Justin Townes Earle

We're delighted to be welcoming back Nashville based country-folk star Justin Townes Earle.

Justin will be performing with current Calexico steel guitar and pedal steel player Paul Niehaus. Paul was a founder member of Lambchop and has played on amazing records by the likes of Yo La Tengo, Silver Jews, Bonnie Prince Billy, Iron & Wine, Wanda Jackson, Bob Dylan, John Prine and many more.

Support comes from fellow Nashvillian, Andrew Combs. His music is equal parts rough-and-tumble 1960s Chicago blues, Planet Waves-era Dylan and vintage Nashville folk. His band’s live show was once described as a cross between Merle Haggard’s stripped-down country rock and the tightly wound garage punk of Detroit’s MC5.

Once compared to a man who wears many suits, in thirty-two short years Justin Townes Earle has experienced more than most, both personally and professionally. Between releasing four full-length-critically-acclaimed albums, constant touring, multiple stints in rehab, a new found sobriety, being born Steve Earle’s son, amicable and not-so-amicable break-ups with record labels, and facing the trials and tribulations of everyday life, it’s safe to say JTE has quite the story to tell.

He returns to the UK armed with a host of songs from not one but two new records. Released last month, 'Single Mothers' saw Earle team up with Vagrant Records for the first time. The album is comprised of ten tracks that showcase exactly why Justin Townes Earle is considered a forefather of Contemporary Americana. As a recently married, sober man JTE writes from a point of maturity and content we’ve not seen before on past records. “One day I just realized it’s not cool to die young, and it’s even less cool to die after 30,” Justin states as he reflects on a life past and his newly found clarity. What he’s created is an album that’s raw, honest and personal in a way he hasn’t touched upon since his debut EP, Yuma.

Co-produced along side longtime engineer Adam Bednarik, Single Mothers shines in a world of pop-culture driven Ameri- cana records. With his heart and soul still rooted in Nashville, Single Mothers shows Justin’s continued combination of catchy songs and authenticity.

The album was recorded live with his four-piece touring band with only days of rehearsal leading up to recording to keep the ideas fresh. No overdubs, no other singers, no additional players – just a real, heartfelt performance capturing the moment. In fact, his songs “Picture in a Drawer’ and ‘It’s Cold in This House’ are only Justin, his guitar and his pedal steel player Paul Niehaus.

“As I’ve gotten older my anger comes from a very different place. It’s more rational and mature. I guess that comes along with clarity,” JTE reflects. Single Mothers finds Justin dealing with past struggles and anger with more ease than ever before. Creating a nostalgic feeling with the return to his signature sound, JTE takes listeners on a journey through some of his most personal stories yet on what can only be described as an authentic country record.

Companion piece, 'Absent Fathers', will be released in January 2015. Comprised of 10 tracks, it was recorded alongside 'Single Mothers' as a double album, but as Justin began to sequence it, he felt each half needed to make its own statement and they took on their own identities.

http://www.justintownesearle.com/

http://www.npr.org/event/music/346846756/justin-townes-earle-tiny-desk-concert

http://www.andrewcombsmusic.com/