Jason Isbell | Artist
Michael Jason Isbell is an American singer-songwriter and actor born 1979 in Green Hill, Alabama. He is known for his solo work, together with the band The 400 Unit, and as a member of Drive-By Truckers. As a four-time Grammy Award winner, he is one of the most successful and respected figures in the alt-country and singer/songwriter communities, with songs full of Southern grit, which show an introspective side and a gift for nuanced storytelling. Isbell's father and mother were both teenagers when he was born, being only 19 and 17 years old respectively. This became the subject of the song "Children of Children" off Isbell's 2015 album Something More Than Free. Isbell grew up mainly in North Alabama, cared for by his grandparents who lived on a farm near the school that Isbell attended. His grandfather and uncle taught him to play instruments including the mandolin when he was six years old, and introduced him to gospel and bluegrass music and the Grand Old Opry. In high school he played trumpet and French Horn, and played in a garage band and a country cover band when he was 14 years old with his friend, songwriter Chris Tompkins. They played at the Grand Old Oprey when Isbell was only 16. Isbell attended the University of Memphis studying English and creative writing but dropped out to go on tour just one credit short of finishing his course. The university subsequently awarded Isbell a bachelor's degree in English, taking into account his career experience. After a six year stint with Southern rock outfit the Drive-By Truckers, between the years 2001-2007, singer/guitarist Isbell left the group to pursue a solo career. His early solo efforts, such as 2007's rock-infused Sirens of the Ditch, boasted a raw, rootsy flavour filled with youthful swagger. His second album was co-credited to the 400 Unit, a backing band primarily made up of musicians from the Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Comprising Sadler Vaden (guitar), Derry DeBorja (keyboard, accordion), Chad Gamble (drums), Amanda Shires (fiddle, backup vocals) and Will Johnson (guitar, percussion), the band has featured on all but three of Isbell's studio albums. Isbell and Amanda Shires, who had a successful solo career before she joined the band, became husband and wife in 2013. After overcoming a dependence on alcohol and drugs, Isbell's songwriting gained greater depth; 2013's Southeastern, his first album after getting sober, was a major critical & commercial success full of self-confessional depth. That album led to a clean sweep of the 2014 Americana Music Awards, winning Album of the Year, Artist of the Year, and for the song "Cover me Up" Song of the Year. To-date Isbell has released nine studio albums and over 30 live albums. Stand-outs include Here We Rest (2011), Southeastern (2013), Something More Than Free (2015), The Nashville Sound (2017), Reunions (2020), Weathervanes (2023) and Live From The Ryman (2018). Outside of music, Isbell has appeared in roles in the TV series Squidbillies and Billions, as well as the films Deadwood: The Movie and Killers of the Flower Moon. Isbell has a tattoo on the inside of his left arm quoting the lyrics of the Bob Dylan song "Boots of Spanish Leather": "Just carry yourself back to me unspoiled, from across that lonesome ocean."
Artist Website: jasonisbell.com
Featured Albums: Jason Isbell
Related Artists: Drive-By Truckers
