Jason Isbell: To Love (Is To Criticize)

Call & Response

Just hours after a Confederate monument was removed in Richmond, VA, Jason Isbell made his take very clear: “Nostalgia requires a lack of examination.” Amid the backdrop of a region reckoning with its past, this week’s Call & Response features Adia Victoria speaking with Jason, the Grammy award-winning songwriter from Green Hill, Alabama. Jason reflects on his identity as a white Southern man, why he seeks communion in his work, and the pitfalls of unquestioned nostalgia in country music. Also, hear a new single featuring Jason Isbell from Adia Victoria’s upcoming album, “A Southern Gothic,” in this week’s playlist: https://bit.ly/cr-jason.

/ Music In This Week's Episode /

Brittney Spencer, “Sober and Skinny”

Mickey Guyton, “Remember Her Name”

Amythyst Kiah, “Fancy Drones (Fracture Me)”

Shemekia Copeland, “Give God The Blues”

Allison Russell, “All of the Women”

Joy Oladokun, “Bad Blood”

Adia Victoria feat. Kyshona, Margo Price and Jason Isbell, “You Was Born To Die”

/ Show Notes /

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit’s album "Georgia Blue," featuring Adia Victoria, comes out digitally on Oct. 15 through Southeastern Records. Jason’s latest album is “Reunions,” available now.

Jason references a meme showing a futuristic city as what “would be country music if we just cut the bullshit out early on.”

Jason and Adia mention the origins of “bluegrass” music and how it was named.

Jason says “Hide Away” by Freddie King is the song that’s giving him life right now.

/ Credits /

Call & Response is a Sonos show produced by work x work: Scott Newman, Jemma Rose Brown, Adia Victoria, Ann Marie Awad and Daniel Rayzel. Our engineer is Sam Bair of The Relic Room.