For over a decade, country music fans have been indirectly introduced to the now infamous: “Johnny Blue Skies.” Beginning in 2013, Sturgill Simpson embarked on a 5-album journey or in his own words, an “arc.” Following the release of Simpson’s newest project; Passage Du Desir. It seems more than appropriate to revisit the projects that led us here in the wake of a new name, and a fairly new sound.
Starting with the publicly beloved studio album entitled High Top Mountain, Simpson emerged as a lyrical and guitar playing powerhouse. The listener will immediately recognize Simpson’s early bluegrass influences in the very first track “Life Ain’t Fair and the World is Mean,” and this bluegrass theme continues throughout the entire record. Sturgill has said in interviews that 60’s soul and bluegrass music were amongst his first influences, by way of physical copies in the form of 45rpm 7 inch singles. Coming down from the very defined and themed High Top Mountain, the listener is introduced to Metamodern Sounds in Country Music.
For his sophomore album, Simpson dips into a realm we as the listener have not yet heard from him. Metamodern Sounds is widely viewed as a concept album. The title of this project being a nod to Ray Charles’ “Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music,” we see more of Sturgill’s influences across this record. Stretching from the nearly 7-minute heavy and distorted jam that is “It Ain’t all Flowers” to a just shy of 2-minute lighthearted bluegrass feel in “A Little Light.” This album showcases much more of who Simpson is as a songwriter. Not afraid to ruffle feathers with track one, “Turtles all the way Down” is a journey through space and time, past and future, a dance with itself, with no one leading. Often misconceptualized, Sturgill has said in his own words, “that song is about drugs.” Simpson showed in this 2014 project that he is not scared to push the envelope, and take the listener to somewhere they may not be familiar with, and that it’s okay to venture out.
Two years following the release of Metamodern Sounds, the world of country music was graced with the first glimpse of Johnny Blue Skies by name in Simpson’s junior album “A Sailor’s Guide to Earth.” Written as an album dedicated to Simpson’s first born child, this album can easily be viewed as somewhat of a guidebook as to how to navigate one’s life. The first lyrics of Sailor’s Guide are “Hello, my son, welcome to Earth,” giving the listener an immediate idea of what is to come throughout this deep, nautical, and melody based album. The Johnny Blue Skies reference comes only in the art for this record. Upon inspection of the cover art in a physical copy of this album, the viewer can find a map featuring a peg-legged character donning Simpson’s face. Next to the illustration reads “beware of dread pirate Johnny Blue Skies.” Simpson uses new elements in this album that we haven’t heard from him yet before, such as the horn section in “Keep it Between the Lines,” the cover of Nirvana’s “In Bloom,” this is also the first time experiencing an album from Simpson with one single theme throughout. All of Sailor’s Guide is based on a nautical theme; 16th century ship bells, waves crashing, and background sea shanties can be heard throughout. From start to finish, Simpson establishes a guide for his son to live by. From there the listener is led into his chaotic, loud, and abstract 4th studio album: Sound and Fury.
Released in 2019, Sturgill takes the listener on a pedal down, fast and loud journey through Sound and Fury. Found here is a whole different side of Simpson we’ve only heard on very rare occasions such as the back half of “It Ain’t all Flowers.” The listener is transferred into a whirlwind of heavy guitars, prominent drum mixes, and compressed vocals. Sound and Fury has a very distinct tone. Mixes on this album are very abstract and broad. For example, on the second track, “Remember to Breathe,” Simpson adds obscure sounds from a theremin, various synthesizers, and abruptly ends with a somehow seamless transition into track three, “Sing Along.” Sound and Fury was recorded in true stereo, and is a one of a kind experience. This entire project feels designed to make the listener feel uncomfortable, instilling fear and uneasiness. From the depths of Sound and Fury we venture into Simpson’s only album telling a story in linear fashion.
In the years immediately following Sound and Fury, Simpson took some time to put out a bluegrass project. Entitled “Cuttin’ Grass.” This is a 32-song mega album released in two volumes. It includes a large portion of Simpson’s music from the records discussed above, rerecorded in bluegrass fashion. While a very entertaining and unique project, Cuttin’ Grass is not a part of Simpson’s 5-album arc, so we will not be covering that project in this particular reading.
In 2021 Sturgill released “The Ballad of Dood and Juanita,” a heartfelt story told in a bluegrass/western manner. Dood and Juanita bring Simpson back to his early roots. With an acoustic guitar and banjo being the base of the majority of the tunes on this project. This album, from High Top Mountain Records, is bare bones. While minimalistic, this album is a breath of fresh air coming off of Sound and Fury. We as the listener are reminded of why we fell in love with Sturgill’s music in the first place, songwriting. Simpson makes it easy for his listeners to put themselves in the shoes of Dood, sitting tall on his mule, or standing behind his rifle. Naturally, the listener is forced to put themselves in these situations with the characters throughout this story. Listening to “Juanita,” (feat. Willie Nelson & Trigger) the listener feels at peace, a complete contrast to the uneasiness felt in Sound and Fury. Simpson really shows his songwriting chops on this entire project. Not distracted by obscure and abstract tones, it is unavoidable to be surrounded and completely engulfed in the lyrics and composition of this record.
After releasing “The Ballad of Dood and Juanita,” Sturgill suffered a serious vocal cord injury and was forced into hiatus. Throughout his recovery, Simpson lived throughout Europe and Southeast Asia, and spent his time away writing and spending time with his family. In this time, he crafted his latest project, “Passage Du Desir.” Released as Johnny Blue Skies, many of his fans, including myself, were confused, who is JBS? Sturgill has said that Johnny Blue Skies is essentially.. Nobody. The nickname was given to him by a bartender in Kentucky named Dave. Dave wore a trench coat, flipped a zippo, and would regularly refer to Simpson as Johnny Blue Skies. Simpson to this day does not know why.
Simpson said in an interview with Qobuz that he admired Eric Clapton’s Derek and the Dominoes project. Stating he doesn’t believe Clapton would release such a vulnerable album under his own name. Simpson did exactly that, Passage Du Desir is a vulnerable piece, from a man unaware of his next steps in the wake of his vocal injury. In “Scooter Blues,” Simpson makes a remark on being in public saying “when people say ‘are you him?’ I say not anymore.” Solidifying a new era of Sturgill Simpson as Johnny Blue Skies. Simpson also used this name for a production company as Johnny Blue Skies Productions for a Japanese animated project. Simpson states “the paperwork was already done, I own the name.”
Sturgill Simpson, now known as Johnny Blue Skies has been a staple in Americana and country music since his debut album. Starting with the High Top Mountain, commonly compared to the sounds of Ol’ Hoss Waylon Jennings, all the way to his thoughtful and stripped down projects such as the newest in “Passage Du Desir,” Johnny Blue Skies will continue to inspire songwriters and artist for generations to come, no matter what his name may be.