contradiction with what he said previously.
June 6, 2024 @ 6:50 am
This is correct, besides the acting he did explicitly state he wants to make a band and it not be under his name with the entire burden on his shoulders.
June 5, 2024 @ 4:32 pm
I’m olde school Sturgill thanks to this website, the first in the world to report on ol Sturgie.
But man he’s a clown. He boxed himself into a corner with his dumb ass “I’ll only record five albums”. Then he records seven with an asterisk. Cool great for us. Dood and Juanita, perfectly fine album. But if it’s the last Sturgill Simpson album is there really a song on there that you’re ever going to be driving around with the windows down singing along with goosebumps the way any reasonable person could’ve off the first four albums?! Probably not cuz it’s a weird joke concept album but whatever cool dude thanks.
So now after however many years we get a whopping 8 songs. And since we thought Sturgill was retired there will be a Johnny and the Blue skies tour no? Nope seems like this dummy’s new band is opening up for his retired self?
I hope the album rips, I hope Sturgill gets over all his baby b$&ch bullshit, Nashville sucks who cares in the don’t like you just release good music to the people who made you rich. Or not. But don’t play with people, people are very passionate about this kind of stuff. I’m a public school teacher and I worked very hard for every dollar I ever gave to that man and I’ve given him hundreds.
June 6, 2024 @ 3:47 am
Yes, clown city. Sturgill is so far up his own ass that he used his opportunity to play arenas to run the crowd off with his crappy techno music then chirp at people who paid good money to be there while they were leaving in disappointment. Perhaps if he took a couple of minutes to understand what a privilege it is to have made three albums people love he would stop with the nonsense.
Even noted narcissist Jason Isbell plays “Outfit” and “Alabama Pines” regularly, and he still makes good albums. Childers brought back “White House Road” in recognition that you can’t necessarily pick and choose what your audience likes, but you can make a choice to be a popular touring act assuming you are lucky enough to have made some music people are into.
Sturgill isn’t a retro act yet, but unless me makes some good music soon he will be. It’s hard to make good albums and it looks like he may never do it again. There is an inkling of hope, though, He does emphasize that he’s playing his catalog. Good for him.
June 6, 2024 @ 8:55 am
Just an FYI, because I see this get brought up a lot in these threads. Simpson generally plays his latest album that he’s touring on cover to cover before going back into the catalog. Good Lookin Tour was no different.
So if you hate the Johnny Blue Skies album but still want to see him on this run, just know that you’re going to have to sit through all of it before you hear any of the back catalog. Unironically, he’s billed “Johnny Blue Skies” as the supporting act, so I’d say it’s a damn near certainty the setlist will be structured that way.
June 5, 2024 @ 4:42 pm
Thrice accused?
Hold my jell-o shot.
June 6, 2024 @ 6:01 am
Not sure whether to be excited or not care at all.
June 6, 2024 @ 4:55 pm
Thank you for sharing.
June 6, 2024 @ 5:12 pm
My pleasure. Glad you enjoyed it.
June 6, 2024 @ 6:50 am
Deertick fans will recognize Robbie Crowell as he was a member of Deertick for a very long time, longer than any of his other bands. Very talented and seemed like a good dude. Tickheads definitely miss him!
June 6, 2024 @ 7:14 am
Is he any relation to Rodney?
June 7, 2024 @ 10:41 am
When you mentioned Sturgill is getting his old bass player back I got excited and thought it’s that guy from the Sunday Valley “Red Barn Radio” concert on Youtube, but I just checked the credits at the end of that video and it says the bass player in that show is Gerald Evans. Sturgill needs THAT guy back in his band! That Red Barn Radio shows is the best of Sturgill I’ve ever heard, a large part thanks to Gerald Evans’ killer harmony singing that just sounds so right with Sturgill’s voice. If he’s got another old bass player back, at least hire Gerald Evans only for the harmony singing! If anyone hasn’t heard that concert type “Sunday Valley Red barn radio” in youtube to check it out and see what I mean.
June 8, 2024 @ 1:29 am
Ricky Van Shelton has been pretty committed about his retirement.
June 8, 2024 @ 9:20 am
Did he already go dark with with the IG account? I requested to follow him yesterday morning, and now his profile has disappeared when I search for it.
June 8, 2024 @ 2:50 pm
I haven’t been this excited since the latest Lester Roadhog Moran and the Cadillac Cowboys album.;) It will definitely be better than the Chris Gaines album.
June 12, 2024 @ 7:40 am
This is one of the craziest presales I’ve seen.. There were 6000 people in line for the 5000 seat venue. Doesn’t seem Stu has lost his relevance yet.
June 12, 2024 @ 11:11 am
I got tix on the presale, damn that’s a hectic way to spend my morning break from work. lol.
I was surprised the prices were so high, but it is what it is. I was telling myself I’d pay $250 to be in GA but the first section back was $229 face value…
Hoping he announces more gigs based on this demand.
June 12, 2024 @ 8:56 pm
Floor tix Boston were 101
June 24, 2024 @ 4:40 pm
“the thrice accused rapist” holy shit lmao