Sturgill Simpson to perform at Bluebird

Country musician Sturgill Simpson’s new album “Metamodern Sounds in Country Music” is set to release May 13. Simpson, a 35-year-old songwriter with bluegrass roots, is back on the road less than a year after the release of his debut album, “High Top Mountain.”

He will perform at 8 p.m. today at the Bluebird Nightclub.

Contrasting Simpson’s first album with the upcoming, the musician has alluded to a change in style. Whereas “High Top Mountain” was claimed to have linked Simpson with traditional country musicians like Waylon Jennings and Merle Haggard, the new album delves into psychedelic elements Simpson incorporated in his music.

“I think that there is a lot of room in country music for progression and sonic oscillation which is what I wanted to explore,” Simpson said on his profile for Sacks & Co. regarding his new album.

He said his musical inspiration is derived from religious texts, new and old, as well as a variation of other books and some films.

After performing at the Bluebird, Simpson will continue his tour in Louisville, Ky., the following day. His live performances, according to Sack & Co.’s website, are in part influential to the new album, which was recorded on the road.

Simpson has pulled from a variety of inspirational outlets, but love remains the focal point of his music.

“Myriad worldly offerings — religion, drugs and more — all claim to be the omnipotent universal truth, but in my experience, love is the only certainty,” Simpson said.

Christian Kemp