Jason Isbell

After playing in bands as a teenager, he honed his lyrical chops and landed a publishing deal with FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.

From there, Isbell joined the southern rock band Drive-By Truckers as a touring member, soon beginning to write songs for their albums, Decoration Day (2003), The Dirty South (2004) and A Blessing and a Curse (2006).

He eventually left the band in 2007 to pursue a solo career, releasing his debut album Sirens of the Ditch the same year. Two more albums followed alongside Isbell's band the 400 Unit, 2009's Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit and 2011's Here We Rest.

But it was his fourth album, 2014's Southeastern, that picked up serious momentum, both critically and commercially. Isbell's songwriting had clearly reached a new level.

Southeastern helped him win the three major awards at that year's Americana Music Awards: Artist of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year (for 'Cover Me Up').

Hot on the heels of that success, Isbell released another best-selling album Something More Than Free, which was produced by Dave Cobb. His sixth studio album The Nashville Sound followed in 2018. Between those two albums, Isbell won four Grammys, including two for Best Americana Album.

Isbell and Cobb worked together again on his sixth studio album, 2020's Reunions. In 2021, Isbell and the Drive-By Truckers released a live album from their 2014 reunion show at Shoals Theatre.