#1087 - Sturgill Simpson

Sturgill Simpson (0:00)

How long is it going to take me to get to LAX, and what time should I be there?

Joe Rogan (0:03)

If you leave at 2, you have no problems at all.

No problems. If you leave at 2, you're just going to coast in. Are we live? We're trying to figure out LA traffic, ladies and gentlemen. You got to plan for that shit.

Sturgill Simpson (0:14)

You do, man.

Joe Rogan (0:15)

Like a natural disaster.

Sturgill Simpson (0:18)

In many ways, they're very similar.

Joe Rogan (0:20)

When I moved to Colorado for just a few months, and then came back here, it was instantaneous, like the recognition of what effect it has on me.

You know, like, there's so many people. You're driving, it's like, eh.

When you go somewhere where there's very few people, there's a real feeling of relaxation. Like, it's just legitimate. It's real.

Sturgill Simpson (0:40)

Yes.

Joe Rogan (0:41)

Yeah, it's almost like, if you could buy that, like, yeah, man, I'm taking this gum that puts you in like a small town feel. Like a woodsy Colorado feel, going through evergreen, looking at the mountains.

Sturgill Simpson (0:54)

You can buy that. You just have to get out of California.

Joe Rogan (0:58)

Yeah, no, for sure. But I was just thinking, if you had a pill, a pill that did that, that would be a really expensive pill, or a patch, or some gum, you know, like nicotine gum, some, you know, peace and quiet gum.

Sturgill Simpson (1:09)

Transports you to the wilderness.

Joe Rogan (1:11)

How much would people pay for that, right? Like, think about the people that buy Xanax and shit, and just anything, just take a little bit of the edge off.

Just take this edge off.

Sturgill Simpson (1:22)

I would probably just buy it and smoke it.

Joe Rogan (1:26)

Yeah, I'd smoke the shit out of that. But then you'd be happy living in downtown LA in some graffiti-colored building, and the horns go off constantly.

Sturgill Simpson (1:34)

I love the weather here. I do. I think that's why I have to come out for work or anything else. I never mind, because every day is perfect. Except I've been here for like four days, and it's rained most of the time. So it's my luck. But the traffic, man, just basically, I think you just sort of accept that you're going to live in your car, right?

Joe Rogan (1:53)

You're going to be in your car a lot.

Sturgill Simpson (1:54)

You're going to be in your car, so everybody has nice cars. That's why everybody drives nice cars in LA.

Joe Rogan (1:58)

It's also because we're all really, really shallow. We want to show everybody. Like, look what I got, bitch.

You know, there's a lot of that.

Sturgill Simpson (2:06)

I like cars.

Joe Rogan (2:06)

I do, too. I think about your song, When I Drive My Bronco.

Sturgill Simpson (2:12)

You got a really nice Bronco. I unfortunately no longer have a Bronco.

Joe Rogan (2:17)

You need a Bronco in your life, man.

Sturgill Simpson (2:20)

Yeah, but then I'd have a second car. It took me five years just to buy my first car, so.

Joe Rogan (2:24)

Yeah, you're one of the minimalist type characters. Doesn't want to admit they're successful. I understand.

Sturgill Simpson (2:28)

No, I got no problem admitting that. I just, you know, I look around. I think it's from living out of a bag most of my adult life. And you start, you know, I had one guitar for the first two or three years I was on the road. Wow. And then one day you wake up and you have five guitars now.

Joe Rogan (2:44)

Do you have a thing where the producer's trying to make your guitars?

Sturgill Simpson (2:46)

I just like, I really need all these guitars, you know? I only need that one, maybe two guitars is good, so.

Joe Rogan (2:51)

But I feel like guitar makers must want to get you a guitar, right? Does that happen with musicians?

Sturgill Simpson (2:57)

Yeah, actually, I got one Martin made for me, and that's kind of an honor, obviously.

Joe Rogan (3:02)

That's amazing.

Sturgill Simpson (3:03)

Yeah, old, really old, historic legacy company.

But then, yeah, your buddies build them and that kind of, most I've always made my own out of parts. Like at least telecasters and stuff. You can buy parts and assemble them just as good as anything coming out of what a custom shop might be for a fraction of the cost.

Joe Rogan (3:23)

Wow, I didn't know that was a thing.