If you think of Jason Isbell as the George Harrison to Patterson Hood’s John Lennon and Mike Cooley’s Paul McCartney, you’re mistaken.
Yes, a writer recently described Isbell and his former Drive-by Truckers’ bandmates that way, but Isbell says it’s an inaccurate comparison at best.
“I read that. That’s silly,” he said. “That doesn’t make sense at all. No way could you compare Mike Cooley with Paul McCartney. That’s like comparing the two most different people in the world. And I’m not George. It’s just silly.”
What is straightforward, though, is that since Isbell amicably parted ways with the Truckers after seven years and began fronting the 400 Unit, both have done well creatively. Isbell’s been able to showcase his much-lauded songwriting skills in more ways than he was able to in the Truckers, which have several writers in the band.
That’s given Isbell real freedom and allowed him to show off his work — including Truckers songs he penned — in new ways before crowds.
“I guess it’s pretty obvious, but it’s given me more of an opportunity record more of the songs I write,” Isbell said, noting he makes songwriting a priority even during a heavy touring schedule. “I won’t say [fronting a band is] mostly business. I won’t allow it to be. For me, it’s mostly writing as I’m riding down the road.”
Those songs are such beautifully crafted Southern rock anthems that Isbell has won a host of kudos from major music critics, some of which named the band’s self-titled album one of the best in 2009.
Although he understands the excitement surrounding his next release, he guards the songs much like a painter would artwork before it’s unveiled. He says that a new album is around the corner, likely to come out next spring, but stops short of talking about the songs in detail.
“They are a lot of the same sort of songs I’ve done before,” he said of his well-known, soulful music. “It’s not time to think about those songs, talk about those songs right now. I need to get them finished.”
What he will talk about is his writing process and inspirations that are as likely to develop from bits of overheard conversations or even random passages in books than they are from music. So has leading a band and creating his own musical vision made him more thoughtful than he was before?
“No. I am the same dumbass that I was 10 years ago,” he said with a laugh. “That is a good thing.”
