Sturgill Simpson’s Premier of New Song “Sing Along” – UPDATED
This story has been updated.
Sturgill Simpson released a new song and video called “Sing Along” on Tuesday, August 20th at noon Eastern, 11:00 am Central. It’s the first taste of a new album coming this fall called Sound & Fury that will be accompanied by an anime film of the same name to be released on Netflix. A release date of September 27th for the new album and film accompanied the premier, along with the track list for the record (see below).
The Sound & Fury film is said to consist of individual anime segments set against each song on the companion album. Simpson composed the original story for the film, but the film was written and directed by Jumpei Mizusaki, founder of the animation studio Kamikaze Douga.
“We went in without any preconceived notions and came out with a really sleazy, steamy rock n roll record. It’s definitely my most psychedelic. And also my heaviest,” Sturgill Simpson said of the new album in July, which he self-produced. “I had this idea that it’d be really cool to animate some of these songs, and we ended up with a futuristic, dystopian, post-apocalyptic, samurai film.”
Sturgill Simpson fans should not be caught completely off guard about him working an anime film into his latest music project. Simpson struck an affinity for Japanese culture while serving in the Navy for three years, stationed part of that time in Japan. Simpson’s first major video for his song “Railroad of Sin” off his 2013 solo debut High Top Mountain featured footage from trains and train stations in Tokyo.
Sturgill spoke to Zane Lowe about how the record came together for Apple Beats 1 as part of the premier. Here’s a transcript:
Me and the band went into a studio north of Detroit a couple of years ago for about a week and… Well, let me back up. 2017 the Grammys, I guess, we did the Grammys, and I had like a really severe sinus infection which I thought was allergies, and borderline meningitis, and they had to put all this stuff in me so I could go out and sing that night. It was kind of like one of the worst days in my life. So I got stuck out in LA for about three weeks. I couldn’t fly home until I had this sinus surgery and they scraped all my sinus cavities out. So I got to lay out in California for about a month recovering from that. And they gave me all these Percocet and pain pills and stuff that I was not going to go anywhere near.
So I just had my buddy Gino bring me a bunch of like medical strength edibles, and I laid in the bed for about a week just high as giraffe balls, and listening to all my old favorite records I hadn’t listened to in decades. And I just sort of realized, you know, you can be a commodity and just making the same record over and over just to appease people and hope they show up and give a shit, or you can just be a musician. And so the guys in my band and I, we just in the last couple of years doing the things we love, which is being a bunch of music geeks who grew up on classic rock, and hip hop, and country music, and blues, and everything, and throwing that into a big melting pot. And we realized the only way we’re going to get paid is to go play shows, so we might as well make it fun for us, and we made a record that was very fun for us. And then I can not wait to get out on the stage and play with my brothers.
I was kind of in a weird spot when we made that record. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do this anymore because a lot of the business sides of things, and like some heartbreak and betrayal, and just learning things that you already know. Remind yourself that, you know-It is a dirty toxic industry. And I wanted to express a lot of that. And I was listening to a lot of hip-hop, and Black Sabbath, and The Cars, and old funk records and things. And I think… We were in Detroit while we were making the record, and I was sort of writing it in real time and listening to a lot of Eminem. And I was just like, man, this guy gets to talk mad shit. How come we can’t do that?
So I just sat down and wrote a bunch of mad shit talking songs about how fucking awesome we are. And then we recorded it. And then I said, man, this isn’t weird enough. I should probably go to Japan and like get the five most legendary animation directors in history together and get them all drunk and put them to competition to see who can outdo one another and we’ll just animate the whole fucking album. And then that happens and I got the label to pay for it, and then now they want to put a single out. Even though I made a cohesive concept record and a film, we’re putting a song and a cartoon out as a video, which I didn’t want to make. And now I’m talking to Zane Lowe about it. What’s up dog?
At this point, why does this even need to be explained? You know what I mean? It’s like it’s like it’s 1992. You know, back when they made records that had two singles and 10 filler songs. I just can’t understand. From my perspective, as a music fan, the traditional setup and release is just so antiquated. People don’t want to have their balls tickled anymore. Just give them the record. That’s all they want. They don’t want six weeks of lead up. They should come out and say like, “Hey, new record coming this week,” and then just drop the record and give it to them.
Sturgill Simpson’s last record, 2016’s A Sailors Guide to Earth won the Grammy for Country Album of the Year, and was nominated for the all genre Album of the Year. Sound & Fury is being released via Elektra Records, and is now available for pre-order.
Sound & Fury Track List:
SIDE 1:
1. Ronin (Album Version)
2. Remember to Breathe (Album Version)
3. Sing Along (Album Version)
4. A Good Look (Explicit Album Version)
5. Make Art Not Friends (Album Version)
SIDE 2:
6. Best Clockmaker on Mars (Album Version)
7. All Said and Done (Album Version)
8. Last Man Standing (Explicit Album Version)
9. Mercury in Retrograde (Album Version)
10. Fastest Horse in Town (Album Version)
618creekrat
August 20, 2019 @ 12:03 am
So, what’s the point of his “Thank You” video? If one is disappointed with his current direction does that mean you are a deserving foil for his sarcasm?
Regarding the Grammy, so what? If they were going to do that, it should’ve been two or at the least one albums sooner. Just goes to show that the Grammy people can’t tell Country from Americana, either. Guarandamntee it wasn’t the best *Country* album of the year, regardless of how brilliant it was.
Henning
August 20, 2019 @ 5:44 am
I am going out on a limb here, but I am guessing the “Thank You” video, which I found needlessly self-congratulatory, was devised by the record label. I don’t see Sturgill as the type who feels the need to do this, he never struck me as one needy to prove doubters wrong. But he’s also not the type who’d be micro-managing and redlighting every smart-ass label execs idea.
AndrewEsq
August 20, 2019 @ 2:19 pm
Interesting take Henning. I’ve always felt like it’s just the opposite. Sturgill always struck me as a man who’s driven by his perceived enemy, whether that be musical enemies (tired of y’all playing dress up trying to sing them old country songs), political enemies (not going there), critics, etc. That drive, IMO, can be a good or a bad thing depending upon the application. (I always loved the quoted lyrics because they were beautifully combative)
Initially, my perception was that he was fueled by the original “enemy” to very stubbornly make high top mountain in blatant disregard of the trends in country music at the time. His combative and stubborn attitude in making “the most hardcore country album in years” (paraphrased on memory alone), taken in conjunction with his talent and potential, was a very large part of what initially won so many of us over. His promotion of high top mountain seemed to convey a combativeness towards his perceived enemy due to his belief that country music wasn’t being represented very well by what he perceived as pop and rock artists claiming to be country.
At the time, I had just written the modern version of the genre off entirely and was not looking for a champion to “save country music.” However, while I’d never say he claimed he would save country music, he did present himself as combative towards what country music had become and was the first modern artist to truly sell me on the concept that a return to “authentic hardcore traditional” country music was possible. Imho, it was his talent, potential, and choice to present himself as combative towards “bad” country music that thrust him into the admittedly unfair position as potential savior for the entire genre. While an unfair burden, it was one that his vision and combative attitude seems to have encouraged (at least during the transition from Sunday Valley to high top mountain). I think he gained a lot of very invested fans through that initial unwillingness to compromise in making an unapologetically traditional country record.
It is also my perception that his perceived political enemies and perceived enemies in the form of his online critics has, in reality, served to place those fans of his original message in the role as his current perceived enemy. While I certainly understand not wanting to be pigeonholed into a particular lane, I do think it’s worth recognizing that the person that labeled him combatant on behalf of hardcore traditional country music was Sturgill Simpson. Interviews of Lauer (sorry for possible misspelling) being told to “always keep it country” with his playing are amongst the many examples of the combative attitude Sturgill once had towards anything not fitting that hardcore country mold after transitioning into his solo career.
Frankly, being a fan he earned through his original solo message and combative defense of hardcore neotraditional country music, I feel I have since evolved into the new perceived enemy now that his apparent interest in hardcore country has wained. While I don’t know enough about the type of music this new song is to speak in an educated manner regarding how good the anime is or how awesome the fuzz tone may be, I’ll just say it’s once again not for me although I wish him well.
I do however think it’s important to note that it was Sturgill who originally took the position that nothing short of hardcore country would get the job done. I wasn’t looking for a Sturgill Simpson when I found him but, he chose to present a message that sold me on the possibility fixing country, a genre I’d written off as over. Now that I, as a hardcore country fan am the enemy, I find it a little ironic that I’m supposed to take a journey into sludge rock and anime when he was the artist that sold me on the concept that only hardcore country will do.
Perhaps my perception of him was wrong. That’s a real possibility and I don’t dislike him as human being or anything like that. I’m just the kind of country fan you tend to get when you declare war on anything but authentic traditional country music which tends to mean I’m also not all that interested in sludge rock and anime being those things would not be authentic of who I am. Didn’t mean to troll and didn’t want to be the enemy. Just a fan of what he sold me originally and not so much what he’s trying to sell me now. Perceptions can be wrong but, mine was formed from his own words about where he stood. I think I’d understand his apparent position a little better if it could be reconciled more easily with the message that won me over in the first place. Metamodern sounds may be evolution of that original message. This is clearly a departure therefrom.
Brian Moore
August 20, 2019 @ 9:22 pm
I love the new direction because…well, I love rock and roll in most of its forms, but this is a really perceptive (and I think pretty close to correct) comment. Hang on, man. I think he’ll circle back, but you may feel differently about him at that point. His talent is undeniable.
Trigger
August 20, 2019 @ 9:00 am
I don’t know what the point of the Sturgill Simpson “Thank You” video is. But I do know it’s a bad trend in today’s society to seek out negativism in comments to make it seem like things are worse than they actually are. A single commenter doesn’t represent anything but their own opinion. Of course it can be symbolic to a bigger trend, but not always. For example, the comments around Sturgill right now tend to go negative, but the overall reception of him remains very positive. Don’t give grousers and trolls that attention they crave by putting their comments in a video. Starve them by not giving a shit. And for the love of God, Media, stop writing stories solely based off off one or two comments on social media that fit the narrative you want to portray.
Paul
August 20, 2019 @ 2:08 am
I’ve been quite the Sturgill fanboy since I saw him in the intimate show with John Prine in my local arts centre.
I don’t care if his music isn’t strictly country anymore, good music is good music
Crum
August 20, 2019 @ 5:08 am
“good music is good music.”
Hopefully this will be good. More than likely, it’ll disappoint most people who care to comment on this site, and it’ll get written off just like the two Childers singles. I’m excited for it.
Kjell
August 20, 2019 @ 6:47 am
Who the hell is on here bitching about sturgill and “my precious country music” then passes on childers singles before the album. Sometimes you give people an inch and they demand a mile, go somewhere else if new music offends you
Matthew Rutledge
August 20, 2019 @ 5:19 am
Can’t wait
hoptowntiger94
August 20, 2019 @ 6:12 am
I’m 43 and I want to spend the rest of my life listening to country music; my experimental days are in the rearview mirror. I have no interest (other than reading Trig’s review) in this project.
Tex Hex
August 20, 2019 @ 8:10 am
You do you, but sounds like a boring way to live. Plus, how “experimental” will this really be? He said “sleazy rock n’ roll”, not musique concrete.
hoptowntiger94
August 20, 2019 @ 8:36 am
Maybe the anime companion film loses me.
I’m finding love in country music right now and just don’t have the space to stray off of it. My current project is listening (and researching) every Willie Nelson album ever made including live and rare out of prints. I started in June, I have 60+ ranked (I have another 130 to go). I took a break the weekend Tyler Childers and Mike and the Moonpies released their albums. I’m not breaking for this album.
Tex Hex
August 20, 2019 @ 9:04 am
Ok, that’s cool. I did a similar thing with David Bowie a few years ago.
40 right now myself, and the most experimental turn I’ve taken in my music listening in recent years is diving into country music. I’d hardly (really, never) touched it before. Tell me five years ago I’d be listening primarily to country at age 40 and I wouldn’t have believed you, but here I am. Sturgill’s what did it for me with Metamodern. Like you, it suits me at this age. I like the musicality, the stories, the history, and the maturity of it.
That said though, I’d also never imagine myself not having space or time in my life for other music. I’m ready for whatever Sturgill has coming.
Travis
August 20, 2019 @ 11:35 pm
Well that’s where the divide is, those of us that grew up on Merle, Waylon, etc who discovered Sturgill as this “second coming” of those artists, so to speak, compared to his fans that he converted to country that are staunch Sturgill fans. I’m a country music fan first and foremost and an artist’s wants come secondary to me. I’m happy that sturgill is doing what he wants and seems happy with it, but I and many other country purists will listen to other things, fair and square. Like Hoptown, there’s too much country for me to listen to and be fulfilled, to the point I don’t have any interest in following Sturgill into his current whim. I DO like classic rock and metal, but so far for my tastes, Sturgill trying it out sounds like a cover album.
To;dr I’m happy Sturgill is happy but I have no interest in this particular journey of his.
jjazznola
August 21, 2019 @ 9:12 pm
I grew up on Willie, Johnny, Patsy, George, Merle, Loretta etc but also Bowie, Lou, Queen Led Zep, Deep Purple, Prince, PFunk, James, Sly, Dead, Allmans, Miles, Coltrane etc….I just love great music! I am excited to hear this album, especially after seeing the direction that Sturgill was going in after seeing his scotching live show last year. Much more enjoyable than when he was playing just country music. I like the fact he seems to change directions with each album. I’m sure one day he will go back to his roots but until then, rock on Mr Simpson!
Kevin Smith
August 21, 2019 @ 3:39 pm
Hoptown, that genuinely sounds like a fun project. I’ve been in a mode for a while of digging deep into classic country on vinyl and finding the gems that were buried on old albums, perhaps should have been a hit, but never got airplay. Its like gold mining, I guess, sorting out the uncommon from the ordinary. To me, there is so much great country music that has been made, that’s getting forgotton, or lost with time and I genuinely hate that. May do a blog on this whole thing eventually depending on how ambitious I feel. Cool to hear you are exploring Willies catalog. Hes made so many albums, its mindblowing. Ive often wondered how many folks can claim to own all of them!
Kevin Mayfield
August 20, 2019 @ 2:24 pm
My man, you’re 43 and your experimental days are behind you? That’s a little young for that.
I’m 33 and I’m just getting started.
hoptowntiger94
August 21, 2019 @ 5:54 am
When I was 33, I was still going to My Morning Jacket, Foo Fighters, Black Keys, Iggy Pop (my 30s were more open than my 20s). Something the last few years really narrowed my listening habits. Maybe all the specialized stations on Sirius, maybe streaming opened up endless catalogs, maybe I’m more selective with my dollar.
I also realized there’s a lot of country music I haven’t discovered.
LG
August 21, 2019 @ 6:32 am
I was just thinking that “Sing Along” reminds me A LOT of the Black Keys.
Marky Mark
August 22, 2019 @ 5:23 pm
43 and already too rigid and set in your ways to grow and expand your mind? I guess thats cool for you, glad your happy with that. I am 55 and I am still discovering all kinds of new music that I love. I feel sorry for you that your life is already over. Mine is just beginning. I loved Sturgill’s country stuff, and based on the way I’ve heard him play guitar, I can’t wait to hear him rock ‘n’ roll. I love both rock and country equally and I don’t feel the need to pigeonhole an artist.
Koty Queen
August 27, 2019 @ 9:30 am
Because a person decides to focus on a set of music doesn’t mean in any metaphorical sense that their life is over. Just Willie Nelson material alone is enough of a rabbit hole to spend years on and hear something new everyday. The notion that country music is dull or boring is just the same tired old excuse to discredit the genre.
HankThrilliams
August 23, 2019 @ 8:03 pm
I don’t want to hear his druggy Nine Inch Nails grinding music. I don’t care who makes it, I don’t like it and I don’t want to hear it. Shooter Jennings did the same thing for a while; I hated that phase of nonsense. He can do whatever the hell he pleases, but I like how country music sounds and I dislike how this stuff sounds.
North Woods Country
August 20, 2019 @ 7:58 am
I feel kind of bad about it, but I’m just not expecting to like this at all. It doesn’t matter if you can successfully play multiple styles of music. If you’re better at country and bluegrass, you should respect that and not run from it. He can do what he wants. I’ll cross my fingers and hope I’m wrong.
Tex Hex
August 20, 2019 @ 8:02 am
Is that the album cover? Mushroom cloud with a skull in it, and a muscle car speeding through a nuclear wasteland?
Lol, that’s a long way from the sunshine, fluffy clouds, and colorful quilted mountains on the cover of Sturgill’s debut album.
Is Sturgill ok? Like, mentally? Will hold judgement until we hear the music, but I’m getting mid-life crisis vibes from this.
JK
August 20, 2019 @ 9:36 am
Don’t know what I think of this. The instrumentation is a bit too flashy whereas the song itself is kinda thin, but together it sounds good. Worst thing about it is the lyrics:
“Leaves may fall on sleeping ground, but the wind sweeps them away”
Erm – how poetic?
JK
August 20, 2019 @ 9:37 am
Apologies – didn’t realise I was replying to this comment!
GTK
August 20, 2019 @ 5:02 pm
I mean this whole project is absolutely ridiculous. I think you’re taking this a little too seriously. This thing is so rock ‘n’ roll but it’s also so weird and bizarre which seems to be exactly what he was going for. I mean read that track listing. I personally love the direction in which sturgill is going because I love sludgy rock music but he at least some of the time doesn’t seem to take himself to seriously. Remember the Cover art for Metamodern sounds in country music?
Tex Hex
August 21, 2019 @ 8:05 am
I like rock n’ roll. I like ridiculous. I like weird and bizarre. But, coming off a pretty serious, mature, and sentimental album like Sailor’s Guide, this seems like an extreme (if not at least odd) turn.
I see how it seems like Sturgill doesn’t take himself too seriously, on account of the campy album covers, merch, and track titles, but based on his interviews and behavior he seems to be a pretty self-serious guy to me, and fairly self-righteous.
Like a moody teenager who puts up a facade of smug aloofness. Sarcasm instead of sincerity. The constant preemptive defensive commentary about where he fits in country, and how he (supposedly) doesn’t care. The middle finger to the “establishment.” A unicorn t-shirt saying “So Fucking Outlaw” or “Fuck Your Speakers”. That’s a guy who’s thinking a lot about what people think of him (again, I think the comparisons to Kurt Cobain are accurate).
matthew rutledge
August 20, 2019 @ 9:04 am
Ugh. I am a fan of most genres and my taste is pretty eclectic, cant get behind that one!
Benny Lee
August 20, 2019 @ 9:11 am
That was… weird.
The music goes with the video, I guess.
Not a fan of synth sounds. Was hoping to hear some kickass guitar.
Oh well.
Tex Hex
August 20, 2019 @ 9:13 am
Not what I expected, certainly not country, but I dig it. Queens of the Stone Age have been doing this sort of thing for a long time, and they even did the cartoon/anime album cross-promotion thing years ago. Sort of ZZ Top meetings synth-pop vibe. Didn’t Shooter do an entire Giorgio Moroder synth-pop album too?
My only gripe with this right now is that I wish there was more guitar, rather than synthesizer. Yep, Sturgill’s gonna lose a lot of fans with this one.
Crum
August 20, 2019 @ 11:08 am
I like the QOTSA comparison. The more I listen to it the more it grows on me. The synth melody between the chorus and verse is really the only thing keeping me from being all in on the track. Looking back, this isn’t too far off from “It Ain’t All Flowers”, “Brace For Impact”, or “Call to Arms”. Not necessarily my favorite songs, but this sound isn’t entirely new territory for Sturg. I think the interview really adds a lot of insight to the whole concept as well.
“we realized the only way we’re going to get paid is to go play shows, so we might as well make it fun for us, and we made a record that was very fun for us.”
Trigger
August 20, 2019 @ 9:15 am
Article has been updated with release date (September 27th), track list, and video. May have a review for the song coming up. May not.
Tex Hex
August 20, 2019 @ 9:21 am
Lol, how does a country music blog review this track? “It’s got noises, synthesizers, some guitar, some vocals.”
Sturgill wasn’t kidding when he said the next one “ain’t country.”
OMFS88
August 20, 2019 @ 10:26 am
Same reason you are able to read the review of this track on a blog.
Tex Hex
August 20, 2019 @ 1:36 pm
I said “how” not “why”? I was kidding, considering how this track is clearly not a “country” song by most standards.
Shastacatfish
August 20, 2019 @ 2:32 pm
I’d be curious to hear your take on how this is any different than ZBB and Band Perry’s misadventures.
RWP
August 20, 2019 @ 4:03 pm
Great point. It’s way different because he’s Sturgill and God around these parts.
This song is shit. ZBB has put a lot of shit out lately,but this is different because..well, see above.
Trigger
August 20, 2019 @ 6:07 pm
No, it’s way different because Zac Brown and The Band Perry made naked plays for pop music dominance while using country music as a stepping stone, and Sturgill Simpson downed some edibles and decided to make a rock record to flex his creative muscles, likely at the expense of many of his country fans and much of his commercial relevance. Comparing Zac Brown Band and The Band Perry side by side is even an insult to the respective situations.
Maybe I will review the song, maybe I won’t. But quit with the accusations of hypocrisy, especially as I have other people demanding that I no longer should cover Sturgill Simpson at all.
Me
August 20, 2019 @ 9:17 am
Just checked out Sing Along and it works for me. He seems to be a multi-genre master. Looking forward to the full album and whatever he does next.
Will
August 20, 2019 @ 9:20 am
I’ve come to the conclusion that there’s a lot of parallels between Sturgill and Neil Young from an artistic standpoint. They’re going to come back to the “base sound” from time to time, but the overall musical output is going to be all over the place. Albums like Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, Tonight’s The Night, Harvest, and On The Beach stay in my rotation for life and there’s a ton of Neil’s stuff like Trans, Arc, Re-Ac-Tor, and Le Noise that never make through the first listen. Then there’s the stuff totally out of left field like the blues of This Note’s For You or the rockabilly of Everybody’s Rockin’. As a fan of country and roots sounds, I’ll always be interested in what’s Sturgill’s got cooking up but I realize that it might not be my cup of tea.
Koozie
August 20, 2019 @ 9:21 am
I’m fairly certain this song was in Thor: Ragnarok.
That’s not a compliment.
Jack Young
August 20, 2019 @ 9:22 am
I was hoping for a sound similar to his recent live shows, specifically some badass guitar from Sturgill. That was just weird…I hope the entire album doesn’t sound like that. I have a pretty diverse music taste but I can’t really get into that sound at all.
Jack Young
August 20, 2019 @ 9:28 am
That being said, I will still look forward to everything Sturgill does in the future, and it’s silly to get mad at an artist for making the art he wants to make.
It’s also silly to get mad at Saving Country Music for covering Sturgill. Y’all need to chill.
Bill Goodman
August 20, 2019 @ 2:59 pm
Something tells me you won’t like this album then.
JF
August 20, 2019 @ 9:25 am
This is a dance track. Don’t let the Sturgill’s name fool you. This is dance music. Seriously dude, WTF????
At some point don’t we have to give up the ghost on this guy? Have a great career Sturgill. Do your thing. But don’t look to the country music community for support. Nothing wrong with that. But you have obviously moved on. Good luck.
pmull14
August 20, 2019 @ 9:59 am
The second half of your comment is spot on. I’m done with the coverage in country avenues, at least in Sturgill’s current form. As a musician he’s obviously free to make whatever sound he wants but it doesn’t mean country fans/critics have to still track the releases on his self-proclaimed non-country projects when he’s shown this is more than just a one-off.
Sturgill has demonstrated his ability to release great country music. If/when he goes back to that or even says he’s going to, let me know and I’ll welcome any and all coverage.
Trigger
August 20, 2019 @ 10:33 am
I can’t speak for other country music outlets, but I can for Saving Country Music.
I was the first guy to ever write or cover Sturgill Simpson in any capacity. Not a brag, just a truth. I’ve covered the entirety of his career, from when nobody knew about him in Sunday Valley, all the way up to him competing for Album of the Year Grammy honors right beside Beyonce, Adele, Drake, and Justin Bieber. Through that time I put whatever effort I could behind warning the world he was going to going to be HUGE, even when he was still struggling to fill clubs, and it was a prediction that came true. In 2012, Strugill Simpson drove his blue Chevy conversion van (known affectionately as the “Death Star”) all the way from Nashville to play a SXSW showcase I helped put together for (virtually) free with no other shows booked around it, because of all the effort and support I had put behind his career. It was the very last show Sunday Valley ever played, and the very first show Sturgill SImpson played as a solo performer.
I’m not telling you this to explain that I am in Sturgill Simpson’s back pocket. I have been critical of him, and his move away from country over the last few years. That said, I started covering Sturgill Simpson at the very very beginning, and I am going to continue to cover him regardless of where his career path leads. Yes, since this is not a country record, it will probably receive less coverage here than a country release. But Sturgill Simpson still has very strong ties to the country music industry. He produced the very country record Tyler Childers just released. He is likely to produce other country records. And he’s likely to release more country music himself.
I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t disappointed that Sturgill Simpson isn’t making country at the moment. But that doesn’t mean his story doesn’t deserve to be continued to be told here. I can’t speak for other country outlets, but for me, there is a very specific history with Sturgill which compels me to tell his story regardless of what he does, especially when I have a strong feeling (and Sturgill has said himself), that story will include country music in the future.
pmull14
August 20, 2019 @ 11:32 am
That’s all fair. I understand the connection and investment that you have in his career. And ultimately, this is your platform and your craft so you should write about what you want.
If he gains new fans through these projects and then later exposes them to quality country music, then it’s a long term win. Until then, I think the over saturation with his non-country efforts will continue to lead to the dwindling of his fans one by one. My selfish hope as a country music consumer is that outlets spend their extra few minutes focusing on finding the next Sturgill and other up-and-coming country artists instead of one veering off to a path that leads to the outlets and most country fans being disappointed by the current product.
Blockman
August 20, 2019 @ 12:29 pm
This is why you’re number one Trig
Sturgill_Jennings77
August 20, 2019 @ 12:48 pm
Trigger you seem like someone that goes out of their way to always pat yourself on the back and you try so hard to get recognition on shit that nobody cares about except for yourself. You want to try and leave your mark somewhere in the history of country music but no one knows or cares who you even are and the few people who do know of you laugh at you behind your back. Sorry but I just tell it how it really is
Billy Wayne Ruddick
August 20, 2019 @ 1:04 pm
LMAO!!! That’s funny….because it is so ridiculous.
Brian
August 20, 2019 @ 9:29 pm
You seem to be a very bitter person
MH
August 21, 2019 @ 6:13 am
“Sorry but I just tell it how it really is.”
Then tell us your real name, bud.
Travis
August 21, 2019 @ 6:51 am
Ha. Not saying that Trig is trying to leave an impression on the history of country music but he is leaving behind hundreds, if not thousands, of well written articles that will be an archive for the future while Sturgill Jennings 77 is leaving behind comments that make him look like a retard. Well done SJ77!
Rusty
August 21, 2019 @ 5:25 pm
I’m not a Trigger fanboy by any means, but what you say is absurd. I had written off country music for many years until I found this website. Because of this website I have discovered many country artists that I would never have known existed. I have had some of the best experiences of my life at the concerts of a few of the artists that I have discovered here. Nights that are burned in my mind forever, that I will never forget, all because of Trigger, so yes, i would say that he has left behind a legacy.
Marfa
August 20, 2019 @ 11:05 am
A. I’m not a big fan of this song. Dance music? I think it sounds like the Black Keys and maybe a little overproduced.
B. I don’t think Sturgill’s looking to the “country music community” for support, he’s probably just looking for the people that like his music. If this isn’t for you, that’s fine.
RD
August 20, 2019 @ 9:26 am
Sounds like a track that wasn’t good enough to be on Black Ribbons.
Tony Kepuska
August 20, 2019 @ 9:37 am
guys, there are some people(artists) from rural areas that understand country music AND like to explore things musically other than Jason Aldeans guitar crunch or Luke Combs acoustic guitar..this does a great job of being a country song that can hold its own in 2019..and that is a Moog synthesizer that doesn’t play itself.if it was easy to play there would be 500 guys with beards in every town with one.
Benny Lee
August 20, 2019 @ 10:15 am
You’re trolling, right? Because there’s nothing even remotely country about this song.
Your point about synth is hysterical. Regardless of the skill required to wield its powers, I can’t think of an instrument that would be more out of place in actual country music.
Also, we don’t give a shit about Aldean. He’s trash.
Sturgill can make whatever music he wants, and we’re all free to like or dislike at our leisure.
But that ain’t country.
Tony Kepuska
August 20, 2019 @ 10:21 am
so if Country is that tight on its rules about its instruments, then it is truly the shit genre that requires 4 awards show a year(to hand out participation trophies) that the other genres laugh at
Benny Lee
August 20, 2019 @ 12:00 pm
What kind of instrumentation defines country music? https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/country%20music
Other genres have always made fun of country music, mostly because they don’t care about what makes country music different and special.
Dog-and-pony, industry insider award shows have nothing to do with it.
“Synthesizers are used in genres such as pop, hip hop, metal, rock, dance, and contemporary classical music.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthesizer
Also, from this very website: https://www.savingcountrymusic.com/no-keith-urban-synth-and-drums-tracks-are-not-like-strings-and-chorus/
As for this new Sturgill song, I was expecting it to not be country. Heck, Sturgill himself said it wasn’t going to be country. Is he lying about his own music?
https://www.savingcountrymusic.com/sturgill-simpson-on-new-album-its-definitely-not-a-country-record/
I will say Sturgill’s new song is done well for what it is. It certainly goes with the video. Maybe the rest of the album will do different things, and this song will fit in nicely?
Tony Kepuska
August 20, 2019 @ 4:29 pm
some people are actually artists who don’t keep a Webster’s dictionary around to check to make sure they’re following genre rules, nice try,Ben
Benny Lee
August 21, 2019 @ 7:20 am
I already said Sturgill is free to make whatever music he wants, and we are all free to like it or not like it for what it is.
Heck, I’m still going to check out the full album, even though I’m half expecting it to be outside the realm of any kind of music I’d be interesting in listening to, because, as you say, Sturgill is a real, talented artist.
I’m just calling out your incorrect statement that this song should be labeled country. It’s not country in the slightest, and I provided evidence for that beyond simply my own opinion.
Artists make art, and often ignore labels. We seem to agree on that.
But consumers of art label it. It’s what humans do with everything.
It’s ok that this song is not country. But it’s wrong to label it as country.
scott
August 20, 2019 @ 9:43 am
I remember him saying something to the effect of “with this voice, anything I sing will sound country”. Wrong…
Tex Hex
August 20, 2019 @ 10:02 am
I don’t think he said that, but it’s been said and repeated here a few times. I said it myself earlier this year.
Sturgill’s been pretty forthright about his mindset and musical intentions lately. Let’s not act too surprised. It’s like when your parents said you ain’t getting that expensive bmx bike for xmas, but you get mad on xmas morning anyway when you realize they weren’t kidding.
Trigger
August 20, 2019 @ 10:18 am
Sturgill did say that in March of 2016.
Here’s the full quote:
““Some people will say, and have said, that I’m trying to run from country, but I’m never going to make anything other than a country record. As soon as I open my mouth, it’s going to be a country song. . . but it doesn’t make the think pieces any less amusing.”
You can read more about it here:
https://www.savingcountrymusic.com/sturgill-simpson-im-never-going-to-make-anything-other-than-a-country-record/
That said, I think when Sturgill said that back in 2016, he believed it. But things changed. It’s like when the media goes back and finds a quote from some politician from years ago, and then tries to present them as a hypocrite. People change their minds all the time, and it doesn’t have to be the sign of character weakness. Sometimes it’s just the sign of an evolving mindset. I definitely wouldn’t call this a country song, but as Tony Kepulska said above, there is a country song here buried beneath the production. That doesn’t mean that as a country fan, you have to like this development though. This is a complex situation.
Tex Hex
August 20, 2019 @ 10:37 am
I stand corrected. Thanks for that.
The more I listen to this track, the more I think the primary influences are ZZ Top and French synthwave artist Carpenter Brut. Google/YouTube/Spotify the latter and you’ll know what I mean.
scott
August 20, 2019 @ 10:48 am
Thanks for the exact quote, Trigger. Knew I wasn’t crazy.
Jay
August 26, 2019 @ 9:28 pm
I would argue that you could lift the vocal track from this song, unchanged, and put down some traditional country instrumentation behind it and it would be country gold. Bothe thw lyrics and the cadence of the vocals are 100% country IMO. Sturgill’s statement stands.
Will
August 20, 2019 @ 9:47 am
The other thing to keep in mind is that an anime movie’s soundtrack ain’t gonna sound straight out of Breathitt County, Kentucky. I’m really curious to hear what the next music project that’s made for music’s sake sounds like. Think I’m a hard pass on this, but I can’t begrudge someone pursuing avenues that interest him.
Travis
August 20, 2019 @ 9:57 am
This song feels to same to me as when Burger King needs a new idea for a menu item so they start making tacos. I like Burger King and I like tacos, but Burger King your tacos aren’t good.
Tex Hex
August 20, 2019 @ 10:05 am
However, I tried Taco Bell’s “nacho fries” recently and goddamn they were good. Sometimes things need to be spiced up a bit. I dig this song and I’m eager to hear the rest of the album.
i picked this name
August 20, 2019 @ 9:59 am
I’m digging this, I like the vibe of the song and the video was fun. I’m excited to hear the rest of it.
Mark M
August 20, 2019 @ 10:02 am
I feel like the center part of Sturgill Simpson fan and Anime fan is very small but I’d fall in the category.
Sign me the fuck up.
Cameron
August 20, 2019 @ 4:17 pm
The song lyrics have nothing to do with the video though?
Trigger
August 20, 2019 @ 10:10 am
Just updated the story with a transcript of the interview Sturgill gave to Zane Lowe about the song and album.
Brian
August 20, 2019 @ 10:14 am
I actually really like the song for the most part and the lyrics. One thing that is glaring to me is the sound and how it seems especially made for an anime series. Based on the sound of this song, it almost feels like the series was completed first and then maybe the sound was adjusted to fit with the style expected and liked by a lot of anime enthusiasts. If the album is like this, it is less like a new album and more like Sturgill wrote an album to accompany a TV show. It is hard for me to believe that he wrote an entire album of songs with this sound and then they just decided to turn it into an anime series, the sound is too perfect for that. I will listen to it all first and I may like all the songs a lot, but it still feels to me like this is Sturgill writing a soundtrack, instead of a stand-alone album.
Bear
August 20, 2019 @ 10:54 am
“At this point, why does this even need to be explained? You know what I mean? It’s like it’s like it’s 1992. You know, back when they made records that had two singles and 10 filler songs. I just can’t understand. From my perspective, as a music fan, the traditional setup and release is just so antiquated. People don’t want to have their balls tickled anymore. Just give them the record. That’s all they want. They don’t want six weeks of lead up. They should come out and say like, “Hey, new record coming this week,” and then just drop the record and give it to them.”
I agree with this but for it is like the late 1990s (the TRL MTV era). And most of the biggest pop stars today release more filler than killer. And yeah just drop the bloody album. Like get in the studio finish the record first then drop it or the singles don’t trickle it all out. Ugh.
Hammo
August 20, 2019 @ 8:09 pm
Yep. Pre-releases and EP’s or whatever they’re called…I don’t care for it. Hit me with the whole damn album at once please.
Gina
August 20, 2019 @ 10:15 am
I like it. It reminds me of Power Station, which I like, being an 80s kid. I trust Sturgill’s instincts so I preordered it. I’m not straight county, I listen to almost everything. So I’m stoked about it.
Gena R.
August 20, 2019 @ 12:14 pm
I was thinking “Legs”-era ZZ Top, but yeah, I like it too. 🙂
Gina
August 20, 2019 @ 10:18 am
I like it. It reminds me of Power Station, which I dig, being an 80s kid. I’m not straight country and neither is Sturgill so I’m all good with it.
OlaR
August 20, 2019 @ 10:20 am
Well…
…lol.
Pure country gold!
The Sturgill Simpson fanboys & girls will eat it up anyway.
KT
August 20, 2019 @ 10:21 am
Love this site, but really don’t understand how certain people get passes for music like this when others don’t. This sounds exactly the same to me as the EDM crap that Zac Brown put out.. The same people who are listening to this song because “Sturgill Simpson” put it out are the same ones who hate ZBB for the stuff they do. For the record, I think both really suck.
scott
August 20, 2019 @ 10:34 am
You speak a lot of truth, KT.
Trigger
August 20, 2019 @ 10:38 am
KT,
First, I haven’t reviewed this song. I’m simply conveying the news about it. I heard this song when everyone else did.
Second, there is a huge difference between Zac Brown releasing an EDM song through the country industry and calling it country, and Sturgill Simpson saying outright “It’s definitely not a country record” and not trying to pass it off as such. There’s nothing wrong with other music that is not country. What’s wrong is when you call something country that isn’t.
Crum
August 20, 2019 @ 10:41 am
I think the difference is that ZBB is grasping at straws to stay relevant, while still still trying to market themselves as a country act, whereas Sturgill seems to be putting his best foot forward, whether country fans like it or not. And in his defense, he’s never once said this is a country album.
Adam Gump
August 20, 2019 @ 10:56 am
like Trigger said, Sturgill IS very much connected to country music right now! Even though this song is not country! Hell he produced the Tyler Childers album, again, as Trigger said. Just because a song is not country doesn’t mean we should poop on the artist, there is a lot of country in Sturgill and a great reason to stay connected to him.Trigger would be wrong to not mention Sturgill news. If you do not like change or wide perspectives than turn on country music radio…..it will be blah for you and all the same.
North Woods Country
August 20, 2019 @ 10:31 am
You can look at that song from any angle and come to the same conclusion–it sucks. It’s an audio mess. It’s the musical equivalent of an interstate pile up.
I’m still going to pre-order Sound and Fury just to support an artist I respect, but dear lord.
Tex Hex
August 20, 2019 @ 12:53 pm
Why pre-order an album if you hate the single that much, knowing the rest will probably sound similar? I get that you respect the artist, as most of us do, but vote with your dollars. If you like it, buy it. If you hate it, don’t.
I never understood the concept of “pre-ordering” an album anyway, unless it’s limited edition or something. You can preview most albums and buy digitally on release day, and in most cases you get your physical order on release day from Amazon, vs. a week or more later from the artist/label (shipping on release day, not delivery on release day).
North Woods Country
August 20, 2019 @ 4:07 pm
I like owning complete discographies, even if that means there are a few duds in there.
Tex Hex
August 20, 2019 @ 4:32 pm
I’m giving you a hard time, but I can relate. I was guilty of this for ages, buying every new album from artists I once loved but barely liked anymore, trying to “support”.
Still guilty, in some cases, but I stick to digital downloads now, so at least I’m not accumulating physical stuff I’ll have to get rid of later.
Andrew
August 20, 2019 @ 10:32 am
I am an avowed part of the country music community and I am all the way here for this. Read the interview, listen to the song without baggage, and it’s a jam. Also he doesn’t make it sound like a permanent left turn – more like a detour. He’ll be back to country before too long.
Jack Williams
August 20, 2019 @ 10:37 am
This sounds exactly the same to me as the EDM crap that Zac Brown put out..
No, not EDM. It’s rock and roll. I like rock and roll and I don’t like EDM.
Trigger
August 20, 2019 @ 6:09 pm
Yeah, if you’re calling this EDM, you don’t know what EDM is.
Toddxolsen
August 20, 2019 @ 6:10 pm
It ain’t EDM but it sure as shit ain’t rock n roll. Sounds like Marilyn Manson or NIN crap to me.
Jack Williams
August 21, 2019 @ 5:41 am
Marilynn Manson or NIN? I don’t know where you’re coming from there. I’d say more like Eliminator era ZZ Top or more recent Black Keys.
Jack Williams
August 21, 2019 @ 8:46 am
Or maybe ELO. Don’t Bring Me Down just popped into my head.
Bear
August 20, 2019 @ 10:39 am
I like it. I think it’s too heavy for the hipsters though. Honestly I’m not sure who will like it if they were not already on board with him from the first record. I’m sure first week sales will be decent and the stans who are into Japanese animation will wet themselves (which will be annoying for a while) but long term I think it just be a great album that doesn’t make the make like Sailor’s Guide To Earth in the eyes of most of the public.
And I don’t care that it’s not country Ray Charles hopped genres lots do. I like that it’s fizzed out and kicks ass.
dukeroberts
August 20, 2019 @ 10:52 am
Not a fan.
Mack McKenzie
August 20, 2019 @ 10:54 am
I dig it. I can always appreciate when an artists vision extended beyond the music. Cover, Promo, etc, and in this case well into the video space. I think a lot of folks will simply be hung up on the production, and that will be where they stop. Atypical instrumentation tends to lose a lot of folks, sadly. If this single was stripped of the production, and it was just Stu with his guitar, I bet most of the negative receptions would go away. If you listen to it in it’s simplest form, his lyrics, voice, and musical progression, this is still very much a Sturgill type track. After that just enjoy the unique production on top of that foundation for what it is, which some may not like, but it’s interesting, and in my opinion refreshing.
matthew rutledge
August 20, 2019 @ 11:39 am
well put Mack!
63Guild
August 20, 2019 @ 11:44 am
I’m a fan, Sturgill never said this was going to be country, I went in with those expectations and it worked for me. The video was cool because at the end it reveals that main character (I’m guessing) movie focuses on is actually female which I didnt see coming. Honestly I think Stu probably did the “dead dont die” which is country, as a way to throw a bone to the those who want that version of him now.
Bunch
August 20, 2019 @ 11:51 am
I’m not gonna comment on the song, but rather the quote from Sturgill. As a hip-hop fan, I’m very disheartened to hear he was listening to and enjoying Eminem’s music. Nothing good will come of that.
The Original WTF Guy
August 20, 2019 @ 11:58 am
I dig it, although I think he misses with the synth. You can’t make a “sleazy, steamy rock n roll record” with a synth on it. Guitar, my man.
Tex Hex
August 20, 2019 @ 12:17 pm
ZZ Top’s Eliminator, a “sleazy, steamy rock n’ roll” record by any standard, has lots of synth on it. In fact, “Sing Along” sounds like a contemporary take on something that could’ve come off Eliminator.
Jayson
August 20, 2019 @ 12:05 pm
I’m 50/50 on this track, but pre ordered anyway. I think it will be more coherent when the album is heard in its entirety. I understand if it’s not for everyone, hell I’m not sure it’s for me.
wayne
August 20, 2019 @ 12:12 pm
Glad for another Sturgill post. I was beginning to worry. Meanwhile, what else is happening in country music?
Tex Hex
August 20, 2019 @ 12:38 pm
You’ve seen the rest of the blog right? Thirteen articles/items about country music in the last week and one of ’em is about Sturgill Simpson.
Can we stop with these dumb ass posts already?
TheKillerRocksOn
August 20, 2019 @ 2:54 pm
cmon Tex.,. Ive turned this site into a drinking game., how many articles can Trig work Sturgill into.? My liver has lost it’s sense of humor at this point…..
Jack Williams
August 21, 2019 @ 5:05 am
That would be four drinks in the last month.
wayne
August 20, 2019 @ 5:41 pm
You are correct. And Miranda was one of them. Meanwhile, what else is happening in country music?
Jack Williams
August 21, 2019 @ 5:29 am
Well, let’s see. Looking at the first page, I see there are articles on Stoney LaRue, Tracy Lawrence, Randy Travis, Willie Nelson, and Riley Green. There’s a couple on Tyler Childers, but you’re OK with that, right?
I was glad to read in one of Trigger’s posts above that he has declared that he will continue to cover Sturgill Simpson no matter what direction Sturgill goes in and that his main reason for that was that he was the first to ever cover the man. Even if Sturgill goes in a direction that I have no interest in (that hasn’t happened yet, although I do strongly prefer his first two albums), I would still be interested to read what Trigger has to say about it. I am grateful that he turned me on to him way back then and I was able get in on the music fan ground floor, as it were. And if the day ever came that he stopped covering Sturgill in reaction to all these bitchy complaints, that would be the day that the inmates had taken over the asylum.
Hammo
August 20, 2019 @ 8:21 pm
Trigg’s got a ton of new articles out there…check em out Wayno!
P.S…If you’re not a Sturg guy, you can skip right over the articles about him.
Blockman
August 20, 2019 @ 12:25 pm
Unlistenable. Put this in your next video!
Ryan
August 20, 2019 @ 12:47 pm
Best Clockmaker on Mars has to be a Watchmen reference?
Tex Hex
August 20, 2019 @ 1:04 pm
Was thinking that too. That seals it. Sturgill is a nerd. He also had the Star Wars “rebel” insignia on his guitar during his SNL performance.
I bet he’s got a Watchmen smiley-face poster, an Akira poster, a life-size storm trooper mannequin, and a couple samurai swords on a shelf in his bedroom. Dork.
Me
August 20, 2019 @ 1:34 pm
In Sturgill Simpson t-shirt news (remember the “So Fucking Outlaw” tee?) his newest one says “Fuck Your Speakers”.
Tex Hex
August 20, 2019 @ 1:54 pm
“Fuck. Yo. Speakers.”
Sturgill going Rick James on us.
Warthog
August 20, 2019 @ 1:41 pm
I dig it. Sounds like somebody ripped the vocal out of an outlaw country song and put it on top of a heavy indie/electronic rock track. Never thought I’d think that would work, but here we are.
Chris
August 20, 2019 @ 1:46 pm
I quite liked it – I love Sturgill’s voice on anything – but it’s not really the sort of music I’m massively interested in. I enjoyed the video, even though anime isn’t my style.
Mitch
August 20, 2019 @ 1:54 pm
OK OK You got me Sturg!.. It’s my Bday. Funny joke. Got me good. Now please release Metamodern Volume 2
Jack
August 20, 2019 @ 2:01 pm
“I don’t want to be in the music business, I’m just going to be in the Sturgill business”
1:37:08
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0IqNaE513w
Sean
August 20, 2019 @ 2:12 pm
Pre ordered without hearing a note. Thanks Trig!
Cameron
August 20, 2019 @ 4:05 pm
“Sleazy steamy rock record”
Lol ok Sturgill. The song isn’t good.
Stephen Alford
August 20, 2019 @ 5:15 pm
I dont think Sturg can do any wrong no matter what he does.What better way to promote your music to new fans than put it in a movie or in this case an Anime film that has huge worldwide appeal.Sturgill Simpson has the vision of a very experienced sailor😊Hes a Musical Genius!
Kevin Davis
August 20, 2019 @ 6:10 pm
I just listened/watched the “Sing Along” video. That was bad. Not utterly terrible but pretty bad. The opposite of enjoyable. It reminded me of Pearl Jam’s 2000 album Binaural, the beginning of Pearl Jam’s mediocre period.
Corncaster
August 20, 2019 @ 6:17 pm
It’s both boring and pretentious, which is kind of impressive. He’s after that sweet video game money and will have some success. I guess it’s a livin’.
Cameron
August 20, 2019 @ 6:47 pm
“Boring and pretentious”
Exactly
Therhodeo
August 20, 2019 @ 6:43 pm
He needs to spend a bit less time “high as giraffe balls” or at least work with Pfizer on a drug for people with their head up their own ass.
Shux
August 20, 2019 @ 7:31 pm
I love it! No, it’s not a traditional country song. But, it’s better than any of the crap I have heard on the radio recently. At least he and his band mates are doing their own thing and not playing puppets to the execs. After hearing and seeing “Sing Along” I am excited to hear and see the new album.
Kevin Davis
August 20, 2019 @ 8:28 pm
Well, of course, no one is comparing this to “traditional country.” That’s not the point, except to say that Sturgill was pretty damn good when he was closer to “traditional country.” The question now is whether it’s actually good. It’s not. It’s not good. This is not good. Whatever we call it — I’d say “alt-rock” — it’s not good. The Sturgill fanatics will continue to delude themselves about his supposed “genius,” but the fact remains that this is not good.
Jackie Treehorn
August 20, 2019 @ 8:07 pm
I find that I can’t roll my eyes fast enough at the mere mention of sturgil Simpsons name. This “project” and him and go suck a fat one.
wayne
August 20, 2019 @ 8:35 pm
A little tongue-in-cheek comments just to arouse the Sturgill Stooges. Yes, Trig has many great articles, rants notwithstanding.
Meanwhile, did you hear that Dwight Yoakam and Larry Gatlin are being inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame?
Jack Williams
August 21, 2019 @ 5:33 am
Why yes, I have heard that.
https://www.savingcountrymusic.com/dwight-yoakam-leads-nashville-songwriters-hall-of-fame-inductees/
Marianne
August 20, 2019 @ 8:52 pm
I’m disappointed that it didn’t turn out to be a double album as many of us assumed. I’m loving this release but it’s a bit heavy on the synth for me and probably won’t end up being my favorite track. Record companies like to release the track that shows the grestest departure from the norm, which can be a disservice if it ends up being totally unrepresentative of the whole. When has Sturgill ever made a record that sounds the same start to finish? That would be boring. I mean, JD Wilkes plays blues harp on here somewhere. So I am waiting to hear the entire album as the artist intended, but in the meantime rewatching this and discovering something new each time and enjoying the hell out of it. There’s a lot of energy in there. And it makes for great driving music.
Lori
August 21, 2019 @ 12:30 pm
Amen
John Montesi
August 20, 2019 @ 10:13 pm
I remember when ‘A Sailor’s Guite to Earth’ came out and I was worried that we’d lost Sturgill. Now I put that damn album on my record player and play it loud and just stare at the speakers the entire time. It’s a work of genius that took a bit of time to unpack. I was admittedly somewhat more concerned with the “if that ain’t country” narrative then than I am now, but my bigger problem here is that this single isn’t a rock song, either. At least not rock like I listen to. I get the sleazy pastiche ZZ Top thing because of the pulsating synth, but those have to be some of my least favorite sounds to have ever been mixed into music. La Grange is quite a different song from Legs.
It’s not a genre thing for me, and I am certain it’s the same for many others in the comments section and on this site otherwise. However, it’s a real bummer that now when I go see Sturg live, I’ll have to stand through all of these songs. I will reserve full judgment til the album drops, but the whole ‘vibe’ of the anime video and sound of the song when I close my eyes and listen again is just not something that I will put on a record player and stare at the wall and reflect on my mistakes and spend the next fifteen trying to figure out what the hell I did that for.
More than being the arbiter of “country” (which is a zero sum game that DAC outlined for us many years ago), I’m here wanting to be stoked for a new record from one of my all-time favorite musicians and just ultimately worried that I won’t be able to listen to it more than one time. It’s not that I want anyone to make the same record over and over, but I like to hope that I will at least be able to follow the artists I respect and admire along their journeys through inspiration and creative output. I don’t think I’m following on this one. And I’m bummed.
Hamfist
August 20, 2019 @ 10:53 pm
Honestly, I like the song. Reminds me a bit of Queens of the Stone Age. Now, its not country one bit, but I dig it.
Big Pete
August 21, 2019 @ 3:17 am
This is just bland and boring to me. Sturgill’s first two albums where amazing, but then it feels like he dropped ball and now sounds like early lcd soundsystem. I wouldn’t nessecearly call this bad, but i wouldn’t call it country neither.
CountryBoyBrew
August 21, 2019 @ 4:52 am
The song sounds to me like something from Shooter’s Hierophant Black Ribbons. Reminds me of ‘Don’t Feed the Animals’ or ‘Summer of Rage’. Also it’s like the Fenixon album he finally released during Record Store Day a few years ago. Where he put Waylon’s vocals over those industrial tracks. For fans of outlaw country and 90’s industrial rock. I’m not sure how many crossover fans exist, but I’m into it.
Mike Hopkins
August 21, 2019 @ 5:25 am
Love the RL Burnside feel to this thing. I think the Neil Young comparison is an apt one, he’s gonna do what he’s gonna do and you can hop on and off the bus as it suits you.
Aaron
August 21, 2019 @ 6:25 am
Aside from the “OMG IT’S NOT COUNTRY” comments, here’s what I think about the song.
It’s meh. It’s not particularly interesting as a hard-rock or psychedelic rock tune. However, Stu is pretty clear that he wrote this album entirely with the idea of making something that will be fun to perform. There is enough space in that tune for jamming and exploration that I’m really, really excited to see them on tour.
He’s an amazing performer and a gifted musician, and he’s got a knack for always finding gold in his band. They are going to absolutely KILL this tune live, and if the tour is nothing other than clips of the movie playing while they do ten minute fuzzy distorted heavy trip versions of tunes like this, it’s going to be a must-see.
Billy Wayne Ruddick
August 21, 2019 @ 9:00 am
That’s my feeling as well. I don’t think this album will make it into my regular rotation (although this is only one track), but I can respect it for what it is. But most importantly, this stuff is going to be pretty cool as a live show.
Oyster Boy
August 21, 2019 @ 6:55 am
I went back and listened to it again this morning. It still doesn’t tickle my balls. Can’t wait for the glowing review.
Horns4lyfe
August 21, 2019 @ 7:04 am
I’m glad Sturgill has some creative freedom, but this is just uninteresting. Whatever this song is trying do do, there are lots of bands out there doing it better; queens of the Stone Age, black keys, every jack white project, etc. I hope the rest of the album is better, I’ll pass on a mediocre rock album in a sea of them.
Kevin Smith
August 21, 2019 @ 7:51 am
Couple thoughts. It’s not for me, but I knew before this track released, I would likely hate it. Wife said “it sounds like Black Keys” . I said, don’t insult Dan Auerbach! But in fairness, consider Stapleton. He released an under the radar rock record before Traveler , called The Jompson Brothers, kinda Foghat meets Blackfoot heavy 70s sound with a touch of early 80s metal. It was never meant to be a career album, just Chris having fun with two buddies. I don’t think anybody criticized him much at the time, even though he was a high profile country music songwriter when he put it out. So, no big deal, it’s just a goofy thing Sturgill did, unlikely gonna be his new genre of choice. Nothing to see here IMO
Jack Williams
August 21, 2019 @ 8:12 am
I think I like this song more than what I’ve heard on the last two Black Keys albums, neither of which I bought (I have all of the others). My feeling on the song are similar to my overall feelings for ASGTE. Good but not great. In contrast, MMSICM is probably one of my top five favorite albums of the decade. As far as him wanting to make an album of songs that will be fun to play, that made me think of seeing him and the boys play ASGTE from start to finish. It was great fun and much more enjoyable than listening to the album. But there’s no way for me to listen to that performance again.
Tex Hex
August 21, 2019 @ 8:20 am
After many listens in the last 24 hours or so, I’ll say this – I like it, with two major caveats:
1) The production and mix are pretty bad. Thin, noisy, and formless. I have “Sing Along” in a playlist with other recent country singles (Moonpies, Crockett, Emerson, Jenkins, Ledger etc.) and this popped up and sounded like garbage by comparison. Totally jarring, and grating. Sturgill is a great musician, for sure, but he needs help in the studio.
2) Needs way more guitar. For example, that wonky synthesizer solo in the middle of the song should’ve been a ripping guitar solo instead. Though, maybe it actually is a guitar solo run through an effects pedal, made to sound like a synth – like the Strokes did on “12:51” back in 2003. Either way, I’m imagining the next Sturgill tour having a bank of synths onstage, along with fog machines, lasers, and strobe lights.
sbach66
August 21, 2019 @ 8:38 am
Damn sure ain’t country.
Other than that, pretty meh to my ears. Doesn’t really do anything for me. And my tastes are eclectic as hell.
Don’t see myself buying this album, but I’ll see what other songs that drop sound like. If they’re more guitar forward and this is an outlier, may change my mind.
Charlie
August 21, 2019 @ 9:06 am
I bought one Sturgill album and I kinda liked it. I liked that rock thing he put out last year or whenever it was. But he has become less and less relevant to me. I’m not even interested enough to stick my earbuds in and listen to this. If the discussion had been more favorable I might have. So I’ll continue checking in on ‘Stu’, because he does good stuff, but he seems to be on a different track compared to where I’m at or expect to be any time soon.
Norm
August 21, 2019 @ 9:44 am
I may be in the minority here but Sturgill Simpson has always exuded a punk ethos even going back to his Sunday Valley days. Just take a look/listen to the Pickathon videos posted on YouTube.
Sturgill serves no masters. From walking out to Skrillex to start his set at Newport Folk 2015 to tagging The Motivator on songs since then as well.
The worst thing an artist can do is invoke a felling of indifference. Delight and rage also fall on the spectrum, so I’d say he hit the mark as an artist. I for one can not wait for the new album.
Trigger
August 21, 2019 @ 10:04 am
Sturgill has always drawn his best music from his rage, country or otherwise.
jbear123
August 21, 2019 @ 2:10 pm
Well that song and video was freaking awesome! Loved it, thought it was wicked and can’t wait for more. Don’t care it’s not country, luckily I love all music!.
Jack
August 21, 2019 @ 3:17 pm
Conspiracy: Sturgill was in the Gorillaz
AdHoff
August 22, 2019 @ 10:32 am
Sturgill (and any artist) has the right to write and record the type of music he wants. And as some have said, “good music is good music.” Unfortunately, this is not really good music. It’s not terrible, but it’s also nothing special. If this were some unknown, brand new artist, I would have called them a Black Keys rip-off. Whatever style/genre he wants to play, I was hoping it would sound better than this.
Rob
August 22, 2019 @ 9:40 pm
What is this Thank You video everyone is talking about, and why is he on Elektra now after the big deal made a couple years ago about him signing to Atlantic?
Trigger
August 22, 2019 @ 9:54 pm
Major labels shift rosters all the time. Elektra was revitalized last year to take over a host of artists and imprints. You can read about it here:
https://www.savingcountrymusic.com/sturgill-simpson-brandi-carlile-others-part-of-new-elektra-records-label/
Here’s the “Thank You” video:
https://youtu.be/BqlOwgl65_4
The Other Wayne
August 23, 2019 @ 7:17 pm
Just curious, will we get a review on this single?
Trigger
August 23, 2019 @ 8:21 pm
I may or I may not. Since the album release is less than a month away and there are so many albums that were just released today to review, I may wait. Or if I feel compelled, maybe I will review it. I feel like the context of the album will be important for this song.
Jesse David
August 24, 2019 @ 8:11 am
Replace some of the instrumentation with steel guitar and Tele twang and this could be a country song. Songs are about expression and lyrical content anyway. Good for Sturgill. To hell with the industry, do what your gut tells you. That’s real outlaw shit. Does anyone else find it funny that his protege, Tyler Childers, is so deadset on being identified as country instead of Americana and Sturgill’s over here like fuck the world, fuck genre limitations.
Lori
September 12, 2019 @ 12:47 pm
And I will go on wherever the road leads both of theses artists – as long as they are passionate about their music, I will be also.
Willie Potter
September 13, 2019 @ 5:16 pm
Holy shit..
That song is fucking terrible.