“Why Aren’t You Listening to Jon Pardi?” a new Esquire article asks, as it explores the making of his new album.
It also ponders why Jon doesn’t seem to have the same kind of recognition among pop fans as artists like Luke Combs and Morgan Wallen do, in spite of his six number ones and his two hits — “Head Over Boots” and “Dirt on My Boots” — which are both six-times Platinum.
“In all honesty, I don’t know what country music is anymore,” Jon tells Esquire. “We got Hardy heavy-metal country, we’ve got Beyoncé country, Morgan Wallen country, Jelly Roll. Everybody’s bringing in the stuff they grew up listening to, and it’s awesome. If it’s a good song and it’s moving the soul and it has some semblance of country, we’re stamping it country music.”
Jon goes on to reveal he’s a rock fan himself, loving artists like the Rolling Stones, Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave.
It also explores how the 2021 Tom Petty documentary Somewhere You Feel Free inspired Jon to change producers.
“He said that it helped him grow as a songwriter and a musician working with somebody new,” Jon recalls. “It was kind of like a sign — ‘You should do it and see what happens.’ ”
Jon went on to work with producer Jay Joyce for the first time on Honkytonk Hollywood, which is out now. You can check out the full Esquire article online.
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