Cody Johnson’s ‘The Painter’ Was ‘Stripped Down’
Cody Johnson’s “The Painter” video is one of six CMT Music Videos of the Year nominees and could take the top prize at this weekend’s (4/7) CMT Music awards.
Cody after his 2023 CMT Music Award win.
Photo – Emma McIntyre
“Very Complex”
Cody told us in a recent interview that there was more to the song than what people hear today. He revealed, “It was very complex. I will say this. Trent Wilmon, my engineer, and I, Jack Clark. We had ‘ooos’ and ‘aahs’ and too much of this, and we had three guitars on there, and then the more we listened to it in editing, I’m going ‘Take that out. Take that out. OK. Now let’s strip this down.'”
He continued, “And finally, Trent and Jack, we’re like, ‘Look, are you just wanting a more stripped-down version of this?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ Simple. A guy standing there with his guitar and his band behind. But you know, you leave little things like the violins really make it. It has depth.”
“That Rolling Beat”
Johnson concluded, “You’ve got that that resonator finger picking thing that reminds me of like, Robert Earl Keen ‘Feeling Good Again’ or ‘Gentle On My Mind’ by Glen Campbell. It’s got that rolling beat to it. And I think that that’s what makes it so dynamic is the simplicity of it.”
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Cody and Jelly Roll are good buddies and have a song together on Cody’s latest album, Leather, called “Whiskey Bent.”
Photo – Chris Douglas
Cody Johnson and Jelly Roll’s Friendship
Johnson told us in a recent interview that he and Jelly are close and have some real similarities. He said, “I’ve said this in a few interviews over the last six months: Jelly’s Roll face tattoos are as authentic as this cowboy hat. That’s him unapologetic.”
He continued, “One of the first times I came to Nashville, they said I could have a record deal if I ditched the cowboy hat; that’s something I live in every day. Last night, we were on the ranch breaking new cattle and training. I mean, it’s something that I do.”
What Jelly Told Him
Something Jelly Roll told Cody when they met sticks with the real Texas cowboy. He told us, “Jelly Roll wears his walk on his face for everyone to see, and I wear this hat unapologetically. When we met, we just hit it off, and we both recognized what was real. He told me one of the very first times that I met him, ‘I modeled my career after you.’ He said, ‘I wanted to stay indecent because I wanted to be myself. I didn’t want anybody to change me.’ He said, ‘I wanted to go through the ups and downs and the hardships of trying to do it on your own the way you did it.’ He said, ‘Because I feel like it instills more of an appreciation.'”
Four Fantastic Cody Johnson Music Videos
