Veteran country music artist Cody Johnson explains why 'Leather' is his best album yet

Cody Johnson's ninth album, "Leather," arrived Nov. 3.

The artist behind singles "Dear Rodeo," "Human" and "Til You Can't" is in an enviable position.

He mortgaged none of his hard-earned independent credibility by signing with the Nashville outpost of Warner Bros. Records in 2019. In fact, since then, he's coupled that with mainstream honors, including Billboard chart-topping country radio hits, Country Music Association and CMT award wins.

Now, the former rodeo cowboy and correctional officer tells The Tennessean that he's diving back into skills learned as a teenager in both professions to achieve one task via 12 well-crafted album tracks:

"I've been fighting for country music ever since I was driving a van with a trailer attached to play at small bars in Texas," Johnson starts.

"Throughout my career, I haven't let what the format was putting on the radio cloud my vision for the genre," he says. "Now that I have a chance to guide the direction of country music's mainstream future, there will be cowboy hats, value-driven story songs and the inspirations of Brooks & Dunn, Garth Brooks, Merle Haggard, George Jones and Reba McEntire involved."

Johnson's a direct conversationalist, not prone to overstating himself or his purpose. Thus, just because his aims sound grandiose does not mean they aren't possible.

He's paired with HARDY on his new album for another prison-ready murder ballad, similar to the singer-songwriter's 2023-beloved Lainey Wilson duet "wait in the truck."

"Jesus Loves You" is a conversation had on a thick plexiglass-separated jailhouse phone between a thief and the man who almost murdered him. It smacks with the type of "dark" energy required to fight for country's traditions amid the genre's broadest sonic and stylistic scope ever.

"This is a cool era, but authentically channeling dark, dirty demons and hard emotions in a therapeutic manner has the most positive value in the greatest number of ways," says Johnson.

That aesthetic is evident on album closer "Make Me A Mop."

"The first time I heard that song, it grabbed me by the heartstrings, spoke to me and then I cried like a baby," Johnson tells The Tennessean.

Delivered in the vein of a sinewy-voiced George Strait-style performance, Johnson sings, "Make me a mop to clean up the messes that I've made in my life / Lord, make me a spoon, smooth on the edges, when my words wanna reach for a knife."

"Leather" is a two-part release (on which HARDY has three writing credits). Unlike his previous double album, 2021's "Human," he intends to use the first twelve of 24 tracks in full to satisfy the "red dirt" tastes of his original fanbase, plus whet the appetites of those coming to his work.

"By the time we're ready to start nominating albums for awards, we'll have the second half available, but I really think my fans are going to love these songs as much as I do," he said.

Thematically, Johnson's greatest gift has been to divorce himself directly from his music and still have it hit and stick with his fanbase. Linking his humanity to broader themes that romantically pair well with notions of the "Wild West" and pastoral stereotypes has proven beneficial.

However, on "Leather," Johnson -- now a certifiable award-winning and chart-topping country star -- is finally more than willing to ascribe pieces of his own story to the music.

For those familiar with Johnson's work, the title track "Leather" delivers super-sized versions of his prior success.

In the first month of touring with Wyoming-born fellow westerner Ian Munsick, the duo frequently played guitars during their downtime.

As Munsick strummed the song he'd written years prior, it conjured pictures of work-worn hands, saddles and daily ranch activities for Johnson.

"It's a privilege to have a song that so honestly describes my life daily as the title track of my best album yet," Johnson says.

The current radio single "The Painter" is the album's most personally poignant song.

Johnson's been married to his wife, Brandi, for over a decade, and they've known each other for nearly 20 years.

"On every wall I built, she saw a canvas," sings Johnson.

Love's joy -- and the patience required to appreciate it sometimes -- are highlighted by the song.

Johnson pauses and then reveals how the past three years have seen the performer also enjoy the fruits of his lifelong labor -- and how adding that to being a husband and father of two daughters impacts "The Painter" and the album, in general.

While routinely traveling around the world, the home he built on his ranch developed mold, forcing a complete home renovation and his family to live in a trailer on the property.

Thus, while onstage singing to tens of thousands or appearing at awards shows, he has been thinking about drywall replacement, his daughters playing softball and volleyball games after school, or the silver lining of how much time they've spent riding horses on the ranch.

"Everything in my life is a pressure worth handling and if I can get past it all, I'll be here to stay."

"This is exactly the record I wanted to release at this moment in my career and life."

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Country music: Veteran artist Cody Johnson talks 'Leather', HARDY collab