Josh Stumpf Steps Off the Highway on “Nobody Roads”

by Scott Roos

live photo by Scott Roos

Our Grade: A

“Nobody Roads” (released this past September) feels like both a continuation and a quiet evolution for Josh Stumpf -almost a heartbreaking sequel to last year’s breakaway road trip stomper “Highway Money.” Where that song reveled in momentum and grit, this one turns inward, tracing the emotional necessity of escape and solitude. It’s a deeply personal track rooted in Josh’s first-ever songwriting trip outside the country, written on day one in Nashville alongside Mitch Merrett, Dave Thomson, and Patricia Conroy, with Thomson also handling production.

The song’s origin story gives it added weight. Josh has spoken openly about the nerves heading into that initial session and the surreal feeling of being surrounded by writers he admired, a moment when the dream suddenly felt real. The core idea of driving nowhere in particular just to breathe, think, and feel without judgment lands with sincerity and clarity. “Nobody Roads” captures that impulse beautifully: disappearing for a while, letting emotions spill out safely, and finding peace in motion.

From a technical standpoint, the track is airtight. It sounds unmistakably Nashville in the best sense. It's fully formed, confidently produced, and built to connect. Vocally, Stumpf is in peak form here. He pushes his voice just enough to serve the emotion without tipping into excess, delivering a performance that feels both controlled and heartfelt. It’s the kind of vocal that signals radio readiness, and it’s easy to hear why country radio has embraced all the songs in Stumpf's catalogue so quickly.

If there’s any critique to offer, it’s less about what is here and more about what could come next. Trucks, highways, and whiskey remain familiar terrain for Josh, and he navigates it well but it would be exciting to hear him apply this same level of honesty and craftsmanship to themes outside that already well established imagery.

Still, as it stands, “Nobody Roads” is a hit - professionally executed, emotionally grounded, and resonant in a way that feels earned. For the kid who once drove those empty grid roads because it felt like all he had, this song is proof of just how far he’s come.