136: Josh Abbott

This week, we kick things off with Texas singer-songwriter Josh Abbott, who at week's end will be releasing his sixth full-length album, The Highway Kind (Friday, Nov. 13). I feel that The Highway Kind not only has some of Abbott's best songwriting to date, it's also Abbott's strongest full-length both thematically and sonically. Abbott has long been an ambitious album maker with loose conceptual themes throughout his career. It's something I'm not sure he's been given his proper due, but it something that's set him apart from much of his Texas Country leaning peers. It isn't always perfect or came across as well as he's intended, but those grander brush strokes of album themes have always been there. And that's in part what makes The Highway Kind so interesting. Abbott feels loose and comfortable without being fully satisfied. The even balanced nature is a driving force for the album, which is largely inspired by the ease, health, and well-being found in Abbott's home life as a father, husband, son, and so on. The concepts and themes aren't forced or buried due to outside influence or pressure. Rather, lead singles such as "The Highway Kind," "The Luckiest," and "Settle Me Down" fit hand in glove with deep cuts such as "Old Men & Rain," "One More Two-Step," and "Women & Wishes" (which very well should be a single). Abbott leans in and embraces those core familial values that connect one generation to the next. "The Highway Kind" and "Settle Me Down" intertwine with one another as they play off sides of the very same coin. It's specifically there where Abbott sings about the highways that lead you away and return you back to home. It's both the adventurous journey and the hearthstone fire that leads the way back.

During this interview, we talk about those themes and concepts of The Highway Kind, recording at Sonic Ranch, songwriting, storytelling, The Panhandlers, Terry Allen, and much more.

This episode's presenting partner is Desert Door Texas Sotol. In addition, this episode is sponsored by WYLD Gallery, The Blue Light Live, and Hot Damn Coffee.

Interview Transcript

Note: Transcripts aren’t always accurate since they are computer automated and haven’t been edited for spelling, grammar, etc.