Jamey Johnson On New Music: “I’d Rather Not Get Into That Right Now.”
If you’re waiting for new music from Jamey Johnson, you best not hold your breath. This is what little can be gleaned from the reception a recent interviewer found when talking to Jamey Johnson on the subject, and receiving the answer “I’d rather not get into that right now.”
It has been over six years since Jamey Johnson’s last album of original material—2010’s The Guitar Song—and fans of the once prolific songwriter have moved well past being antsy. In late 2014 there was some positive signs that an impasse with Johnson’s publisher had finally cleared and perhaps we could expect new music soon. Jamey announced the formation of his own label called Big Gassed Records, and later released a Christmas album. Then came the independent release of a couple of singles in early 2015—“Alabama Pines” and “You Can”—both which appeared to have been recorded years previous.
But now there has been nothing for nearly two years, while many of Johnson’s live shows consist mostly of cover songs in the dearth of new material. Johnson has occasionally been writing for others though, namely George Strait, who recorded two Jamey Johnson cowrites on 2015’s Cold Beer Conversation, and will also be including a song on his new box set co-written with Johnson called “Kicked Outta Country.” The title has many wondering if the song will carry a message both the aging country artists can relate to personally.
“We wrote it by text message,” chuckled Johnson when speaking to The Commercial Appeal. “I don’t know if it’s a first for either one of us, but it’s definitely a first for the two of us working that way together. He sent me these lines, and I sent him some lines back. He really liked it and asked what it would sound like, and I said, ‘Well let me put a melody to it and I’ll send it to you.’ And that’s how it came to be.”
George Strait’s new box set Straight Out Of The Box Part 2 is out exclusively via Wal-Mart on November 18th. As for new Jamey Johnson music, it looks like fans will have to wait a little bit longer.
November 11, 2016 @ 8:55 am
Come on, Jamey. Stapleton is cool. Sturgill is even cooler. Whitey Morgan is kickass. But as far as I’m concerned, Jamey Johnson set the standard for traditional, outlaw country music in today’a environment with “That Loneosme Song” and “The Guitar Song.”
November 11, 2016 @ 9:00 am
Bummer. In Gerry House’s book there is a chapter on Jamey that alludes to his motivation. I wonder if it indeed is a lack of motivation or something else. I sure would like some new Jamey Johnson music.
November 11, 2016 @ 7:15 pm
What book is this?
November 11, 2016 @ 7:27 pm
Country Music Broke My Brain, pp. 166-167
November 11, 2016 @ 9:03 am
This doesn’t surprise me much. I once heard he spent months holed up in a room w/o any human contact before he released “Lonesome Song”. Good or bad…He’s a different cat.
November 11, 2016 @ 10:15 am
Let’s face it. We’ve been keeping the man’s career on life support hoping he’ll come out of his metaphorical “no-new-material” coma.
Maybe we should just pull the plug and come to grips with the fact that the man is pretty much done.
I love “That Lonesome Song.” It’s one of my favorite albums.
Love it to bits.
But I just got the new Dale Watson album, and it’s brilliant. (although the guitar part on “Made in Japan” doesn’t do the original justice. the edge (and particularly that unmistakeable bent note are, sadly, missing.))
Jamey Johnson has been eclipsed by people who are hitting the pavement harder, and whole eras of Country Music have come and went since he released his last album.
Maybe he’s just run out of gas.
Am I saying to just give up on him?
No. But sort of like the prospects of a “Redwall” movie, there’s been talk about a new Johnson album for years.
And just like with the prospects of a “Redwall” movie, there are whole articles written about, what amounts to nothing.
He said nothing, and there was no news to cover, except the reaffirmation that there probably isn’t what we were hoping for anyway.
Maybe we just keep getting our hopes up for nothing.
November 11, 2016 @ 11:14 am
I can see your point, but I will say that the rise of guys like Cody Jinks, Jason Eady, and Whitey Morgan (just to name a few) has really helped hide the gap of no new Johnson or Chris Knight material. I’m not expecting any new material from either artist in the immediate future (sadly), but I also admit that I will gladly fork over my money when (if) they get around to releasing new material.
With Johnson my only concern is that as awesome as The Guitar Song and That Lonesome Song were, the two singles he did release last year (You Can and Alabama Pines) were very mediocre.
November 11, 2016 @ 6:22 pm
Haha I love redwall
November 11, 2016 @ 8:08 pm
“Redwall” and “Hee-Haw was my childhood. So needless to say the oft-repeated but never factual rumors of a “Redwall” movie have haunted me.
Don’t suppose you was Acorntail on Deviantart? or a different Jordan?
November 11, 2016 @ 8:38 pm
Yeah I’m not sure what you mean, so probably not. But I did love Redwall and all that Brian Jacques novels.
November 10, 2017 @ 10:46 pm
Maybe he does not want to sell-out playing the record company/producer games.
He is brillant n you have to be pretty simple-minded to think he does not have new music. Just went to his concert last week n he had new music.
Maybe he does want to make videos
n there is nothing wrong with that.
True blue fans do not “move on”you are not dating.
November 11, 2016 @ 2:19 pm
Never was much of a fan of him. The Guitar Song was a bloated mess. Maybe 4 good songs on the entire record.
November 11, 2016 @ 3:36 pm
I disagree it only had 4 good songs on the album, I do agree that it could very easily have lost the “lighter” side of the album. The “dark” side of the album/disc one was where the best stuff was.
November 11, 2016 @ 5:43 pm
No light album and you lose Macon, Thankful for the Rain, and My Way to You. No way you can lose the white album…
November 12, 2016 @ 12:45 pm
I can’t recall hearing a double album from any popular music genre that wouldn’t have been far better and impactful as a single record . I would even include the original 3 disc Woodstock in that observation . I know that’s just a personal opinion and some folks want as much as they can get from their favourite artists . And that’s a good thing for labels . But in these times , in particular , how many more so-so-songs do we need in our lives …whether from a favourite act or a newbie . I think the double -triple -boxed set business is a marketing ploy by many labels/artists to up the price on a release . This stuff is all recorded anyway in order to whittle it down to a solid set . Why not ‘clean house ‘ and throw it ALL on a 15-16 song album …or a double CD ?
November 11, 2016 @ 2:26 pm
I think maybe he became disillusioned with his own career. After all, he’s encountered trouble with his label TWICE, but the only one anybody ever talks about is the most recent. He was dropped from BNA after his major label debut, The Dollar, failed to gain traction in sales. And then he got into it with Mercury and we don’t really know what’s happened. For all we know he might still be under their thumb somehow and not be able to speak about it a la Hank3. Or it could be that he said what he wanted to say, or that he knows his music wouldn’t get supported by radio.
Not to change the subject (and the only reason I don’t email is because this is quicker), but are we getting a Ronnie Dunn review?
November 11, 2016 @ 4:28 pm
This does bite but wasnt really surprised. If he ever did release anything else, would be very difficult to top his last two releases. They were both modern country classics in my opinion. He still draws huge crowds and after seeing him live once, i gained a whole new respect for him. The man stands there with his beard, signatured up guitar, and black t shirt, and plays for over 2 hours singing his heart out. Ill always be a fan but some new music is certainly over due. However, his place in traditionalist history, is permanently etched.
November 11, 2016 @ 8:40 pm
He still makes a solid living touring pretty heavily. Alone he can still draw twice the crowd Jinks and whitey can together (the two best touring playing hardcore country now). I’ve heard from people close to the band that he has two to three albums worth of written material, but not sure what the hold up is. IMO that lonesome song album set the bar for what we are seeing now, and is the best album released in country in the last 20 years. See him live and his voice is stronger than ever, 2.5 hours singing his ass off hardcore true traditional country music.
November 11, 2016 @ 10:51 pm
I’ve seen him twice (plus a guest appearance with Alabama at the Opry)
There’s Waylon, there’s Jamey, then there’s everyone else
November 12, 2016 @ 9:28 am
Either there’s some sort of label holdup going on with already written material, or he can’t find the muse that led him to write and record his last two iconic albums.
If this hiatus means that Jamey isn’t willing to release music arbitrarily, then I fully support his decision.
November 12, 2016 @ 11:11 am
Too bad. His last two original albums were as good as it gets. Unfortunately Isbell, Simpson and Stapleton dont really come close to capturing the spirit of country music like Jamey has. Time will tell. If Lonesome Song dropped today itd sound as fresh as it did on its original release. He set the bar high.
November 12, 2016 @ 12:55 pm
Amen blockman
November 13, 2016 @ 6:14 am
A story of what might have been. Kinda sad that he cares little of those coming to his shows to mostly play covers. That is one thing country singers are great at…..doing a shit ton of cover songs.
November 14, 2016 @ 9:37 am
As the unofficial “official Jamey Johnson #1KYfan,” he is doing exactly what he wants to do! And I love it! I have been to 7 concerts this year and close to 30 overall and every show is perfect to me. In fact, his “I’ll sing what the fu** I want to sing tonight” makes me love him more. And whoever says he is loosing ground has not been to many JJ concerts. Every show is filled with true fans more and more every time it seems who love him just the way he is. The Arlo Guffrey, This land is your land sends chills up my spine every time he sings it!
I too have had the good fortunate to meet Jamey and most of his crew several times and they are the real deal! I love Chris Hennessee, David Blanton, TW, and TC. They show such respect for the fans and the artist they are privilidedged to work with! And let’s not forget Melonie Cannon, an extremely talented artist in her own right and as nice a young lady as an artist. (She is the daughter of the talented Buddy Cannon of Nashville fame)
But again, Jamey is giving me #1KYFan, just what I want! Keep it coming bud!
November 14, 2016 @ 9:13 pm
Huge JJ fan…. Incredible talent. I am certainly disappointed that no new music is coming anytime soon. However, I have seen him 3 times in concert and he puts on a hell of a show. So he’s covering Merle, Waylon, Hank, Strait, Segar, the Possum…. Who gives a sh$t. Still the best damn music you’ll hear…. And JJ sings his ass off. His version of “He stopped loving her today” at the last show (@ the Redneck Country Club) brought the house down.
Until we get some new music, I’m humming to that lonesome song again…
March 19, 2017 @ 8:58 pm
I’d really love to see him make a gospel album. He’s a fantastic gospel artist.