Josh Stumpf’s “Johnnie Walker (Back To Me)” Is the Heartbreak Song That Makes You Want to Dance

Josh Stumpf released one of the most fun sad songs you’ll hear all year.

The Saskatchewan-born country artist released “Johnnie Walker (Back To Me)” alongside his debut EP, Two-Lane Testimony, through MDM Recordings Inc. and Warner Music Canada. And if you’re the kind of country fan who likes their heartbreak served with a side of two-step, this one’s for you.

A Sound That’s Hard to Pin Down (In the Best Way)

Stumpf has built his reputation on blending genres without losing the plot, and “Johnnie Walker (Back To Me)” leans into that fully. It pulls from traditional country, 80s two-step rhythms, and rock-driven energy, landing somewhere that feels both familiar and fresh.

It’s gritty. It’s soulful. And it absolutely does not apologize for being country.

“My favourite thing about ‘Johnnie Walker (Back To Me)’ is how it instantly makes you want to move,” Stumpf says. “It feels so free and uplifting, even though it’s telling the story of heartbreak, and I think that contrast is what makes it hit so hard.”

He’s not wrong. The track captures that bittersweet honky-tonk magic where the melody lifts you up while the lyrics quietly gut you.

We Got To Know Josh When he Joined Us On The Porch

The EP It Belongs To

“Johnnie Walker (Back To Me)” rounds out Two-Lane Testimony, an EP that Stumpf describes as a collection of songs that hold their own individually while building something bigger together.

Themes of love, loss, and escape run throughout. Two of the tracks use driving and the open road as metaphors for getting away from your thoughts, your emotions, and everyday life. The title itself was chosen to reflect that sense of movement and testimony wrapped into one.

“Every track tells its own story, but together they connect in a way that reveals a fuller picture,” Stumpf says.

A Name Worth Knowing

At just 23, Stumpf has already racked up over 5.4 million global streams. His MDM debut “Highway Money” spent seven weeks in the top 10 at Canadian country radio, and his follow-up “Nobody Roads” also cracked the top 10. He was named Emerging Artist of the Year at the 2024 Saskatchewan Country Music Awards, and he’s a top 8 finalist in SiriusXM Canada’s Top of the Country competition, a national program run in partnership with the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) that offers mentorship, performance opportunities, and a $25,000 grand prize.

When he’s not writing or recording, Stumpf co-runs the Sunset Country Music Festival, a grassroots Saskatchewan event focused on giving back to the local community. The guy’s got range, both musically and otherwise.

Go Give It a Spin

Two-Lane Testimony is out now on all streaming platforms. If “Johnnie Walker (Back To Me)” is any indication of where Josh Stumpf is headed, Canadian country is in very good hands.

Front Porch

In country music, the Front Porch has long been a place of reflection. A place where you can look at the life you have inside that front door. A place where time almost seems to stand still, where you can get away. It’s also a place where you can go to observe the world as it passes by you. To think about your place out there beyond the driveway.