All Ages
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If Briscoe's debut album was a coming-of-age soundtrack set against the backdrop of the Texas Hill Country, then its follow-up, Heat of July, is the sound of a fully-formed duo chasing down a broader horizon.
Inspired by the cross-country tours that took the band across America, these new songs expand Briscoe's folk-rock sound in all directions. There are bigger arrangements, sharper harmonies, and enough top-tier guest musicians to form their own supergroup. The result is a cinematic, widescreen version of American roots music, created by two lifelong friends who've learned to distill the thrill of the open road — and the challenges of growing up — into an ever-evolving soundtrack.
Hot asphalt. Spinning wheels. Mile markers. For Philip Lupton and Truett Heintzelman, those hallmarks of the American highway system have become the only constants in a period filled with change. Signed by ATO Records while still pursuing undergraduate degrees at UT Austin, the two Texas natives recorded Briscoe's debut album, West Of It All, during their final months as college students. Once graduation arrived, they left town and hit the road, spending a dizzying year crisscrossing the country — particularly the southwest — in a van packed with gear and bandmates. Seated up front, Philip and Truett found themselves in awe of the
canyons, mountains, and mesas that unfolded just outside the windshield. New songs began to arrive during those long drives across the desert, dreamt into existence at 80 miles per hour, as eclectic and evocative as the landscape that inspired them.
"We learned how to write music from behind the wheel," Philip says, thinking back to the show-filled schedule that helped transform Briscoe from Texas' best-kept secret into national torchbearers of timeless Americana. "Coming up with melodies in our heads, without a guitar or piano nearby, was a necessity for us during those tours. We were on the road so much that we had to become more mobile with the creative process."
"There are so many beautiful parts of America, but the southwest is something we really gravitate toward," adds Truett. "There's something about that area that makes us want to write songs. During the past year, though, it became the new norm to write songs on the go, drawing inspiration from wherever we were."
The guys drew inspiration from home, too. Philip and Truett both married their longtime partners in the wake of West Of It All's success — whose accolades included a Top 40 hit on the Triple A chart with "The Well," as well as offers to tour alongside acts like Noah Kahan and Dave Matthews Band — and thoughts of family lingered as they traveled across North America, playing everywhere from Canada to Cancun. By the time Briscoe arrived in North Carolina to record Heat of July with Brad Cook — the Grammy-nominated producer behind albums by Bon Iver, Waxahatchee, and Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, as well as Briscoe's debut — they'd written another batch of songs that celebrated not only the great outdoors, but also their flesh-and-blood roots as husbands and family men. Heat of July makes room for all of it, showcasing a pair of songwriters who've learned to grow without leaving their foundations behind.
On "Adeline" — a blast of roadhouse rock & roll, punctuated by harmonica, upright piano, and a lushly harmonized chorus — Truett serenades his wife while Houndmouth's Matt Myers chimes in on electric guitar. Philip delivers snapshots of his own marriage with songs like "Mexican Eagles" and "Blue Eyes and Red Wine," filling his lyrics with the rugged imagery of West Texas, singing in a voice that's the folky foil to his bandmate's croon. Those entwined voices have been Briscoe's calling card for years, even since the two singers first crossed paths while attending the same summer camp at 14 years old. Here, their harmonies lead the charge on nearly every track. They come together on acoustic anthems like "Roughnecks," written about Truett's great-grandfather (who left Oklahoma to work in the Texas oil fields during the early 20th century) and laced with traditional bluegrass instrumentation. They do the same on "Arizona Shining," inspired by one of the group's many road trips through the desert; "Saving Grace," with its anthemic chorus and love-story narrative; and the haunted, harrowing "Flashlights in the Canyon," which tells the story of a border-bound woman hoping to escape to America.
"Flashlights in the Canyon is a story inspired by an experience I had along the Texas-Mexico border and the conversations I had with locals in the area afterward.” Philip says, adding, “Having seen firsthand the humanity on both sides of the border crisis, I was inspired to create a narrative that doesn’t advocate for any one agenda, but rather focuses on the real people who are living the conflict. I hope this song helps to shed light on the fact that there is gray area between what so many people believe is black and white"
Briscoe's songwriting isn't the only thing that's grown since West Of It All's release. Thanks in part to an expanded guest list that includes drummer Matthew McCaughan (Bon Iver), fiddle player Libby Rodenbough (Mipso), mandolinist Andrew Marlin (Watchhouse, formerly know as Mandolin Orange), multi-instrumentalist Phil Cook (Hiss Golden Messenger), and electric guitarist Matt Myers (Houndmouth), Heat of July sounds bigger and bolder than its predecessor. "Free," with its country-funk groove and soulful stomp, marks new territory for the band, while the album's title track — with its intro of syncopated banjo and booming percussion — nods to a group willing to electrify and enlarge its sound.
"I studied geology, so driving through Arizona is like me being a kid in a candy store," says Philip. "We'll always write songs inspired by that landscape, but we've learned how to tell more personal stories with our music, too. We're talking about our wives, our relationships, and our family trees. We're really wearing our hearts on our sleeves when we're writing."
"It felt like home to be back in the studio with Brad," Truett adds. "He already understood our dynamic, so he felt comfortable pushing us as songwriters and lyricists. He helped us grow. And whenever we'd say, 'It would be real nice to have a flatpicking guitar here' or 'Maybe this song needs a fiddle,' Brad would say, 'What about so-and-so from this band?' He'd reach out to them, and before we knew it, we had this crazy roster of artists playing with us. It was like a big folk supergroup."
There's more touring up ahead, of course. More commitments that will take Briscoe away from the lives they've built in Texas. Heat of July may be the band's next ticket out of town, but it's also a love letter to the landscape that first inspired Truett and Philip to write songs. The road goes on forever… but for Briscoe, the road always leads back home, too.
"Growing up in the heat taught me to savor the cooler moments: those fifteen minutes of soft blue light just after the sun dips below the horizon," Philip explains. "That feeling is something I'll carry with me for the rest of my life. Memories like long drives to reach any city of significance, the smell of rain on hot asphalt, and the fleeting nature of a summer fling — these are the moments I wove into 'Heat of July,' which feels like a personal theme song. They’ve left a lasting impression, and no matter where life takes me, I’ll never leave behind the heat of July. You take it with you all year long, and you learn how to appreciate the cool when it does come."
For Briscoe, there's a lot to appreciate these days. As they fuel up the van for another year of heavy touring, they're grateful for everything that's brought them here, whittling their songwriting into sharp shape, turning them into touring veterans. The heat of July certainly doesn't bother them. But when another season arrives, they'll be ready.
