Over the course of his career, Sturgill Simpson has written and released a discography to be proud of. With extraordinary clarity in his cleverly crafted conceptual albums, Simpson explored what he described as five different stages of life. Even receiving a Grammy award for A Sailor’s Guide to Earth, he’s earned respect from fans of many differing walks of life. Although never deservingly celebrated by the “Nashville scene,” that crowd never seemed the right fit for him anyway. As promised, Sturgill kept his word by releasing only five albums under his own name, though with his alias, “Johnny Blue Skies,” fans have already heard one.
In 2024, debut of Johnny Blue Skies, Passage Du Desir, was put out into the world. This project presented themes of new beginnings, deep discovery within his own spirituality, and takes time sitting with simple pleasures like “mint tea.” Where Sturgill’s traditional album structure usually all pointed to one central theme, this new era feels freer, with room to explore multiple ideas within each record. Early this month, a post went up, showing Mr. Blue Skies in the studio, likely recording the next chapter of this journey.
We may not know the title or the release date, but here’s what we can almost certainly expect from his upcoming album:
A Wide Vibe Range
If you’re looking at music from before the 1990s, Sturgill fits the term “country” perfectly. However, today’s radio-obsessed country mainstream doesn’t exactly mesh with artists as thought-provoking and quality-focused as he is. With such an eclectic tool belt of sound, the “outlaw movement” would’ve likely been the perfect home for someone like Simpson. Between his old-school traditional tracks, his ballads, his rock-leaning songs, his bluegrass material, and whatever category you put the horn-driven tracks in, it’s nearly impossible to pin him down to a single genre. Viewed that way, it makes more sense to see him as a genre innovator, picking up where legends like Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and others left off. Artists of that era were known for throwing similar curveballs, like when Willie released Yesterday’s Wine, an album that leaned into an almost ethereal space gospel sound. With a similar creative spirit, Sturgill Simpson has made the same kind of moves throughout his career, moving freely between wildly different styles from song to song and album to album. With that in mind, his next project will likely be just as unpredictable, shifting through multiple styles and moods as each song unfolds.
Nuanced Ideas
It’s never been a surprise to hear Sturgill Simpson’s lyrics that challenge your understanding of life. Whether he’s describing father-son relationships or simple realizations he experienced during drug usage, he’s usually ahead of the curve in one way or the other, like a musical Mr. Miyagi. In Passage Du Desir, there were many examples; singing phrases like “How I wish that happiness left scars too,” and slyly voicing his own understanding by explaining God as a woman. “Jupiter’s Fairie,” was both heartwrenching and reflective, urging listeners to wonder about their own burned bridges. In the track, a story about a past relationship unfolds as Simpson tries to reach out to find closure after years without communication, only to find that his ex-lover had taken their own life. Although it’s impossible to decipher which exact themes will be discussed in his future work, there’s no doubt his writing will remain far away from surface level.
All-in Arrangements
As he’s discussed in podcast appearances and interviews, Sturgill’s music doesn’t always come together the same way, but his band always plays a big role in developing each song. On A Sailor’s Guide to Earth, he brought in standalone lyrics, some melodies, and half-written songs, which came together naturally once they began recording. This approach aids the cohesion of his projects, creating a fluid relationship between the instruments and the vocals. In big, celebratory moments, like the chorus of “Welcome to Earth (Polywog),” and in low, serene songs like their cover of When In Rome’s “The Promise,” each sonic fashion is succinct and specific to the emotion expressed. Between his bluegrass side projects, his studio albums, and Passage Du Desir, Simpson’s tradition of highly collaborative tracking has not been lost and will certainly continue in upcoming releases.
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When contemplating the future of Sturgill Simpson or Johnny Blue Skies, there are only a few near certainties worth holding onto. For one, his next record is almost guaranteed to be anything but a repetition of what came before. Throughout his career, Simpson has shown little interest in playing it safe or revisiting old ground. Every project he has released has felt deliberate and fully realized, never halfhearted.
Because of that, expectations matter less than openness. Whatever direction his next work takes, whether it leans traditional, experimental, or something entirely unexpected, listeners can be confident it will arrive with intention, conviction, and a clear artistic vision. At this point, the only certainty is that Sturgill Simpson will continue to follow his own instincts wherever they may lead.
