Johnny Blue Skies and the Dark Clouds are back.
After JBS (formerly known as Sturgill Simpson) completely wiped his social media platform clean of any posts, fans knew that something exciting had to be coming. Artists deleting everything off their account is usually a dead-giveaway for some sort of “fresh start” that’s to come.
That fresh start for Johnny Blues Skies is “Mutiny After Midnight.”
Johnny Blue Skies penned a letter to all of his fans and followers that’s titled “What’s behind ‘Mutiny After Midnight?’?” I went ahead and did everyone the favor of transcribing it (the text comes through a bit small in the post), and the first portion of the writing gives insight into how this new album – most likely named “Mutiny After Midnight” – came to be:
“The majority of this band has been on the road together on and off and on again for over 13 years. We have all grown sometimes together and sometimes apart, but we’ve never felt more together than right now I couldn’t be happier. This is the band I’ve dreamed about being in since middle school
Last year, we did two complete laps around the U.S. and a tour of western Europe. Between gigs this past September, we went into a brand new gorgeous studio in Nashville, Tennessee. Inspired heavily from endless hours on the bus, watching old clips of the great fusion funk band ‘Stuff’ and revisiting off-the-beaten track concept records like Marvin Gaye‘s ‘In Our Lifetime,’ where, in what looks like the end of the world, the artist’s response is ‘Let’s dance and make love.’
We decided to make an album centered firmly on groove. We started every day from scratch with a basic groove. I wrote the songs and lyrics in the moment on the spot, and everyone established their individual parts servicing the songs and not the individual ego.”
A groove album from Sturgill Simpson Johnny Blue Skies? Color me intrigued.
As far as what fans can expect the songs to explore, JBS went on to say that a lot of the songs can actually fit into one of two boxes: darkness and light. The artist says it’s pretty much a deeper dive inspired by the name of the band itself:
“You can break down the songs on this album in the two categories: the dark state of the world and the bright state of love. Light lives in darkness, just as darkness lives in light. I’ve come to find overtime that it’s far easier to just embrace contradictions rather than attempting to resolve them. Hence ‘Johnny blue skies in the Dark Clouds.'”
The “Swamp of Sadness” singer calls the upcoming album “a mutiny and open rebellion,” and that it’s supposed to act as a protest. Though it might not be the type of protest people expect. Johnny Blue Skies went into detail about the time he’s spent around the French, and the admiration he has for how they spark change… which is mostly through “threatening injustice with a good time.”
That’s why the new project will focus on dance as protest:
“There’s a simple goal we as a band set out to achieve: to make a dance record. So this protest, this mutiny is really more about the primary dance. The dance of all creation. To be clear, it is a protest against oppression and suppression, and the only tried and tested true antidote to that is pure, unfiltered, unapologetic, relentless disco-hedonism.”
Before JBS landed the plane that was this letter, he admitted that “everything won’t be for everyone,” but stated that this project by he and his band is just doing what they do best: being pirates. Drummer and backing vocalist Miles Miller, lead guitarist Laur Joamets, bassist Kevin, Black, and keyboard, saxophone player Robbie Crowell and, of course, Johnny Blue Skies are officially setting sail.
And JBs concluded the letter with a bit of a warning:
“By now, everybody knows our crew runs the tightest and deadliest ship on the water. This band has less than zero interest in accolades, trophies or being the definitive this or that of our generation.
We’re in search or something far more meaningful and rewarding, and we’re collecting heads for the journey. So with all that said, to any and all who see our flag flying off your stern, know this… there will be no quarter nor mercy offered nor given.”
Buckle up…
