Jason Isbell interviewed live on WNCW

old hmm and then you want to be I feel like if every piece of work I do makes everything before it mediocre, then I'm fine with that, I'm happy with that, you know why it's important to improve, but yeah, the connection with them, you know, it's kind of interesting because it took some time. I worked when I was sober. I hadn't played sober in many years until I stopped drinking. I went on tour. It was Ryan Adams and we were in Australia, New Zealand and she was there on the trip with us and the first show.

I played, we're in Perth, I think with this big concert hall, you know, he was playing to huge crowds of people and it was just me by myself and then Ryan by myself, I was opening for him and I was terrified, you know, I walked out and it's like I was elevated, I'm in front of everyone, everyone bought a ticket, you know and now I better do something really cool and you know, I yelled at the sound guy and I ended up going back and apologizing to the sound guy for it later and I just did. the ridiculous one because I was scared for a few shows and then, you know, Ryan and himself had been through it, so he was a big help and she was a big help there.

I thought it was really helpful when he came after you with that Buck Owens guitar and changed all the lyrics to your song. He did many things that I like to tell you. Yeah, I like to tell myself it was to take my mind off the pressure and play the show. he worked, it worked, was it for that reason or he just thought it was necessary to rewrite the outfit as a song about football. It's a yes. I think in some way I represent football for him. I'm fine with that. I just saw him, just when he was there. walking down the hallway I parked it down here, I had just sent out a couple of tweets about yeah, yeah, you know he's good at it, he's been very, very kind to us.

I mean talking to people about the work we're doing. and you know, taking me on the road on quite a few tours, I've always had a great time with him, he's a lot of fun, Jason. I wonder if you could talk for a minute about Amanda shires' new CD, pretty good. oh yeah, hot stuff and look, let's see, you know, I love that record. I loved playing on that album because I became a guitarist and I didn't know it. I knew the songs were there. I knew they were solid and I also knew they were solid.

It's not mine, so I didn't have to worry too much about it. I just like what they want to hear, what kind of guitar they want on this song and one day we had a pretty intense conversation because because I was asking him if he wanted something that was kind of like the Frizzle style because the production or the realization was similar, like Tom Waits or something, so you don't want me to play something like that at the Frizzle guitar school. He said oh God, no, no, not for the song, what I want. I went out and stood outside for a minute thinking about it and realized she thought she meant Lefty Frizzell and I'm in a big field.

I met Bill Frisell. Yeah, I'm back, so wait a minute, wait a minute, wait, but yeah, that was a lot of fun for me just playing guitar and I love these songs. You know, I think she writes songs that are interesting and are more. that just average vehicles for someone to sing and look good, you know, they're actually the substance of those songs that I think are very literate and, you know, the meanings develop the more you listen to them well, it's a good thing. A little anecdote about Bill Frisell and Lefty Frizzell is interesting because it's really a change for you, you used to be like Lefty Frizzell so that's right and this is a totally different sound for you, it is and it sounds like me, at least in terms of production.

Yeah, I think it's just thanks to the producer. I finally found someone who understands like I do. I don't know, I just don't talk, yeah, and then when I do it always comes out so weird, well, then you can get some more peanuts. butter and jelly and less like a cat walking on a roof, you know, I thought this record had a very bright pop sound, yeah, that's fine, thanks mm-hmm, thanks. I want to point out that we did this top-100 countdown with our listeners every year, so you two were in the top 100 this year, top 100, well thank you all for voting for us, yeah, what are you reading these days ?

Jason, you're a big fan of the books, right? You, yes, well, what are you reading there? You just finished Infinite Jest. I just read the maze. The Gathering's maze. Yeah, well, that's kind of heavy. I'm going to David Foster Wallace. Infinite Jest was heavy, but I loved it. I really loved it. I laughed. strong and a lot um, I got tired of having to go back and forth to end notes and stuff, yeah, but I use footnotes, but yeah, it was really good, there's a really good book. I like it a lot. Wow, I was going to find some kind of link between what you're reading in your composition, but that's a weird mistake, it's a weird book, it is, um, yeah, I really know how to talk about it.

I love the fact that he doesn't give you all the information. details, but he knows the thing is that it took me a long time to read it. I was reading for three months and my favorite was when he dropped it and in your face when he fell asleep, I'm sure. that was your favorite face, oh all the things, then you and then you, then you dropped your B string, flatten oh yeah, his favorite favorite, um, yeah, it took a while, but when I got to the end, you know for the people who read that. book when it cuts at the end you're supposed to know what's next, I think, and if you look back at the first 20 pages of the book, you'll say, oh, okay, you know that well, I see how this ended, but there's a gap between the loop you know the book loops itself and there's a missing space right after the last page where if you don't remember what you read at the beginning of the book you're going to be stumped so I had to go back and read the first few 20 pages again.

I'd never had to do that before with a book in it, it made me feel a bit silly, so I guess it did what it wanted to do. I remember someone told me once that when writing songs that was like the key, you had to eliminate more things, you had to leave more spaces or more spaces to achieve it, you just have to choose the right details, man, that's the hard part, that's the hard part because you can, you can inundate people with things that don't You can't move the story forward very easily or you can be broad, you know, and some people love knowing that songs that have big, broad lyrics are great to put in the background when you're having a Super Bowl party or getting ready or something. but for me, if I'm going to listen to a song, I want something that gives me the right details where I can feel like I'm in a certain place and time and you know the Rolling Stones always did that and they did that.

It was more than just lyrics, but, but, great, great lyricist, you know, you listen to Randy Newman and you know, you really get the feeling that there's a character speaking to you somewhere in time that isn't Alabama in the '90s. or when I first started. I started hearing that stuff, you know guys, it sounds wonderful. Congratulations on the album. Both you and Jason Southeaster won every award you can win, I think, and well, not every award you can win, but all the good ones, I don't think. I'm getting the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Award this year because you don't write songs for kids.

No, I'll take it for two people to read those awards correctly and children's songs are easier to say, honestly, they don't sell. songs with me, but in my experience, children, the best songs for children are the best songs for adults, it's true, you know, children love the Beatles, you have to read a gun well and Bob Marley, that's what Scott Joplin, yes, there are reasons for that, the things that move you when you're that size, you'll move later, yes, and they have better critics in some ways, but yes, it's certainly more honest. I didn't understand the word two words for Bennie and the Jets until recently, you know not in my entire life.

I thought it was something else, but you knew the song, yeah, you loved the song, you got a torez mohair suit ooh, yeah, no, I bought it in a magazine. I like your

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version, that's why I didn't know what it was about, yeah. I still don't know what it is, but I want to be even more confusing. I love your version. I forgot, although under 80 here, that's probably the best way for anyone else. Oh dear, everything is being recorded; In fact, I should mention that John Watson is here since Watson's video production. so we have received a video, hopefully a new one will appear your My dear John Watson, what is that? um yeah yeah on Jason Amanda thank you thank you thank you for those we got one more song yeah we do another song yeah beautiful.

The studio is really nice to come in and play with people who know what they're doing and they put stuff together and it sounds good, we have a lot of space, we're not crammed into anyone's closet with egg cartons on the walls and stuff, no offense. to some of those stations, I know they're doing the best they can, but it's nice to have a little bit of luxury in this valley and then the showers. I enjoy watching you all play and communicate, you just look so relaxed and just look like you. You're in such a good place and the music sounds so good that I just follow him mm-hmm unless he starts going to my shadow.

You know Jason, yes, I actually did. I turned around and looked there a few times. I'll make sure I don't go anywhere shady, yeah, you know, I feel more comfortable when we play music than any other time of the day. Hmm, everything else is, you know, difficult, stressful sometimes, but that's it. The part is easy. I like that type of communication. Well, it sounds great today and thank you very much for bringing the music. Thank you for inviting us. Are you having a good time? Amanda, you know it friend. It's okay, I'm glad to be here.

You have to do it. Come back, yes, we will be, I will be here tomorrow Rico, like yesterday, have a glass of water for yourself. Jeanne is sleeping under that table again, yeah, that's the basement tracker hit, yeah, it wouldn't be the first time, man, tomorrow night, the orange. peels in Asheville and then points further down the road and a big thank you adjacent Amanda shower

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sessions from Studio B in WCW, made possible by Sierra Nevada Brewing Company again, thank you very much, now we'll get to the music of Jimmy Smith.