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Sturgill Simpson has been busy over the past 12 months.
After releasing two bluegrass albums in 2020, Cuttin' Grass, Vol. 1: The Butcher Shoppe Sessions and Cuttin' Grass, Vol. 2: The Cowboy Arms Sessions, he's announced yet another project.
Sturgill's new concept album, The Ballad of Dood and Juanita, will be released August 20. If his output seems impressive, the way this latest LP came to fruition is even more so.
Sturgill wrote and recorded it in less than a week, tapping the musicians who played on his Cuttin' Grass albums to flesh it out.
“I just wanted to write a story — not a collection of songs that tell a story, but an actual story, front to back", Simpson said.
He described that story as "a simple tale of either redemption or revenge".
Where Cuttin' Grass explored bluegrass, The Ballad of Dood and Juanita is a "rollercoaster ride through all the styles of traditional country, bluegrass and mountain music". That includes gospel and a cappella, Sturgill explained.
Check out the full tracklist:
The Ballad of Dood and Juanita
1. Prologue
2. Ol’ Dood (part I)
3. One In the Saddle, One On the Ground
4. Shamrock
5. Played Out
6. Sam
7. Juanita (featuring Willie Nelson)
8. Go In Peace
9. Epilogue
10. Ol’ Dood (part II)
Besides recording and releasing a serious amount of music this year, Simpson was cast in Martin Scorsese's new film Killers of the Flower Moon. It's filming now and also features Jason Isbell.
Sturgill's Cuttin' Grass Vol. 1 made Holler's list of Country Records of the Year 2020.
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