JASON ISBELL'S SEVENTH STUDIO album, May 2020's Reunions, got nearly universal raves. But, as told in the HBO documentary Running With Our Eyes Closed, making the record was a challenge for the Alabama-born singer and guitarist. At the time, Isbell, a recovering alcoholic, was going through personal and creative tensions with his wife, musician Amanda Shires. Then the pandemic forced him to postpone a tour with his band, the 400 Unit.
"Sometimes you have a hard time connecting with people, whether it be your bandmates, your spouse, whoever," Isbell tells Newsweek. "I think the documentary does a good job of showing people who are just trying to make the right choices and trying to be good people. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, but you just keep moving, keep doing your best."
Isbell has moved forward both in music and life. On June 9, he and The 400 Unit-keyboardist Derry de Borja, drummer Chad Gamble, bassist Jimbo Hart and guitarist Sadler Vaden-are releasing their new album, Weathervanes.
"I wanted to make an album that gave people a similar experience to seeing the live show," he says. "That was a big part of the reason why I chose to produce this record myself [after working with producer Dave Cobb on previous albums] because it just felt like we could capture something here that felt a little bit more like seeing us on stage. And I think we did that. There are some louder moments, there are some really dynamic moments, a lot of electric guitars on this record. It was a lot of fun to make."
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Mystery of Ginger Cat Is out of the Bag
The genetics behind the vibrant orange color in feline coats is finally confirmed after 112 years
Paris Hilton & Nicole Richie
PARIS HILTON AND NICOLE RICHIE ARE READY TO BRING A LITTLE “SANASA” to the world with Peacock's Paris & Nicole: The Encore, their first project together since their reality show The Simple Life ended in 2007. What's “sanasa”? It's a song and phrase the longtime friends created as kids and popularized on The Simple Life. The show, a cultural phenomenon in the early days of reality TV, followed them over a series of blue-collar jobs. Now they're bringing it back as an opera. “I know this is just going to make people laugh, have fun, be nostalgic and just celebrate our friendship,” Hilton said. While Richie acknowledged “you can't do Simple Life again,” she said now “felt like the right time.” The famous pair also revisit some old jobs in Arkansas, like fast-food chain Sonic, where they now have drinks named for them. “I think that there is a part of our friend- ship that the show ended up showing that people connect to,” Richie said. As for this new special, Hilton is glad to do something positive for their fans. “It's been such a crazy past couple years, and I just feel like the world needs more joy.”
What Next for Your Drugstore?
Walgreens and Amazon are placing opposing bets on the future of retail pharmacy
AMERICA'S GREATEST WORKPLACES for Diversity
AS COMPANIES IN THE UNITED STATES CONTINUE TO navigate the evolving dynamics of the workplace, diversity remains a cornerstone of organizational success and social responsibility.
FIGHTING SPIRITS
ANDREA MCCARTHY TOLD FRIENDS and family when she gave up alcohol on January 1, 2024, that she would toast 12 months off the sauce with a drink to ring in 2025. As that anniversary approached, the Los Angeles-born content creator told Newsweek she had had a change of heart.
Lessons Over Lunch
Ninety-year-old volunteer Hugh showed me how the winter years can be full of purpose
Is California's Green Dream Hot Air?
The state aims to rely on zero-carbon energy sources in two decades' time but has hurdles to overcome along the way
Power Struggle
As the dust settles following the toppling of Bashar al-Assad, new front lines could be drawn in Syria's old civil war
Downsizing Goes Bust for Boomers
Rising property costs are not just affecting young Americans—older people are ‘aging in place’ due to a dearth of affordable accessible housing
Ray Romano
\"I read about three scripts, and at the end of each there was a little twist, a little turn, [and] it was funny.\"