Jason Isbell to Release New Album “Something More Than Free”

isbell-something-more-than-freeThe highly-anticipated follow up to Jason Isbell’s critically-acclaimed 2013 album Southeastern will be called Something More Than Free, and it will hit stores on on July 17th, 2015. The album will be released through Thirty Tigers, and Isbell’s own Southeastern Records. Like his last album, the effort was produced by vaunted producer Dave Cobb, who just announced a partnership to start his own label with Elektra Records.

The announcement comes as Isbell has just booked a four-night stand at the historic Ryman Auditorium beginning on October 23rd featuring openers Amanda Shires, Parker Milsap, Hurray for the Riff Raff, and Chris Stapleton on the subsequent nights.

Jason Isbell spoke with radio.com about the new album in late March.

“I don’t really cowrite with anybody, I write all my songs myself,” Isbell explained. “Some of the arrangements we worked out once we got in the studio. Dave Cobb helps a lot with those things, he’s got really good instincts for what direction to go in, whether a song needs a bridge or not, how many times to sing the chorus, things like that. I just came in with a bunch of songs, and then I’d play one for everybody, and we’d all go to our stations and figure it out.”

“I don’t practice the songs on the road, or play them in live shows before the record’s done,” Isbell continued. “I don’t want people to to have to un-learn parts. You fall in love with certain parts that you play, if you’re playing these new songs on the road, and then when you get in the studio those don’t turn out to be the right parts, you’re going to have to fall out of love with them. And that can be really stressful.”

The album includes what is characterized as a country throwback number in “If It Takes A Lifetime,” and emotional ballad in “Flagship,” a blues song called “Palmetto Rose,” and a previously-heard song called “24 Frames.”

It’s setting up to be a big 2015 for Isbell. His song “Dress Blues” will also be appearing on the Zac Brown Band’s new album, and may even be released as a single to country radio.

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