JRE 1356 · October 1, 2019

Sturgill Simpson & His Band

musicmilitarycreative processartistic integrity

Who is Sturgill Simpson & His Band?

Sturgill Simpson is a Grammy Award-winning country music and roots rock singer-songwriter. His new album "Sound & Fury" is available now on streaming services everywhere, and the anime visual album "Sturgill Simpson presents Sound & Fury" is now streaming on Netflix. He is joined by his band members Miles Miller, Chuck Bartels, Bobby Emmett and by Green Beret Medic Justin Laseck.

🌐 Website

Topics and Timestamps

01Sturgill Simpson brings his full band to the podcast to discuss his Grammy-winning career and creative evolution
02The anime visual album 'Sound & Fury' on Netflix represents a major artistic departure and creative risk for Simpson
03Band members Miles Miller, Chuck Bartels, and Bobby Emmett discuss their roles in creating the music and visual experience
04Green Beret Medic Justin Laseck joins the conversation, bringing military perspective and Special Forces Foundation involvement
05Simpson discusses balancing commercial success with artistic integrity in country and roots rock music
06The conversation explores the creative process behind the album and what inspired the unconventional Netflix presentation
▶Sturgill Simpson introduces his full band to the podcast0:00:30
▶Discussion of the 'Sound & Fury' album and Netflix anime visual experience0:05:00
▶Band members explain their individual roles in the creative process0:15:00
▶Justin Laseck shares Green Beret perspective and Special Forces Foundation work0:45:00
▶Simpson discusses balancing commercial success with artistic authenticity1:30:00

The Show

Joe sits down with Sturgill Simpson and his full band for an in-depth conversation about music, creativity, and the unconventional path Simpson has taken in his career. This is a rare moment where Joe gets to dig into the creative process with not just the artist but the entire ensemble that brings the vision to life.

Sturgill Simpson has already proven himself as a Grammy Award-winning artist, but his latest move shows he's willing to take massive creative risks. The album 'Sound & Fury' and its accompanying anime visual album on Netflix demonstrate an artist who refuses to be confined by genre expectations or industry norms. It's the kind of project that could have gone completely sideways, but Simpson's conviction in the vision apparently carried it through.

With his band members present, the discussion goes deeper into the actual mechanics of how this music gets made. Miles Miller, Chuck Bartels, and Bobby Emmett aren't just session players; they're part of the creative DNA of what makes Sturgill's music distinctive. The conversation naturally flows into the collaborative process and how a bunch of musicians can lock into a vision together.

What's interesting about this episode is the inclusion of Green Beret Medic Justin Laseck. His presence adds a different dimension to the conversation, representing both the military community and the Special Forces Foundation work. It grounds the discussion beyond just music industry talk and into real world impact and service.

The core theme running through this episode is artistic fearlessness. Sturgill Simpson could have made a safe album, marketed it traditionally, and done fine. Instead he made something weird and beautiful and put it on Netflix with anime visuals. That kind of conviction is rare, and Joe clearly respects it. The conversation explores what drives an artist to take those kinds of risks and what it costs to maintain creative integrity in an industry that often rewards the predictable.