LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Sturgill Simpson is back and coming to Lexington for his new fall tour, and a surprise announcement from organizers detailed that Simpson will also release a new album on July 12 under a new name, Johnny Blue Skies.
Simpson will take the stage on Sept. 27 at Rupp Arena-Central Bank Center, located at 420 West Vine Street in Lexington, for the "Why Not? Tour." The tour will include Simpson, along with band members Kevin Black on bass, Robbie Crowell on keys, Laur Joamets on guitar, and Miles Miller on drums. Organizers noted that the 28-date headline tour will mark Simpson's first full tour in over four years.
The announcement read that fans are asked to register early during pre-sale to "ensure tickets go directly to true Sturgill Simpson fans." Registration for pre-sale is available until 8:59 p.m. on June 10, and those interested can sign up at sturgillsimpsonlive.com to receive early access to pre-sale tickets. Further, tour tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on June 14 and can be purchased on ticketmaster.com.
As noted by the announcement, Face Value Exchange will be available, meaning fans who purchase tickets on Ticketmaster will have the option to resell at the original price if they cannot attend the tour. Find more information on the exchange here.
Organizers added that after "promising to release only five studio albums," Simpson is on the scene again with his new album "Passage Du Desir," scheduled to be released on July 12 with his own independent label "High Top Mountain Records." The album will include 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, England.
The new album, organizers detailed, will reflect the tenth anniversary of Simpson's "Metamodern Sounds in Country Music," which was originally released on May 13, 2014.
"Throughout his singular career, Simpson has relentless pushed against expectations, earning widespread acclaim and countless accolades including a Grammy Award in 2017 for Best Country Album and six Grammy nominations across four genres: country, rock, bluegrass and americana," the announcement read.
Find more information and sign-up details on sturgillsimpson.com.
