Back in 2013, American singer and songwriter Jason Isbell released the album ‘Southeastern’, which tracked his life as an enthusiastic-if-reckless archetype of the dissolute southern rocker. It was an overwhelming critical and commercial success. Five more studio albums followed, turning Grammy-winning Isbell into a chart-topper and – as of Martin Scorsese’s ‘Killers Of The Flower Moon’ – a movie star. Here he sits down with Andrew Mueller for a candid chat about his life and music, his viral ‘feral hogs’ tweet and his acting debut alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
One of my primary concerns then was only live by your own rules, only work to your own standards.
See how that goes.
So when we finished Southeastern, I was completely satisfied with it because I thought, well, this sounds like a good album to me and I'm going to stop there and then see what happens.
And then it just went crazy.
Back in 2013, Jason Isbel released an album about changing his life and it changed his life.
It was called Southeastern and it was a reflection on who and what he'd been until very shortly before it was released.
An enthusiastic, if reckless archetype of the dissolute southern rocker Alabama Raised and Hell Raising.
First as a guitarist with Drive By Truckers, then as a solo artist trading in whiskey soaked ballads.
Five more studio albums have followed Southeastern, turning Is Bull into an authentic Grammy winning chart topper.
And as of Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon, a movie star.
I'm Andrew Miller and on his third visit to Monocle, I spoke to Jason Isbl for the big interview.
Jason Isbell, welcome to the big interview.
Thank you.
I'm happy to be here.
I want to start with something relatively recent because I think, as will become clear over this conversation, you've had quite a life full of what must be how did I get here?
Moments.
But playing at the Democratic National Convention, you played something more than free.
Wearing a tuxedo and a smart bow tie.
What are you actually thinking about while you're playing at an event like that?
The straightness of the bow tie.