SAMMY BRUE
October 6, 2025 — Ogden, UT: Today, songwriter Sammy Brue has announced the release of The Journals with first single, “Lord, I’m Ready Now,” out today via all streaming services. Brue has also released a performance video for the song which is premiering today at Magnet Magazine. The Journals is a passion project and tribute to Sammy’s mentor, Justin Townes Earle, and includes never-before-recorded songs from Earle’s journals entrusted to Sammy by Justin’s widow. Some of the songs on the album are based on lyric sheets, others are co-writes or songs Sammy wrote based on compilations of Justin’s ideas, and one track, “For Justin,” was written by Sammy entirely.
“A couple of years after Justin died, I wrote ‘For Justin’ and sent it to Jenn, Justin’s wife, and told her the song was written ‘by a Justin fan for Justin’s fans,’” Brue says. Jenn ended up liking the song so much that she contacted Sammy’s father. Sammy eventually met up with Jenn and Etta, Justin’s daughter, and picked up Earle’s journals to archive them. At the meeting, looking through all the pages and discovering Earle’s unfinished songs and bits of lyrics, Sammy had an idea. “I never got to write a song with Justin,” Brue says. “Maybe I could co-write with him, and it turned into a whole record of that.”
PRE-ORDER/ PRE-SAVE THE JOURNALS HERE
WATCH THE PERFORMANCE VIDEO FOR “LORD, I’M READY NOW”
“I proudly wrote this song with Justin’s journals. I knew I needed a folk song that teetered on gospel themes,” Brue explains. “To me, gospel folk songs shed light on the unseen and unknown. Death is a touchy subject for anybody, but this song is an attempt to line this subject with a positive light. Justin lived a life that was filled to the brim with light and darkness. When I take a good look at what he left behind, I have no doubt that he would want me to take away something positive from it. Which is the side I’ve taken.”
Brue has been writing songs since he was 10 years old and follows in the lineage of Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, Rodney Crowell, and Justin Townes Earle. He cut his teeth busking on the sidewalk during the Sundance Film Festival while in the fourth grade, with his performances turning the heads of famous actors, musicians, and the media alike. Among the first to champion Sammy’s talents was fellow artist Justin Townes Earle, who extended an invite to open for him after meeting Sammy and his dad on a tour stop. After becoming a friend and songwriting mentor to Sammy, Justin featured him on the cover of his 2014 album Single Mothers and invited him to tour with him. Like a poet, he commands attention with a vibrant opening chord and a vivid lyric — he pulls listeners into his story world and they’re transfixed by his sometimes playful, always perceptive readings of the human heart.
Sammy has opened and toured with Sierra Ferrell, Billy Strings, Marcus King Band, Lucinda Williams, John Moreland, Margo Price, Lindsey Buckingham, Mike Campbell, and Hayes Carll.
