Sturgill Simpson is releasing a new album under a new name, Johnny Blue Skies, and an extensive US tour, his first for four years. The album, ‘Passage du Desir’, is out on 12th July 2024 on his own independent label, High Top Mountain Records, and on independent Because Music in France. The record comprises eight songs produced by Johnny Blue Skies and David Ferguson and recorded at Clement House Recording Studio in Nashville, and Abbey Road Studios in London. There are no singles or videos but the album cover features the gate at the rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis end of the Passage du Desir in Paris’ 10th arrondissement. It’s also the name of a chain of French sex shops.
The new album follows the tenth-anniversary reissue of Simpson’s ‘Metamodern Sounds in Country Music’, which came out in May 2024. Originally released in May 2014, the album marked a career breakthrough for Simpson personally and had quite an impact within the larger country music genre. The new special edition features a fully reimagined album cover and vinyl package, pressed on 180g Black Vinyl with an “Old-Style” Tip-On Jacket.
Since his debut, Simpson has released five full-length studio albums along with the 2020 projects, ‘Cuttin’ Grass Vol. 1 and Vol. 2’. Throughout his career, Simpson has pushed against expectations, earning widespread acclaim and accolades including a Grammy Award in 2017 for Best Country Album and six Grammy nominations across four genres: country, rock, bluegrass and americana.
