Americana singer-songwriter Jason Isbell has come a long way to reach the point he’s at today. In a past life, he was debilitated by alcohol and substance abuse. Years of hard living culminated in Isbell being kicked out of his former band, Drive-By Truckers, before finally taking the first steps down the path to sobriety.

Now completely clean, Isbell has more drive and clarity than ever before, marking him a songwriter at the top of his game. His latest record, Something More Than Free, was released last year to almost universal critical acclaim, providing a snapshot of an artist who has finally found the inner solace he yearned for on his breakthrough album, 2013’s Southeastern.

“I try to make records as a document as much as anything else,” says Isbell. “When my life changes, the content of my work is going to change. When I made Southeastern it was a very confusing time for me, which turned out to be really good creatively because it gave me a lot to say, a lot to talk about and a story to tell. Once that period was over with and I moved through that, the process felt a lot stronger, it felt a lot happier, and I’m a lot more satisfied with my personal life. I think that the challenge became pushing myself creatively in a way that reflected that.”

If Southeastern was a fearlessly honest documentation of Isbell’s journey towards sobriety and happiness, Something More Than Free is a record of what happens when the light at the end of the tunnel begins to flood through the void. Throughout it all, one thing is clear: songwriting is a vehicle for Isbell, not only to share his experiences, but to act as a personal mission statement of sorts; laying down on tape a sincerely optimistic depiction of the life he is determined to lead.

“I think anything you can use as a way to get perspective can help you work through issues,” he says. “That’s what art does for me, making songs – it gives me a different perspective. Sometimes I’m writing allegorically, or if I’m writing even about a character that I have synthesised from different people that I know, or just one that I made up if I’m writing a fictional story – it winds up being in a lot of ways about my own life. Really, it’s with the purpose of giving me a different perspective. If you step outside of yourself long enough to look at your life from a different angle, I think that can help you more than anything else.”

Indeed, Isbell uses character-driven narratives within his songwriting to masterful effect. Storytelling has always been a crucial element of the country and folk traditions, but Isbell’s musical vignettes pulse with a nuance that is not often heard. His Southern parables have covered everything from working life and existentially minded outlaws to the undignified death of a cancer-stricken friend. No matter what character he creates, however, a seed of his own experiences is placed inside it.

“I’m always going to find my way into the songs, even if they are character-driven,” he says. “There’s going to be some of me in each of these characters, because the only way I can really feel qualified to write about their stories is if their stories and mine intersect in a lot of ways. If I grow as a person, then they’re going to do the same thing.”

Isbell is an extremely studious writer and will often revise and edit his lyrics until they are delivered with exacting economy, yet rich with detail. Nothing is chosen haphazardly, and not a single syllable is wasted.

“If I’m working on a record, sometimes I’ll get on a kick where I’ll work every day,” says Isbell. “If I have studio time booked, I’ll sit down every day for hours and hours and just really refine every song. I used to not be able to do that. When I drank, it was really hard to focus for that long. Now I can sit for eight or ten hours a day sometimes and work the puzzles of writing the songs, trying to make everything come out as succinctly as they possibly can.”

Something More Than Free saw Isbell team up once more with prolific Nashville producer Dave Cobb, who brought an organic touch and sparsity to the record. With Isbell’s voice of a fallen angel – sweet, but raspy – and such painstakingly crafted lyrics, it’s no surprise Cobb pushed him to take centre stage. Ultimately, there was no need for anything else to get in the way. “[Cobb] wants to do away with anything superfluous,” says Isbell. “I really feel like that makes the record feel more genuine to me. I think it makes the emotions stronger.”

After all, emotions are at the core of Isbell’s songwriting. In the years he’s been sober, he’s created better music than ever before. He has been through a lifetime of experiences, both joyous and crushing. Now, it’s all about setting them free to those who want to listen.

“I think it all comes down to empathy, really. I want people to know that I understand what it’s like to be them, and I want them to understand what it’s like to be me. I think that’s the ultimate goal of creating anything.”

Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit play Bluesfest 2016 at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, Byron Bay, Thursday March 24 – Monday March 28, then the Enmore Theatre on Sunday April 3.Something More Than Free is out now through Spunk/Caroline.

Get unlimited access to the coverage that shapes our culture.
to Rolling Stone magazine
to Rolling Stone magazine