Jamey Johnson is a person of few phrases—and over the past 14 years, a person of few new albums. However his latest launch Midnight Gasoline (November 2024), was well worth the wait, and was only the start of what guarantees to be far more new music coming from the award-winning songwriter within the upcoming months and years.
Forward of his headlining efficiency on the Grasp Musicians Pageant in Somerset, Kentucky on Saturday, July twelfth, Jamey Johnson sat down with Saving Nation Music corespondent Jason W. Ashcraft to speak about his new music, his tackle new artists and the present route of nation, a brand new basis he began, in addition to how just a few weeks distinction might need stored the retired Marine within the service versus saving nation music as a songwriter and a performer.
“I positively would have gone to Iraq after they went,” Johnson explains. “I don’t understand how the story would have gone from there. I bought my discharge in the course of December in 2002. That’s as a result of my eight years had run out. The eight years began in December of 1994. A buddy signed his contract ten days after mine. It was the primary week of January for him. His contract was frozen and prolonged. He bought activated and despatched over. To me, it was a blessing, but additionally an indicator that my path was over right here in nation music, and never over there in fight.”
Although Johnson by no means noticed fight, he noticed loads of the toll fight can take via his duties as a Marine. It’s what impressed one among his new songs, “21 Weapons.”
“Once I served, I attended my share of these funerals in full costume blues. I used to be the man pulling the set off on the rifle, or I used to be the man posting the colours. So there’s been a very long time place in my coronary heart for Gold Star members of the family. What number of occasions have I been to the identical funeral? It’s simply in a distinct a part of the cemetery. This tune was a manner of giving a voice to each mother or father on the market that’s misplaced a toddler in that manner.”
When requested in regards to the state of nation music, and about a number of the up-and-coming artists within the style, Johnson had some sage recommendation of find out how to strategy the query.
“You possibly can’t go and confuse two issues, as a result of there’s nation music, which is the music. Then there’s nation music, which is the business,” Johnson explains. “And it’s a must to be taught to separate the 2, and know the distinction. Followers are having to do this extra on their very own, however they’re additionally having to do this simply by exposing themselves to different manufacturers of nation music. Individuals weren’t actually interested by ’90s nation, and now Zach Prime’s come alongside and everybody’s so useless targeted on looking for all the best songs from this period and that.”
“That’s what we’re imagined to be doing,” Jamey continues. “That’s the custom of nation music. That’s the way you move it down. You are taking a tune that folks don’t get to listen to anymore as a result of so and so handed away. Begin doing their tune stay, and watch what occurs. You should see us do a tune by Mel McDaniel’s ‘Louisiana Saturday Evening.’ That’s the vitality you’re making an attempt to get out of each viewers. Give them one thing that makes them admire it. That’s what we attempt to do.”
When requested particularly who Johnson thinks are a number of the names doing nation music proper, he responds, “Actually Zach Prime, Ernest, Luke Combs—although I do know he’s not precisely new. There’s only a ton of them on the market proper now which can be doing nice. I may sit right here and toss names, and I’ll miss 15 or 20 of them. I like Gavin Adcock. I believe he’s an excellent songwriter.”
Touting Gavin Adcock may appear counterintuitive to the comparatively mild-mannered and sober Jamey Johnson. He even has a tune known as “Sober” on the brand new album. However Johnson explains he’s isn’t preaching to anybody however himself within the tune.
“It was pointed extra in the direction of me than anyone else. I believe that’s the entire perspective of being sober. You’re answerable for that vessel. I don’t know that it was as a lot a sermon to anyone because it was a confession from me. It’s onerous. September shall be 14 years with out alcohol.”
In accordance with Johnson, one of many issues that motivated him to start out writing extra and releasing new music was the demise of his buddy Toby Keith. Toby’s passing woke Johnson as much as how he nonetheless had issues he wanted to contribute in his time. When requested what Johnson misses essentially the most about Keith, he answered,
“Darkish humor. That’s one of the best ways I can describe it. He had a uniquely darkish humorousness,” Johnson explains. “I miss his instance greater than something. I used to be studying a complete lot, and he and I have been speaking about happening tour collectively. We’d additionally been batting round some tune lyrics. One time on a golf course he ask me, ‘Why don’t we do 365?’ [meaning] 365 live performance dates in a row. He was by no means going to surrender. He was a kind of guys who made you discover the fighter in your self.”
Jamey Johnson has definitely awoken the fighter in himself. After the prolonged dry spell in his music, he now has albums price of fabric already saved up simply ready for mixes to be accepted so it could actually get into the discharge pipeline.
“There’s one other 50 songs by now,” Johnson explains. “I’ve bought some songs within the pile that I’m simply completely happy with. I’ve bought this one I like known as ‘By no means Gonna Be.’ I didn’t write this tune. Ronnie Dunn wrote it, however he wrote it about me in in 2009. It’s an aggressive observe. I’m been working with quite a few completely different producers. I’ve nonetheless bought a bunch of tracks from Dave Cobb, and I’ve bought a ton of tracks with Buddy Cannon, and I’ve started working with Kyle Lehning. He produced all of the Randy Travis stuff. And we’ve bought some stuff from the Can’t Hardly Playboys (Johnson’s backing band).”
Jamey Johnson additionally not too long ago began a basis, which he’s planning to make use of to assist the flood victims down in Texas.
“We began a basis known as Give It Away to take care of sure tragedies which may fall on individuals which can be in our fast circle, as a result of it looks as if there’s a necessity there on an annual foundation. So this can be a basis that provides us the power to place sure funds the place they need to be. Proper now we’re seeking to ship some cash to the Hill Nation and Texas flood victims.”
Jamey Johnson shall be performing with George Strait and others on the “Strait To The Coronary heart” profit on July twenty seventh on the Thunder Valley indoor area in Boerne, TX.
“I keep busy,” Johnson states.
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