Sturgill Simpson on New Album: “It’s Definitely Not a Country Record”
It feels like any day now we’ll hear something about a new record coming from Sturgill Simpson. But just in case the country fan in you is hoping it will be a return to Sturgill’s roots, and similar to his earlier records like High Top Mountain and Metamodern Sounds in Country Music, you best steel yourself for something else.
In November of 2018, right before Thanksgiving, Sturgill Simpson appeared on Sarah Silverman’s Hulu exclusive show, I Love You, America. During the 30-minute program, Sturgill Simpson performed a song, and spoke to Silverman about his now infamous busking show outside of the 2017 CMA Awards streamed via Facebook Live. Silverman was one of numerous celebrities who tuned in as the live stream was happening in real time.
“It’s a sales convention,” Sturgill said during the conversation about the CMAs.
“It’s a fucking sales convention!” Sarah Silverman agreed. “Country is about being Outlaw, being badass, telling the truth, being raw!”
Sturgill Simpson went on to say that at this point in his career, he isn’t even interested in getting into a discussion about the country music industry, or the music industry at large. He only wants to focus on his own music.
“Whether it’s the American Music Awards, the Grammy Awards, all these things exist to sustain the music business,” Simpson said. “It has little to do with the artists being recognized. It’s something that I’ve come to realize. I don’t even know how much I have left to contribute to that conversation at this point in my career. It has nothing to do with me, or what I’m doing. They’ve made it very clear they want nothing to do with me. I see it as a blessing now really, because there’s all these other avenues and paths that quote/unquote ‘country’ musicians may be on.”
Sturgill then iterated some insight on his upcoming record.
“We just finished the record last week that I’ve been working on for a year (meaning he finished the record in early November, 2018). It’s definitely not a country record. I can’t question these things. You can’t question these things. You’ve just got to put art on your timeline first, and all the other shit really doesn’t matter I guess is what I’ve come to see and realize.”
“We have to know what genre you’re in to list you on iTunes,” Sarah Silverman said.
“Yeah…” Sturgill responded, before the conversation quickly turned to Sturgill’s song “Oh Sarah,” which first appeared on his Sunday Valley record To The Wind and On To Heaven, and later on his Grammy-winning A Sailor’s Guide to Earth. It was written about Simpson’s wife, but Sarah Silverman had a little fun pretending it was about herself.
If Sturgill Simpson’s upcoming record won’t be country, what can we expect from it? We can likely expect it to be loud, and more rock and roll than anything, similar to the performances Sturgill has been turning in live over the last year or two. When speaking to Joe Rogan in March of 2018, Sturgill hinted that the record could be a double album, but we’ll have to see if that materializes.
Sturgill has also dropped hints that the record after his upcoming one may be a return to his country roots, and may be his last one entirely. We’ll have to wait and see if this materializes as well. One silver lining, and one lesson to learn from Sturgill’s pronouncement is that at least he’s being honest, and letting his fans know he doesn’t consider his record country, unlike many pop stars who call themselves country to exploit the country industry for their pop careers.
Unfortunately the full Sturgill Simpson interview is only available on Hulu. However his performance of “Oh Sarah” is available on YouTube.
March 22, 2019 @ 8:54 am
*Gonna get this comment in before all the “Sturgill’s not country, he sucks” fuckers show up*
I’m excited for whatever Sturgill’s next album turns out to be. Regardless of what musical avenue he takes, Sturgill too damn stubborn to be anything but himself. That’s why I’m on board with his experimentations as opposed to say, Zac Brown.
Yes, I love country music and I love Sturgill playing and singing it. But I also love Sturgill as an artist and I’ll give him a fair shot wherever his musical aspirations take him.
March 22, 2019 @ 9:00 am
Probably my favorite overall artist at this time. Whatever he does, I’m giving it a shot.
July 29, 2019 @ 8:59 am
Sturgill is BADASS! That’s it.
March 22, 2019 @ 9:58 am
I will postulate that at some point there is no point in covering him on a site with the mission of this one.
March 22, 2019 @ 12:58 pm
Saving Country Music was the first outlet to ever cover Sturgill Simpson, and I will continue until it ceases to be relevant to the country world, and maybe even somewhat beyond due to the history he has with the genre. Saying his next record won’t be country is still relevant to the country world.
March 22, 2019 @ 9:34 pm
Simpson has been wondering from the genre of Country music for some time. Now it appears he has completely went off the reservation…with over 40 years of albums from Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, and Willie Nelson, stick a fork in it and return to the old school because on the best day Simpson can’t touch Waylon, Willie, and the boys.
March 23, 2019 @ 7:02 pm
You are comparing a guy who has what, 3 albums out to legends who have been around for decades? Why?
March 25, 2019 @ 7:58 pm
jjazznola, actually my main point was that there is no need to fret over Simpson’s departure from real country music because there is so many great songs spanning over 40 years by Waylon, Willlie, and the boys that can be listened to that is way better than anything Simpson has ever put out…but, IMHO even with the over produced Nashville arrangements of Waylon and Willie’s early albums with RCA, or the simplistic sound of Cash’s early records with Sun, any of their first decade of songs is better than anything Simpson has put out in his career so far.
June 28, 2019 @ 2:48 pm
You do realize the irony of what you are saying, right? The three artists you just named were notoriously “outlaws” in the Country Music world because of their departure from “the reservation” of which you speak. If anything, this just solidifies his place among them. The “reservation” has been fluid from day one.
March 22, 2019 @ 5:08 pm
Go shuck yourself
March 22, 2019 @ 8:41 pm
Nice comparison. Sturgill Simpson and Zac Brown. That took some thought.
March 22, 2019 @ 9:00 am
As long as he makes an album that represents him well and that he’s artistically proud of I’m sure it will be excellent. Looking forward to it.
March 22, 2019 @ 9:13 am
That’s the thing about Sturgill that I like. He isn’t making an album for you or me he’s making it for him and let’s the chips fall where they may. High Top Mountain is still much favorite album but I support Stu for whatever he does . Plus he’s also a member of the CIA so that’s badass
March 22, 2019 @ 8:58 pm
“He isn’t making an album for you or me he’s making it for him and let’s the chips fall where they may.” If that was true, he wouldn’t have managers, booking agents, publicists and a record deal. He wants to be successful. He’s doing what someone tells him will sell to his hipster, ironically-country Brooklyn/Silver Lake audience. Not that surprising, nor admirable. “Lars Ulrich says Metallica will now be peddling Bob Seger covers.” “Brave choice, Lars!”
March 22, 2019 @ 9:15 am
I will give the new record a listen to see if i enjoy it but definitely bummed it wont be country
March 22, 2019 @ 9:21 am
Sturgill said mean things about muh pres’dent
March 24, 2019 @ 2:53 pm
Sturgill – who has the personality of a saltine – said “anybody who’s still supporting [the president] can’t be anything in my mind but an ignorant fucking bigot” so self respecting country music fans who think the president is OK don’t have much of a reason to wait around with bated breath for his next dorky nirvana cover or Colbert appearance.
If only a non-lefty would buy a reverb pedal, lol…
March 28, 2019 @ 11:28 am
Do people know how to separate the art from the artist anymore, or is that just golden age thinking these days? And don’t say you can’t because we do it all the time. Johnny, Waylon, Cash and Merle all did some heinous shit back in their day. David Allan Coe is still an asshole. And they (at least most of them) were/are more left leaning in their political beliefs. The only difference between then and now is that we didn’t have social media to condition people to be sensitive little (dare I say it) snowflakes. If you’re going to write off every artist who has a different political opinion than you, then by all means have fun listening to Kid Rock and Toby Keith the rest of your life.
March 22, 2019 @ 9:22 am
Please, not a fucking jam band record
March 28, 2019 @ 11:19 am
It will be, just with a twang to it.
March 22, 2019 @ 9:24 am
A San Bushman knows as much about country music as Sarah Silverman. Did Sarah and Sturgill knife a baby to death and drink its blood at the end of the interview?
March 22, 2019 @ 12:09 pm
Hahaha. I was thinking the same dadgum thing. What a dumb, city trollop.
…”Country is about being Outlaw, being badass.”….
No, it’s not, but if it were, yeah, repeating emotionally insane, uninformed Hollywood bull crap that nearly half the American sheeple agree with is totally bad to the bone, so against the grain, real maverick stuff.
March 22, 2019 @ 3:33 pm
But his southern accent is real.
March 22, 2019 @ 5:19 pm
Really Dad?
March 22, 2019 @ 9:25 am
“you best steel yourself”
I’m devastated. DEVASTATED.
My only consolation will be if it’s a double album of long guitar solo wanking so Ole Sturg can feel good about himself and we can burn a few in the backseat pretending it’s 1976.
March 22, 2019 @ 9:29 am
I probably won’t like it and Sturgil doesn’t care. That’s a real artist, make what inspires you. Not what’s selling, not what your fans want to hear. The man doesn’t seem to want money or fame.
March 22, 2019 @ 9:37 am
Despite Silverman’s weird bitter scold routine, Sturgill sings well in that clip. The lav mic suits him.
March 22, 2019 @ 9:38 am
Well at least he’s in it for the music.
He probably finds it discouraging to make another country album considering the genres current state.
March 22, 2019 @ 9:47 am
I take Sturgill saying “it’s definitely not a country record” as him just preemptively addressing and squashing the inevitable backlash from the trolls, based on some of the fans’ reaction to Sailor’s Guide To Earth.
I’m not too worried though – I mean, you can take Sturgill out of “country”, but you can’t “country” out of that voice. Just as long as it’s a little more upbeat this time around, I’ll be pretty happy. I liked SGTE well enough, but though it was a bit “weepy” and melodramatic at times. I wouldn’t mind an upbeat rhythm & blues/rock record.
March 22, 2019 @ 9:56 am
Personally, as a man that builds things in the world; I don’t need Sturgill to be country anymore. Whatever he puts out will be shit kickin out of my dually and not even J.D Shellnut chief of police can tell me different.
March 22, 2019 @ 10:03 am
I’m thrilled he has a new album coming. I’m planning to listen without prejudice.
March 22, 2019 @ 10:06 am
To be fair, it already felt like Sturgill was moving away from country in his “A Sailor’s Guide to Earth”.
Didn’t stop that from being a flat out fantastic album though.
March 22, 2019 @ 10:08 am
I don’t have a problem with him putting out an album that is not a country album, because he admits it’s not country. What I have a problem with is the people pushing pop music and saying it’s country. And the ‘suits’ creating music that is pop, cramming it down our throats, telling us “This is country,” and trying to brush real country “Artist” under the rug so their created (in a studio on laptops) pop heads are the only ones we can hear.
March 22, 2019 @ 10:23 am
Exactly. We’re all music fans first.
March 22, 2019 @ 12:17 pm
I’m not. I’m a C(c)ountry Music lover first and foremost. There’s other things I can tolerate, but that’s about the extent of it.
March 22, 2019 @ 2:13 pm
From you comments on here, Hon(k)y, it doesn’t seem you are a lover(r) of mu(c)h of anything.
March 22, 2019 @ 4:57 pm
If you’re attempting to use parentheses the same way I’m using them, it would be: H(h)onky, not Hon(k)y.
March 22, 2019 @ 11:14 am
That was my reaction. I listen to a lot of music that isn’t country. I just don’t like crappy pop sold as country, and when I object get an insufferable lecture on how “music evolves”.
March 22, 2019 @ 10:09 am
Nothing against him, but High Top Mountain was probably it for me. Metamodern sounds was OK, and he lost me with his last one. But hood luck to him.
March 22, 2019 @ 10:16 am
Yeah he lost me too on that last one, which I don’t think was country at all. I love all types of music but I felt that was a big miss. Won’t be buying his stuff until (if) he returns to country music.
March 22, 2019 @ 11:01 am
You love ‘all types of music’ but you won’t buy his til he returns to country music….
Wtf?? Then you don’t like all kinds of music unless a person makes country music because artist aren’t around to make album that sound different.
Do me a favor and don’t buy a Warren Haynes album, a Derek Trucks/Tedeschi Trucks album, or a Jason Isbell album because those are they type of artists who make albums and write songs that may be soul, gospel, country, blues or rock…
You DO NOT like ‘all types of music’.
March 22, 2019 @ 12:54 pm
I do think it’s a fair position to be fine with Sturgill Simpson doing whatever he wants, but still be disappointed he isn’t making a country record as a country fan. That doesn’t necessarily mean you’re putting a undue burden on Sturgill. It just means you appreciate his country stuff, and would like to hear more of it.
March 22, 2019 @ 2:12 pm
I can’t like all types of music if I don’t like a particular artist? That makes sense.
March 22, 2019 @ 10:12 am
I’m totally cool with his next record not being country. After all, I listen to more than just country music, but I hope it doesn’t have the sort of jam-band sound that he’s had when playing live for the last year or two. I love Sturgill, but I feel like the jam-band thing really doesn’t work for me.
March 22, 2019 @ 10:19 am
That is a great tune. And no shouting . Such a good singer. He is an excellent guitar player. No problem understanding the lyrics.
This reminds of the first music of his that I heard, the songs about coal miners, and so on.
Heard him live in wpg, he had three horns in his band…
I would much rather it was a concert with just him and his guitar.
March 22, 2019 @ 11:03 am
meh, who cares. I’ve moved past his brand of pseudo intellectual, self important contrived bullshit. He can call it whatever he wants. I’m not buying it regardless.
March 22, 2019 @ 8:17 pm
Thank goodness I found this comment. Sturgill just comes off as a condescending douchebag sometimes. I loved his first two albums. Last one was not my cup of tea and it seems like he goes out of his way to not be Country. I mean I’m glad he’s not muddying the genre with this stuff but still. Ill give it a try but not expecting much.
March 23, 2019 @ 7:04 pm
Sturgill just comes off as a condescending douchebag sometimes? Such as?
March 22, 2019 @ 9:01 pm
Favorite moment of the Marc Maron interview: When Maron corrected his pronunciation of “Rimbaud.”
March 23, 2019 @ 9:14 am
pseudo intellectual, self important contrived bullshit? Haha! You would rather he just dumb down his lyrics so you can understand them?
March 27, 2019 @ 6:49 am
no, I’d rather he take a lesson from people like The Turnpike Troubadours or Cody Jinks and just make good solid country music about universal topics that a majority of the listening audience can relate to no matter what side of the political, socioeconomical or geographical side of the spectrum you happen to live on.
March 22, 2019 @ 11:26 am
It’s been such a long wait since Sailor’s Guide that I’m sort of burnt out on his process. 4 years later, this album better be fucking phenomenal or he’ll derail his career.
You can’t yell from a soapbox, take your sweet time, release a sub-par album, and get away with it.
Best of luck, Sturgill
March 22, 2019 @ 12:38 pm
Agreed. Can’t help but think he’s lost a lot of momentum since Sailor’s Guide, and if the next album’s mediocre there’s really no coming back for him. Country fans will abandon him, and non-country fans won’t care enough to know his name.
Me thinks he’s got what I call the “Cobain Complex.” Simpson as a “country” version of Kurt Cobain has been discussed here before (and addressed by Trigger). My theory is that like Cobain, despite the obvious talent and status as an artistic and cultural maverick, Simpson has a nihilistic streak – eager to cut off his nose to spite his face. In other words, downplay or outright reject his own talent/status and his fan-base simultaneously.
I think that attitude in a musician is smug, selfish, and destructive. I’m not saying any musician owes us anything, but being up on a stage is a blessing and a privilege, and the artist-audience relationship is important. Having a shitty, self-important attitude, throwing up middle fingers in a vain play for gravitas is my least favorite quality in a musician (and people in general). But, maybe I’m overthinking this. I hope he surprises us.
March 22, 2019 @ 2:12 pm
More like Jeff Mangum, right down to the genre-less nature of his musical approach.
March 22, 2019 @ 2:21 pm
Wait, so you are calling three years (not four) “a long wait” in reference to a guy who, including ASGTE, cranked out 3 great albums in the course of basically three years? Sturgill’s overall output rate has been phenomenal over the past 6 years. Not to mention the guy is a little bit older than most “debut” artists, and is in the process of having / raising a young a family. As it relates to his “soapbox” (what do you even mean by that?), he did a few interviews and the Grammy busking thing, which was just a joke but kind of blew up for one single comment that got Trump supporters’ panties in a bunch. It is safe to say that he is one of the lowest key artists from a PR perspective there is….certainly from any measure of trying be out there on a “soapbox”.
March 22, 2019 @ 3:14 pm
Yea go ahead and speak for nobody. As a trump supporter I couldn’t give a fuck less about what Sturgill said, as I watched it live.
March 22, 2019 @ 7:15 pm
I speak for myself, Josey. Not sure what your point is. Way to hone in on the most insignificant part of my post (the trump b.s. that clearly triggered you).
March 22, 2019 @ 10:40 pm
Get your rear end back to Breitbart Josey.
Let it be known…Josey is a regular at Far-right Breitbart.
March 23, 2019 @ 5:47 am
Lmao keep your nose stuck to CNN instead of SCM.
March 23, 2019 @ 7:06 pm
derail his career? The guy sells out shows all over the place. I expect him to be even bigger after this album comes out.
March 22, 2019 @ 11:37 am
I honestly think the whole five albums and i’m done thing is really pretentious, and his whole attitude is just a turn off to me at this point.
March 22, 2019 @ 2:23 pm
He has since stated that was not to be taken seriously. Reading the interview, it came across as a big joke at the time as well, and he was basically making fun of himself for being overly into the “deep thinking” / mysticism side of things.
March 22, 2019 @ 11:38 am
It’s not a country album?
Fine.
We can stop talking, writing & overestimate Mr. Simpson.
March 22, 2019 @ 11:43 am
Yeah, I get how music evolves…and that’s cool. I just prefer it created by the actual artist – the real musician. Not what the Advertising… err I mean Music execs tell me what they say I should listen to. These days it seems more music is created on the computer than from the musician’s heart and soul. When it becomes about the “Suits” making money instead of the real artist sharing their soul, it loses so much. And that is what they are cramming down our throats these days under the “Country” label. It’s pop music and sounds like pop, so go sell it under pop. Give us back real country, real rock, real blues. And then let us make the choice.
March 22, 2019 @ 12:14 pm
One thing’s for sure, C(c)ountry or not, there’s going to be some miserably horrific, unintelligible singing going on.
March 22, 2019 @ 2:34 pm
man , king honky , exactly ……I’m not a big sturgill fan so at the risk of sounding disingenuous the first thing I thought listening to that clip was “….. Mumbles is back ” .
yesterday I bought Emily Scott Robinson’s record from iTunes and was not only thrilled with it top to bottom but SO happy that I could hear EVERY WORD . Sturgill just makes me work too hard…
But hell …more power to him if he can make a living at this on his own terms singing in his own language ! he seems real even if I’m not sure what he’s saying ….
March 22, 2019 @ 3:17 pm
Lmao what a hater. HoRrIfIc UnInTeLlIgBlE SiNgInG. Maybe try opening your ears.
March 22, 2019 @ 5:21 pm
You really are one sad human being aren’t you?
You’re just mad that Sturgill’s cover of I Never Go Around Mirrors is better than Lefty Frizzell ever did it.
March 23, 2019 @ 8:25 am
But he can’t touch Whitley’s version
March 23, 2019 @ 5:44 pm
One of the dumbest comments on the site hands down
March 23, 2019 @ 11:44 pm
That’s quite a claim considering the kinds of posts Honky makes.
March 24, 2019 @ 8:37 am
Care to elaborate?
March 23, 2019 @ 3:55 am
I quite like Sturgill Simpson’s music, and it helps that the lyrics are unintelligable, because they are quite often cringe worthy.
March 22, 2019 @ 12:16 pm
Ultimately Sturgill has to make the music he wants to make and there could be few things worse than a country album by a man who doesn’t want to make country music.
That said, as a country fan, I do find it a pity because he has a genuine talent for country music and a soulful country voice. His last album was a good listen with some country aspects, but personally I’d love to hear him make another record like Metamodern.
March 22, 2019 @ 12:24 pm
Any idea if there are any plans to re-release the Sunday Valley album/EP? I’d guess there are probably no plans, but man, I’d love it if they were streamable.
March 22, 2019 @ 12:57 pm
Not that I have heard. In fact Sturgill’s worked pretty hard to keep that material buried. Perhaps once he releases these finite amount of albums he keeps talking about, the Sunday Valley material will get reissued.
March 22, 2019 @ 3:44 pm
It can be found, or at least could be, out there in the internet-land, if you look hard enough.
March 25, 2019 @ 11:59 am
Reddit is a great place to look for old Sturgill material. I was able to snag the entire Sunday Valley album, Sturgill’s 2 track EP with Four Flame Candle and Hey Now, and found several audio rips of uncut songs you can find on YouTube. There’s also a thread detailing how to find the original Turnpike Troubadors album that 99% of people, including myself, had no idea existed. It has a couple songs which have since been rerecorded but most of them are otherwise undiscoverable. Both bands made a pretty concerted effort to have these pulled from the public, TT mentioned they thought the material was subpar and claimed they would at some point be cutting most, if not all, of the songs on future albums.
March 22, 2019 @ 12:36 pm
I – – – – – don’t give a pile of excrement.
March 22, 2019 @ 12:58 pm
Ironically, I feel like Sturgill loves Country Music, and shows this love by opposing the mainstream Country Music industry, even if he doesn’t have a dog in that fight since he doesn’t call himself Country
March 22, 2019 @ 1:02 pm
If it’s anything like those rockin’ shows he did last year I am all for it! The worst thing that any true artist can do is to stay in the same place and keep making the same record over and over. I do not see Mr Simpson ever doing that.
March 22, 2019 @ 1:27 pm
Agreed, but Whitey Morgan and Cody Jinks have basically been putting out the same record for a decade and seem to be gaining more success and credibility as years go by. A lot of artists and fans abide by the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix” it ethos. I think it can sometimes be an excuse, and a crutch, but c’est la vie. I think if Sturgill kept putting out High Top/Metamodern he’d stay pretty big for a long time.
March 23, 2019 @ 9:24 am
Sturgill got “big” when he moved past High Top/Metamodern.
March 23, 2019 @ 9:14 am
George Strait would disagree.
March 22, 2019 @ 1:09 pm
I’m less concerned with the genre of his upcoming album than I am this click bait article. I thought it was going to contain new information but it was re-telling a story that’s already been told almost 5 months ago. Post an article when you have something to report on. Move along, no new information here…
March 22, 2019 @ 1:32 pm
No outlet has transcribed the details of Sarah Silverman’s interview with Sturgill Simpson until now. Nobody reported it five months ago. Just because it’s not new to you, doesn’t mean it’s not new to anyone else. The reason it’s being reported now is because Hulu was just made available to Spotify Premium subscribers, so this was the first opportunity I’ve had to see it. I was clear when the interview occurred.
March 22, 2019 @ 2:11 pm
It’s come to this? That’s like saying Netflix picked up a show that aired on NBC years after it’s off the air, and because you watch Netflix and watched the show for the first time, you report on it… Actually the Hulu\Spotify\Spotify Premium combination is even worse, less than 1% of the population of a small city must consume “new” content this way (just a guess). My original comment was nothing to take personal, it’s just stating a fact. Reporting on information from 5 months prior just because it’s news to you isn’t really anything to report on. His comments were already reported on elsewhere at the time. Just saying…
March 22, 2019 @ 3:45 pm
Look man, folks had been asking me for an update on Sturgill Simpson’s music, and so I gave them one. Yes, the info is five months old, which I disclosed, but it was locked behind a paywall on a show barely anyone watched (it was recently canceled), and so I decided to share it. Sheesh. And no, aside from maybe social media or a Reddit thread, it has not been picked up by any major publications. If you think it’s lame or out-of-date information, fair enough. But there’s a lot of other folks who found it informative. If you don’t want to read it, perhaps pass it up, and read the review I just posted for the new Tom Russell record, or perhaps the 30-paragraph essay on how the identity war is usurping music’s power to bring people together.
Thanks for the feedback.
March 22, 2019 @ 4:51 pm
No worries, you just let me down when I finally saw an article for a new Sturgill album. I’m not trying to be standoffish… keep up the good work.
March 23, 2019 @ 1:07 am
“not trying to be standoffish”?
Lol, just own it man, we all disagree at times, which is what makes this site so fun.
March 22, 2019 @ 1:55 pm
Thank you Trigger for introducing me to my husband’s music!
March 26, 2019 @ 2:36 pm
Oh Sarah – here we go again
March 22, 2019 @ 1:56 pm
Funny how the “country purist” crowd is supportive when an artist like Sturgill Simpson switches genres but demonizes other artists who do the same thing. #Hypocrites
March 22, 2019 @ 2:02 pm
Not much of a Sturgill fan here. I lost in him as he lost interest in country, but I appreciate his honesty. There’s a big difference between him saying “yeah, my next record isn’t gonna be country because I try to put my art first and make the music I want to make,” versus a wannabe star saying “you can’t say I ain’t country because country has to evolve because I wan’t to make $$$”.
March 22, 2019 @ 2:11 pm
Exactly.
March 22, 2019 @ 2:47 pm
How can you agree with this? Who are you to make that decision? You have no idea what an artist’s motivations are for creating a certain kind of music. It’s just a lazy excuse to justify your hypocrisy. Your argument is essentially… Artist X’s motivations must be pure because the music sounds sincere and artist Y’s motivations aren’t because the music sounds commercial. There is a great deal of bad music made with good intentions and an equal share of good music made for reasons that aren’t purely artistic. Bruce Springsteen, one of the most celebrated songwriters of all time, summarizes it nicely throughout ‘Springsteen on Broadway’.
March 22, 2019 @ 3:28 pm
“Artist X’s motivations must be pure because the music sounds sincere and artist Y’s motivations aren’t because the music sounds commercial.”
That’s not the argument being made at all. What we’re saying is that Maren Morris’s music is not country, but she claims it is, while Sturgill Simpson’s music is not country (presumably), and he’s going out of his way to say it isn’t. It’s a sign of honesty, and respect to the country genre and its fans. On a personal level, I may want Sturgill to make more country music because he’s good at it, but he can do whatever he wants. So can Maren. Just don’t call it country.
March 22, 2019 @ 4:35 pm
“Maren Morris’s music is not country, but she claims it is”
She literally doesn’t.
March 22, 2019 @ 6:10 pm
Fine, then we can expect Maren to relinquish her COUNTRY Music Association trophy for New Artist of the Year in 2016, her Academy of COUNTRY Music trophy for New Female Vocalist of the Year in 2017, the 2017 Grammy for best COUNTRY Solo Performance for “My Church,” and forfeit the three nominations she received in COUNTRY categories for the Grammy Awards in 2019. You can’t have it both ways. Maren fans argue she’s country until they’re red in the face, until they lose the argument and then say she never claimed to be country at all. And when they lose that argument they say, “What do we need genre for?”
Maren Morris has no business in country music, and if she never claimed to be country, all the more reason for her to get the hell out.
March 22, 2019 @ 7:37 pm
Trigger – We appreciate the effort, but talking to Black Boots is like talking to a brick wall when it comes to Maren Morris. When anyone criticizes Morris for the non-country-ness of her music, Black Boots never fails to chime in with “she’s not country and never claimed to be,” but in the next sentence says there’s nothing wrong with country radio playing “Rich” or “Girl.” Like performer, like stan, when it comes to double talk.
March 23, 2019 @ 12:47 pm
It makes no sense for someone to “relinquish” this or that award for their music. That’s such a tremendously silly thing to say, Trig.
Also, Chris, same kinda applies to you. There’s no double talk there at all. Why would i have a problem with country radio playing her music simply because she, herself, doesn’t consider her music to be solely country, or anything besides merely country influenced. You seem to be the one who’s confused here, not me.
Furthermore, why does ANYONE here care about what’s played on the radio? If you listen to the radio, you’re basically a sheep for what it wants you to hear. I listen to so much traditional country music, a lot of it being new, and i couldn’t care less if it’s played on the radio or not.
March 23, 2019 @ 12:55 pm
“Furthermore, why does ANYONE here care about what’s played on the radio? If you listen to the radio, you’re basically a sheep for what it wants you to hear.”
Because I want everyone to share in the gift of good music. I believe everyone has the right to good music, just like they should have the right to good food and good water. That’s why I started this website. I want everyone to understand they have better, healthier options out there that will give them much more joy and fulfillment. Good music sounds ever better when you share it with someone else.
March 27, 2019 @ 6:01 am
Everybody does have the right to good music… Virtually every single person has access to YouTube, Spotify, and access to festivals and things of that light. It comes down to whether or not you’re a casual music listener who enjoys being told and shown what to listen to or somebody who really cares and seeks out their own stuff…
Simple as that.
March 23, 2019 @ 1:31 am
I think the reason fans have reacted differently to sturgill leaving country is because his first two records struck such a large chord and touched the hearts of his fans in such a profound way that it has been difficult to let him go. It saddens me to think about all the time he’s wasting running from a genre that he was seemingly born to be a part of.
— I hate his politics
— I hate his narcissistic antics
— I hate that half smirk he pulls out when he thinks he’s being clever
— I hate that he tunes his guitar the entire time he’s not ripping a solo for Tyler or Chris, thereby distracting from the performance as a whole. (Paul Newman did the same thing with his cowboy hat in the Magnificent Seven — always fidgeting with it when he wasn’t delivering a line in order to draw the viewer’s attention; so much so that Yul Brenner almost kicked his ass).
— I hate that his live act is singing his country songs in jam band style
— I hate that he continues to show up hard country music festivals.
— I hate that he’s pandering to the Left
— I hate that he won’t STAY ON THE FUCKING MIC!!!
And I could keep going on and on about what I hate about Sturgill Simpson, but I will always outweigh that hate with love for him as a recording artist in the end, because he created Hightop and Metamodern.
March 23, 2019 @ 7:17 pm
jam band style? He sounds like he plays boogieing rock n roll to me. He works in a T Rex song!
pandering to the Left? by saying what he thinks?
March 22, 2019 @ 1:58 pm
Tangential to this article, as it doesn’t really apply to Sturgill: I don’t understand why country artists try go on the shows of hosts who despise country people and just want to shit on their music. Mainstream coverage of country music seems to be just about mocking it, dragging it through the mud, and putting it down for how “backward” it is. As AJ sang 25 years ago “I hear down there, it’s changed you see, they’re not as backward as they used to be”. I just wish there were more platforms for artists to get visibility from hosts or programs which genuinely love the music and have a connection to country music fans.
March 22, 2019 @ 2:06 pm
If he doesn’t want play/sing country then he shouldn’t. In general are artist at their best when they play what they themselves wants to play.
But they should be open about it and tell their fans before they release an album. And Sturgill has done that. If I like his next record I will sure as hell listening to it whatever the genre.
March 22, 2019 @ 2:21 pm
I liked his first two albums. Sailor’s Guide was aight. It will be interesting to hear his new album but so far the more country his music has been the more I have enjoyed it.
March 22, 2019 @ 2:51 pm
I’m guessing he’ll make an album bashing Trump and his supporters, to keep himself unique and edgy.
March 22, 2019 @ 3:47 pm
I hope he does, just so they keep getting butthurt about a musician they claim not to like and continue to prove that everyone is a snowflake about something.
March 22, 2019 @ 7:28 pm
I hated Sturgill long before Donny triggered him, but I hate Donny too.
March 22, 2019 @ 10:36 pm
Sturgill Simpson > Honk boy
March 24, 2019 @ 8:27 pm
“I hated Sturgill before it was cool!”
You damn hipster.
March 22, 2019 @ 7:22 pm
You do realize the only reason he ever brought up trump is because he was asked directly what he thought about trump by a fan during that livestream on Facebook? He answered it honestly and in the moment, so kill the guy. He’s not done anything to go out of his way to be overly political or bash trump.
March 23, 2019 @ 3:57 am
He already did the hipster Trump bash thing? I was unaware, but makes sense. totally predictable.
March 23, 2019 @ 9:18 am
hipster Trump bash thing? You mean being awake?
March 22, 2019 @ 3:45 pm
When sturgill put out Meta Modern and High Top, there was a noticeable group of commenters who said “man I wished he would play music like he did in his Sunday valley days”. Now that he has moved more towards a jam band type set-up (which is what Sunday Valley ultimately was in some ways, a chicken fried jam band), there is a group of people saying “man I wish he sounded more like he did on High Top/Meta Modern”. I wonder if when we look back at the body of his work, that High Top Mountain, and to a lesser extent Meta Modern, are the oddballs and not the rest of it. In my opinion, his Sunday Valley music may have just as much in common with A sailors guide as High Top or Meta Modern do, but in different ways. I think if you heard Sunday Valley, and then listened to A Sailor’s Guide without listening to High Top especially but also Meta Modern, that you hear something that isn’t that far off. Songs like A call to arms, or Sea Stories, or between the lines, could be Sunday Valley jams with frills. A sailors guide is a concept album and so the sounds there are unique to the album, but to me, many of the songs are more jam-bandish (and therefore more in line with Sunday Valley) than anything on High Top or Meta Modern. I don’t know, maybe that doesn’t make any sense to anyone else but that’s my thought. I guess what I am trying to say, is that perhaps we’ll get a more refined focused of Sunday Valley in his next album.
March 22, 2019 @ 8:53 pm
I don’t think Sunday Valley was even remotely jam-bandy. They were more or less a “punk-ified” country/bluegrass band. Though I was sad to see Laur leave the band I was stoked when Sturgill started playing lead because I know how killer his telecaster playing and I thought it would harken back to the Sunday Valley days. But I haven’t dug Sturgill’s current live sound at all.
March 23, 2019 @ 5:47 pm
I don’t know many punk songs that go on 7 or 8 minutes
March 23, 2019 @ 7:25 pm
a jam band type set-up? All he did was lose the horns and a guitarist. It’s the same band as before and they sound NOTHING like a jam band, he just rocks out more. Personally I think he is WAY better live since making the switch.
March 25, 2019 @ 12:40 am
I think he played at least 3 ten minute songs the last time I saw him. My eyes were glazing over. Personally, I’d rather hear more songs.
I’m not crazy about the Sunday Valley stuff personally. Don’t say that on his Facebook fan page. ????
March 25, 2019 @ 9:13 pm
Hi Sturgill!
March 22, 2019 @ 4:32 pm
“Sturgill Simpson on New Album: “It’s Definitely Not a Country Record””
Gee, what a shock considering his last album wasn’t terribly country, either. I don’t honestly know what I hate more: pop country masquerading as something it’s not and the artists pretending to be salt of the earth, or pretentious elitism from the indie crowd because they’re “deep.”
March 23, 2019 @ 2:14 am
Yeah completely with you but the new album gets a 20 out of 10 when it gets reviewed on here.
March 23, 2019 @ 3:22 am
I think Trigger is as fair as he can be when it comes to reviews. Obviously he has his own proclivities as we all do, but he strives for objectivity. I’m a little sick of Sturgill but I completely understand why he is covered on this site. That said, he has been wearing on my nerves for a while now, hence the comment.
March 22, 2019 @ 4:52 pm
To ya’ll people saying A Sailors Guide wasn’t country at all, i truly wonder what drugs you are on to not think “Sea Stories” is country as fuck. The album as a whole is less country than the ones before, but it’s still in the guy 100%. I’d expect it to be on his new album to some degree, too.
March 22, 2019 @ 9:03 pm
Sailor’s Guide is definitely less country than High Top or Metamodern, but I’m not sure what genre I’d put it under. Maybe Americana, but Sturgill’s voice pretty much automatically makes any of his music at least country adjacent.
March 23, 2019 @ 8:21 am
You’re right. It’s a tiny bit country. Sea Stories would have fit nicely on MMSICM.
March 23, 2019 @ 10:45 am
That’s what I have always thought too. Sea Stories was one of, if not the, best country song of that year. As a whole, ASGTE has good country feel to it overall, mainly driven by the vocals and the fact that there is steel guitar on every song but two or three of them. It definitely brings in more soul influences than his prior albums, but it definitely fits more into the country genre than any other single genre if one must put a label on it.
March 22, 2019 @ 5:43 pm
A NEW AND DIFFERENT VOICE
I say boys and girls–friends and enemies–meet the future–
A BRAND NEW DAZZLING BICYCLE
A VOICE FROM THE CROWD:
The future what?
THE SALESMAN:
The future mode of transportation for the weary western world–
ME:
Sorry Trigger you got the crowd together–that’s half my work–I just figured I’d sell a little and–
TRIGGER:
Well I’m trying to raise a posse if you don’t mind
TO THE CROWD, ME:
I got a short presentation–
the horse is dead!–you’ll see this item sells itself–
soon the eye will see nothing but silk riboned bicycle paths stretching to infinity!
SO HERE’S MY DEMO ALBUM TO REDEEM ALL THE SADNESS:
https://www.gofundme.com/bg8p8-saving-country-music
March 23, 2019 @ 10:17 am
Some tips for your GoFundMe.
You can’t just ask for money to record your album. You need to give incentives. For example, anybody who donates a minimum of $5 gets digital copy of the album, anybody who donates a minimum of $30 gets a CD of the album and a signed photo or t-shirt.
You should also provide more details, such as when the album will be released, how it will be released (Bandcamp, your own website or independent label, etc), how many tracks, where you’re recording, etc.
You can’t just tell people to give you ten thousand dollars. You need to sell yourself, and make their donation an investment, not just a handout.
Google “GoFundMe promotion”, and you’ll find lots of good advice.
Also, try to avoid bizarre posts like this one. It’s more off putting than enticing.
March 29, 2019 @ 5:26 pm
Hey thanks, I’ve updated. Please let me know.
https://www.gofundme.com/bg8p8-saving-country-music
March 25, 2019 @ 12:44 am
Weird ass post.
March 22, 2019 @ 5:59 pm
Meanwhile- 170 miles from Austin
Country Singer Justin Carter Shot and Killed Himself While Filming Music Video
http://thesource.com/2019/03/22/country-singer-justin-carter-shot-and-killed-himself-while-filming-music-video/
March 23, 2019 @ 10:51 am
I saw that too, and understand why Trigger didn’t cover it. May he RIP, but that guy’s music (specifically the video he recently released) was absolutely terrible nashville pop / a bad attempt at hip hop. Because of that, and how much trigger is rightfully critical of that crap, it would have been a bit odd to post about his death (not to mention the bad taste comments it would have inspired).
March 23, 2019 @ 11:01 am
Yes, I didn’t want to say anything critical around this young man’s death, or open a forum for comments that could have been really hurtful and unnecessary. I don’t believe he was a country artist despite the characterization of some other media outlets, so his death is not relevant here. His one song very much reminds me of Lil Nas X who I just wrote about. But every death is a tragedy regardless of the circumstances, and his passing should be respected.
March 22, 2019 @ 6:12 pm
Check out “Sugar Daddy” theme song from the show Vinyl. If it’s like like that it will be bad a$$. Cant wait. Love everything he does.
March 22, 2019 @ 7:03 pm
If he never makes another country album his contributions to country were still great. Let’s not forget he inspired Chris Stapleton’s “Traveller.” I’ll give a shot to whatever Sturgill releases, no matter the genre. Country is in good hands with guys like Stapleton, Cody Jinks, Brent Cobb, and Tyler Childers. At least he’s being honest about the music he is making.
March 22, 2019 @ 7:27 pm
I don’t care what genre it falls under, I’m just praying that there’s no fucking horns this time.
March 24, 2019 @ 5:39 pm
Yeah,me too. And I’m from New Orleans and love horns.
March 22, 2019 @ 9:10 pm
Sturg is a certified beauty. Top tier bro all around. Best voice of all time.
The fella above named Honky is a tool.
March 22, 2019 @ 9:12 pm
MRH had horns.
March 22, 2019 @ 9:40 pm
Not a fan of a sailors guide to Earth. But as a country fan I do appreciate his honesty unlike FGL or Maren Morris, who either make southern pop, or pure pop. For example why is Be e Rexss Meant to Be country? It isn’t. Record execs do it for a family friendly pop station. Thanks for the article trigger, and thanks Sturgill for your honesty.
March 22, 2019 @ 11:50 pm
Two words: Dwight Yoakam This Time 1993 is imho the most country album released lately that has a chance of covering the bases for what might be considered a ubiquitous country fan base. And the coolest. A quality product from start to finish. Nothing, I repeat, nothing, qualitatively, comes close. Damn Dwight, we hardly even knew you. You picked a fine time to leave us. Just when we needed you most.
March 23, 2019 @ 5:12 am
This is exciting news.
Country music is my favorite genre, but it’s sure not the only genre I enjoy-not by a long shot.
March 23, 2019 @ 7:22 am
These comments are exhausting. Another thank you to Trig for finding the patience and fortitude to deal with all you rude, opinionated pricks.
March 24, 2019 @ 5:42 pm
Hey, we just like country music and those artist who strive to save it. This artist apparently doesn’t. What’s rude and opinionated about that? It’s why we follow this blog.
March 23, 2019 @ 10:00 am
If only more “country” artists, and their labels and management, were this honest. Just admit that you’re going a different direction artistically.
March 23, 2019 @ 10:32 am
Reading the comments, it seems like a bad thing to be a fan of country music. I thought this was a site for people who love country music and want to save it.
March 23, 2019 @ 11:04 am
Too cool for Country music nowadays..
Thanks for the good times Sturgill.
March 23, 2019 @ 12:38 pm
I’ve felt for several years now and certainly after his last album, that he used the revival of traditional country music to launch himself to stardom and move on to other things. That’s fine and dandy, but I’m not interested in his music if it isn’t country. Sailors Guide was good, but one would have to assume the next record will be even less country than that
March 23, 2019 @ 7:08 pm
Reading the comments, I have to wonder if most of the folks here only listen to country music.
Country is my preferred genre but I listen to other genres, too. So, maybe Simpson’s next album is not country, but is still very good, and should not be discounted. Being versatile is not an automatic negative; I am good with it as long as they don’t try to play it off as country when it is not. If it sucks, I won’t listen to it. I’m not going to throw out the good music Simpson has put out in the past. BTW, I really like about 70% of his music and dislike the other 30%. He is sort of spotty for me.
March 24, 2019 @ 11:25 am
This will likely be a bad rock album like Sailor’s Guide. Who cares?
March 25, 2019 @ 3:55 pm
Sturgill’s new album will be Monogenre. That works, because I’m a music fan first.
May 24, 2019 @ 4:21 am
I really like Sturgill. Country stations are ignoring him but despite that we’ve all heard his music. Say what you want about what genre he fits in but I like him a helluva lot more than 75% of the music I hear on this “country pop” slide the music industry is manufacturing these days.