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This is fresh air. I'm Terry Gross. My guest, Jasonbell was described in variety as the poet laureate of American

Rock. The quibble I have with that is that I'm not exactly sure I'd call it rock, because there's

country and folk music blended into many of his songs. Maybe the word Americana more suits him.

He's won nine Americana Music Awards and six Grammys. His lyrics are as well

written as a good poem or short story. They're often very personal, and that was especially true of

his album, Southeastern, which was released in 2013 and was his first album since getting sober.

It's also true of his new album, Foxes in the Snow, on which he sounds especially naked because it's solo.

His band The 400 Unit sits this one out. It's just Isbell and his guitar.

Some of the songs are about the blame, anger, and guilt when a relationship ends,

and about the exhilaration of falling in love again.

His ex-wife Amanda Shires is also a songwriter and singer

and violinist who performed with Isbell. She's written her own songs about the cracks in their relationship.

They were in a 2023 documentary together called Running With Our Eyes Closed, which is about the making of

Isbell's 2020 album Reun, on which he played fiddle.

The film also end up being about the tension in the marriage, which was exacerbated during the

COVID lockdown when they spent more time together than they ever had. Jason Isbell got his professional

start with the band The Drive-by Truckers. Before we hear some of the

relationship songs, let's start with a song that opens the album. I love this one. It's called

bury me. bury me where the wind don't blow, where the dust won't cover me, where the tall grass grass grows or bury me right where I fall.

...