If you walked into a bar in Lexington, Kentucky, back in the late nineties, you might have run into a bartender named Dave. Dave was a character—a mix of Silent Bob and Charles Bukowski. Every time a young guy named John Sturgill Simpson walked through the door, Dave would shout, "Johnny Blue Skies!"
Fast forward twenty-odd years. That nickname isn't just a barroom greeting anymore. It’s the name on the cover of the Sturgill Simpson new album, Passage Du Desir.
Honestly, the story behind this record is wilder than the music itself. Sturgill had been telling us for years that he’d only ever make five studio albums under his own name. He hit that mark in 2021 with The Ballad of Dood and Juanita. Most people thought he was just being dramatic. Artists "retire" all the time, right? But then he actually did it. He stopped. He disappeared.
A ruptured vocal cord while touring with Willie Nelson nearly ended his career for real. He told GQ that he was having "dark ideas" and basically had to flee to Paris and Thailand to find himself again. He needed to kill off "Sturgill Simpson" the brand to save Sturgill the man.
The Rebirth of Johnny Blue Skies
So, Passage Du Desir dropped on July 12, 2024, and it didn't have Sturgill’s name anywhere on the front. It’s all Johnny Blue Skies.
Some fans were confused. Is this a joke? A Chris Gaines moment?
Not really. This is Simpson reclaiming his sanity. He felt like his own name had become a commodity he didn't own anymore. By shifting to Johnny Blue Skies, he stepped out from under the "Savior of Country Music" pedestal that Nashville tried to shove him onto.
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The album was recorded at the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London and Clement House in Nashville. It’s only eight songs long. Short. Focused. Dense. It doesn't waste your time with filler.
What the music actually sounds like
If you’re expecting Metamodern Sounds in Country Music part two, you’re going to be surprised.
This record is a "swamp of sadness," which is also the title of the opening track. It’s lush. It’s got strings, accordion, and that thick, soulful 1970s groove that feels like a humid night in New Orleans.
"Scooter Blues" is probably the most talked-about track. It’s basically a Jimmy Buffett-style daydream about moving to an island and turning into vapor. There’s a line in there that hits hard: "When people say, 'Are you him?' I’ll say, 'Not anymore.'"
He’s literally telling us to stop looking for the old version of him.
The centerpiece is "Jupiter’s Faerie," a seven-minute epic about the death of an old friend. It’s heartbreaking. It’s not just a country song; it’s a psychedelic meditation on grief and the things we leave unsaid. Then you’ve got "One for the Road," which closes the album with a nine-minute guitar solo that feels like it could go on forever. It’s glorious.
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Why the name change matters in 2026
We’re sitting here in early 2026, and the "Johnny Blue Skies" era is only getting weirder and better.
Rumors have been flying about Sturgill (or Johnny, I guess) working with Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys. While Johnny Blue Skies' Instagram—which is mostly just skeletal pirates dueling—called some of the collaboration talk "Fake News," it’s confirmed he’s been recording at Auerbach’s studio.
He also teased a new track called "Hold Yer Horses" recently.
The 2025 "Why Not?" tour proved that the fans don't care what he calls himself. He’s still playing the old hits, but there’s a new energy. He looks like he actually wants to be there. That wasn't always the case back in 2019.
Key tracks you need to hear
- "Swamp of Sadness": The perfect "welcome back" that sets the moody, orchestral tone.
- "If The Sun Never Rises Again": Pure soul. Sounds like Bill Withers met a country outlaw in a dark alley.
- "Scooter Blues": The "I’m retired but not really" anthem.
- "Mint Tea": A bit of that classic bluegrass influence peeking through the rock production.
- "One for the Road": If you like long, wandering guitar work, this is your holy grail.
What most people get wrong about the new era
A lot of critics tried to say this was a "return to country."
That’s a bit of a stretch.
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Sure, there’s pedal steel (played beautifully by Dan Dugmore), but this is "Progressive Country" in the truest sense. It’s what Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings were doing in the mid-70s—using country as a base to build something much more complex. It’s got new wave rhythms, British rock influences, and French cinema vibes.
The album title itself, Passage Du Desir, is named after a small street in Paris. Sturgill saw the name on a door while walking out of a kebab shop. He took a photo on his phone, and that became the cover.
It’s all very accidental and very intentional at the same time.
How to dive into the Johnny Blue Skies world
If you’re just catching up now, don’t just stream the hits. This is an "album" album.
- Listen to it on vinyl: The production is so warm and analog that digital compression honestly does it a disservice.
- Read the lyrics: He’s writing about aging, losing friends, and the exhaustion of fame. It’s heavy stuff disguised as "breezy" music.
- Follow the new Instagram: It’s cryptic, but it’s where the only real updates come from these days. Look for the skeletal riders.
- Catch a live show: His current band—featuring Laur Joamets, Kevin Black, Miles Miller, and Robbie Crowell—is arguably the best unit he’s ever had.
The Sturgill Simpson new album didn't just give us new music; it gave us a version of the artist that seems at peace with his own legend. Whether he goes by Sturgill, Johnny, or "the guy on the scooter," the music is still the most honest thing coming out of Nashville—even if he had to go to Paris to record it.
Next time you hear "Who I Am" playing, listen to the lyrics. He tells us he couldn't tell God his name even if he had to. Maybe that’s the point. We don’t need the name; we just need the songs.