Cody Johnson is gearing up to release his highly anticipated record, Leather. The Texas troubadour did not reveal the track list, but it might include a duet with one of Nashville’s hottest stars – Jelly Roll.
Videos by American Songwriter
Ahead of his CMA Fest performance (June 9) at Nissan Stadium, Johnson caught up with the press backstage to dish on his forthcoming project and friendship with the country rocker.
“Respect is mutual, and real recognizes real. So absolutely, we’ve talked about working together,” said Johnson, according to Taste of Country. “I can’t reveal all the surprises, but there’s definitely been some songs that we’ve sat and listened to, to where they speak to him as much as they speak to me. So, you’ll see something from us very soon.”
Johnson continued to acknowledge their differences. Long before Johnson broke into the country scene, he was a professional rodeo rider. Meanwhile, Jelly Roll – born Jason DeFord – has spent his life in and out of the juvenile justice system. Although they came from different walks of life, Johnson pointed out that they have several similarities.
“I relate to him, and he relates to me,” said the crooner. “We’re so opposite, you know. You got the cowboy hat and the face tattoos. I think it’s just an ‘opposites attract’ kind of thing.”
He added, “You guys may not look at me and realize this, but I have a pretty jaded past as well. I’ve always said there was a time in my life where I had to make a decision, and that decision was either to chase this dream professionally, with a good mindset. There’s a few mistakes that I’ve made in my life – there’s a few decisions I’ve made in my life where I could have wound up here, or I very much could have wound up in jail.”
Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images
