Mutiny After Midnight

Johnny Blue Skies & The Dark Clouds' Mutiny After Midnight is a nine-track disco-funk protest record released March 13, 2026, on High Top Mountain Records / Atlantic Outpost. It is the second album under the Johnny Blue Skies alias of singer-songwriter Sturgill Simpson and his ninth studio album overall.

Recorded live at Dan Auerbach's Easy Eye Sound Studios in Nashville, the album was built from groove-first sessions in which Simpson wrote lyrics spontaneously each day, drawing inspiration from the fusion-funk band Stuff and Marvin Gaye's In Our Lifetime. Featuring drummer/vocalist Miles Miller, lead guitarist Laur Joamets, bassist Kevin Black, and keyboardist/saxist Robbie Crowell, the record crackles with spontaneous energy.

In a letter to fans, Simpson described the album as falling into two categories: "the dark state of the world and the bright state of love" -- a protest against oppression whose antidote is "pure, unfiltered, unapologetic, relentless disco-hedonism." Tracks like "Make America Fuk Again," "Excited Delirium," and "Ain't That a Bitch" confront political and social dysfunction, while "Don't Let Go," "Venus," and "Viridescent" celebrate romantic and sensual joy.

Released on vinyl, CD, and cassette only -- with no streaming -- the album debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 with 59,000 units, entirely from physical sales. It stands as one of the rare modern albums to achieve a top-5 Billboard debut with zero streaming presence.