Sturgill Simpson Once Again Shows Why He's the Modern Outlaw Country Music Needs While Busking Outside the CMA's
Simpson pulls from the genre's past in the face of of its present commercial pop state.
For the record: I have to issue my first correction in two years of writing this newsletter- this photo is from 2017. Research is just as important as writing; I let this one slip on a busy Friday. My apologies!
The Country Music Awards are at the top of my list of worthless televised award shows that I can most certainly miss. I won’t waste your time talking about the sorry state of modern country music, as I’m sure most of my readers are well aware of the mainstream acts sounding closer to boy bands these days than building upon the roots of what makes the purely American genre appealing.
While giddily taking a front seat to watch Elon Musk expose himself as the impulsive silver-spooned loser he is, I came across one of the week’s highlights. Scrolling through Twitter is an absolute wasteland these days. However, country music journalist Marissa R. Moss loves to tear down the industry machine and celebrate those still staying true to the genre’s roots (check out her new book Her Country here) and retweeted the best damn thing I saw all week:
It’s Sturgill Simpson busking outside The CMAs and showing once again that he’s the spiritual outlaw successor to Waylon and Willie, even while trading boots for some Nikes. It’s easy to see why Simpson didn’t receive an invite to country music’s “biggest night” - between the dad-casual getup and confronting looming fascism while donating money to the ACLU, he doesn’t fit the mold.
I love celebrating modern country music that swims upstream from the radio trash, and Sturgill tops that list. His bluegrass outings on Cuttin’ Grass Vol. 1 & 2 made my year-end list for 2020, and last year’s The Ballad of Dood & Juanita is a must-hear:
“Rare is the album as charming as The Ballad of Dood & Juanita and if this is indeed the last solo offering from Sturgill Simpson, it is a helluva finish. Free of a record label and trading the road life for more time on his ranch (this fall he will be performing residencies at Webster Hall and the Ryman Auditorium), Simpson has found his perfect spot in the music industry. Wanting to break from the pressure of performing under his own name, who knows when we’ll see him the next time.
With the poker burning this hot, I don’t think it will be very long.”
Maybe there's hope for country yet!