Sturgill Simpson Makes 2nd Appearance on Joe Rogan Experience Podcast

Sturgill Simpson made his second appearance on the long-winded Joe Rogan Experience podcast on Monday (4-4) ahead of the release of his new album A Sailor’s Guide to Earth out April 15th, and talked many subjects with the comedian, including the new album, which apparently Rogan was the first to leak the title of accidentally on Instagram.
“This is definitely a record that anybody that knows about me, I would like them to hear as a record, because that’s how I recorded it to be heard,” Sturgill told Rogan. “Ideally, it wasn’t designed to be heard broken apart … All of my favorite records, my top four or five records, are concept records.”
Sturgill also talked about how one of his favorite artists of all time is Marvin Gaye, staring down a buffalo, juggling touring and family life, and how he’s been dealing with his meteoric rise.
“Although I guess transitionally it’s been in the last couple of years—three or four years—but I’ve been doing this my whole life to various levels of thanklessness. I spent a lot of the years in honky tonks and dive bars where you were background noise. And now that I’m older, I think that’s been the best part of it. I’m clear and focused enough, and I have enough responsibilities in my life to where I’m not taking it for granted. Trying to use it as the opportunity that it is to do something hopefully bigger than just myself.”
Sturgill said during his first appearance on the Rogan podcast that he would only make a total of five records in his career, which has spooked many Sturgill fans that there’s only a finite amount of music from the songwriter left to be heard. But like anyone, Sturgill reserves the right to change his mind. Though Sturgill didn’t re-affirm his five album limit on the new podcast, he did speak on how the recording process is his favorite part of making music.
“I love the recording process most of all. That’s where you learn if you’ve improved. You’re under a microscope. I get hyper focused in the studio. It’s a good thing other people get tired because I would probably just keep them in there all day. But you’re so tied to this thing and in it, that by the time it’s finished, you just don’t want to think about it anymore … But now you’ve got to work it up and out out in a live context and play this thing, whereas hopefully you’ve tried to bare your soul and be as honest as possible, but then you’re standing in front of a room every night. So you have to block that part out of your head that people are judging you.”
Beyond that, there weren’t any bombshells about Sturgill Simpson, his new music, or his future plans. But there was plenty of more insight on his personal like and his perspective on the world. Hear the entire 2+ hour podcast below.
April 5, 2016 @ 8:23 am
Joe Rogan sure likes to hear himself talk.
April 5, 2016 @ 9:40 am
he better, its his job.
April 5, 2016 @ 10:38 am
Yeah, there was quite a bit of Joe Rogan in this one. Like Clovis says below, it is cool just to get some insight into Sturgill’s character by watching him talk with Joe. But it seemed like Joe just wanted to talked about what was interesting him and Sturgill was his soundboard. I watched at 2:22:00 last night hoping there was some little nugget of previously unrevealed insight, and came up a little short.
April 5, 2016 @ 8:50 am
This is a pretty cool podcast episode, because its probably the closest any of us will come just to sitting on a porch chatting with Sturgill about whatever comes up.
April 5, 2016 @ 11:31 am
“Who the fuck is Joe Rogan?” Then I went to his wiki page. “Oh, that douche bag.”
He now looks like the kind of guy I avoid having a conversation with at the gym.
April 5, 2016 @ 12:19 pm
Ha! Totally agree. He’s def the guy at the gym to avoid. Because if you don’t adopt a “total avoidance” strategy with these types, they will talk your head off every freakin’ time they see you. Which is what Rogan did with Sturgill.
April 5, 2016 @ 12:29 pm
April 15th is taking foooooorevvvvvveeeerrrrr
April 5, 2016 @ 3:30 pm
Anytime Joe Rogan is described as a comedian the word “alleged “should be in front of it.
April 6, 2016 @ 7:17 pm
I enjoyed the Podcast, but I kind of dig Rogan, so there is that.
If you want a better one, check out Sturgill’s first Podcast with Joe Rogan. It is really good. Sturgill gets in to his music and sound. Plus a lot of extra stuff.
April 8, 2016 @ 8:46 am
Why Saxophones? Why?
April 8, 2016 @ 9:59 am
Joe gets a bad rap but his podcasts are usually pretty entertaining and interesting. Sturgill”™s first appearance was more in-depth. He seemed a bit more reserved this go around, plus Joe was a bit long winded as well. Either way, worth a listen and you get a bit more insight into the album.
On a side note, Sturgill”™s album is available to stream via NPR”™s First Listen!
April 9, 2016 @ 8:11 am
The album is out and it is quite amazing. Maybe not as “country” as many would like but I think we could tell that’s not where he was headed. Overall though one of the best records you’ll ever hear. Especially if you enjoyed the Motown era