EXCLUSIVE: The Talbott Brothers Return Home to Imperial, Nebraska, with 'Mud' Ahead of Forthcoming Album Borderlands

There is a yogic practice in Buddhism called “Touching the Earth” that involves lying close to the ground, literally touching the ground with your forehead, legs and hands, with the idea that you will feel return to your roots in the earth and feel a greater connection to your ancestors, becoming aware of both your smallness and greatness, not as something separate but as something deeply, spiritually connected to everything else.

On their latest single, 'Mud,' The Talbott Brothers are doing just that.

Sometimes you need to get away from it all and go backwards to go forwards. Whether it was Bruce Springsteen holed up in the bedroom of his home in Colts Neck, New Jersey, around a four-track to record Nebraska or Paul McCartney retreating to his living room after The Beatles broke up to channel his disappointment into a series of home recordings for McCartney, the history of popular music has often been rewritten by those moments when artists took time out to get back in touch with themselves again.

After years of making their mark on the eclectic, ever changing musical landscape of Portland, The Talbott Brothers - Nick and Ty - decided to shift down a few gears and look homeward toward the small Midwestern town of Imperial, Nebraska, where they had grown up. As well as moving back home, they also took a moment to recognise the debt they owed musically to their upbringing, breaking into their father's vinyl collection and immersing themselves in the simple sounds of an acoustic guitar and a gravel road.

Taken from their forthcoming album, Borderlands, their latest song, 'Mud,' marks a profound personal rebirth, capturing a thematic journey that brings them full circle, back to their roots and returning to the simplicity and honesty that originally fuelled their music. A raw and unapologetic reflection of who they are at their core, with their soulful sibling harmonies and their powerful, brooding take on Americana.

“It is a song about blocking out the noise and refusing to let other people’s opinions define you," Nick and Ty shared. "The song tells the story of embracing the messiness of life and choosing to ignore the judgment and expectations from others. It’s about walking your own path and not letting anyone tell you how to deal with your struggles. The song is a bold reminder to drown out the critics, find peace, and keep moving forward.”

The album navigates the emotional frontiers suggested by its name — where heartbreak leads to healing, grief discovers joy, sadness gives way to happiness, anger finds forgiveness, and indifference becomes love. It’s a sonic exploration of finding the courage to leave home, while always carrying a piece of it with you.

“Pops works at John Deere and Mom was a teacher,” Ty says.“During the creative and writing process we spent our days riding motorcycles, going to the lake, shooting guns, driving around listening to old rock and roll and country music, making fires and writing songs.”

“We recorded our last record during the pandemic and we explored a lot of different sounds since we were hulled up in a studio for so long,” says Ty.“With Borderlands we wanted to create everything around an acoustic guitar and track things in a room together, keeping it as bare bones as possible.”

"As artists, we hope it says we’re real," they explain. "As brothers, we hope it says we’re unbreakable."

Watch the music video for 'Mud' and listen below

Borderlands is released on 2 May 2025