The musical path Jason Isbell has taken isn’t recommended. At the age of 22 he joined the Drive-By Truckers, ending up addicted to alcohol and coke, eventually being asked by the rest of the band to leave. Sober for over…
Jason Isbell is an honest man, and his new album with the 400 Unit, Weathervanes, offers an unflinching look at the modern world with a sense of honesty one rarely sees. And like any honest man, he views himself and…
Inspiration for albums can come when you least expect them and for Jason Isbell, sitting at home on Election Day 2020, this is no exception. “Georgia Blue is a labor of love,” Isbell said. “On election day 2020, when I…
“Thought I was alone in the world, until my memories gathered round me in the night” Jason Isbell sings on ‘What I’ve Done to Help’, the opening track to Reunions. The rolling chorus repeated like a mantra towards the end,…
Perhaps we should apologise for today’s Song of the Day. Or at least provide a warning. This one can blindside you. ‘Elephant’ might be one of the saddest songs you ever hear. It might also be one you can’t quite…
I’ll admit, I was late to the party with Jason Isbell. Since he departed the Drive-By Truckers in 2006, and went sober 7 years after, he’s led a widely successful solo career, but I didn’t come across him until his…
Shot in El Reno, OK last May, Joey Frendo debuts an acoustic rendition of his single, ‘Lordstown’, with For Folk’s Sake. It’s a hearty slice of bonafide blue collar Americana, wedged finely between the songwriting inclinations of a Jason Isbell…
In the world between folk singing and rock ‘n’ roll, David Lareau presents his own microcosm. Together with his band, Whiskey in the Pines, they create heartland-reminiscent blue collar music. It feels a little like Damien Jurado, a little like…
The Mountain Goats have produced 19 albums since the early 90’s but astoundingly these last couple of years have been their busiest period, seeing them release three records in the short expanse of 18 months. It’s testament to John Darnielle…
If John Prine digs your songwriting, why shouldn’t everyone else? Near the end of the Americana hero’s life, his ears perked towards Arlo McKinley, who he’d ultimately signed to his label, Oh Boy Records. The resulting album, Die Midwestern, dropped…