Six-time Grammy winner Jason Isbell, hailed by Variety Magazine as the “Poet Laureate of Rock,” recently returned to his hometown of Florence, Alabama, to be inducted into the city’s Walk of Honor. The ceremony, which preceded the return of his annual ShoalsFest music festival, was a poignant homecoming for the acclaimed singer-songwriter.
“It was wonderful,” Isbell said of the honor. “The other people who were inducted were so significant… It was one of those things where I was truly, genuinely just honored to be included.” Surrounded by his mother and old friends, he described the event as a positive reunion with his hometown.
This deep connection to his roots is a cornerstone of ShoalsFest, the festival Isbell founded. He explained that performing for a local crowd, filled with family and familiar faces, enhances his connection to his own music. “It’s great to look down from the stage and see those folks, because then you sort of remember where you were when you wrote the songs,” he said. “It puts you in the moment, makes performances better and makes the whole thing more enjoyable for everybody.”
Isbell’s musical education was steeped in the legendary Muscle Shoals sound. He credits much of his early development to mentorship from local icons, particularly David Hood, the legendary bassist for the Swampers who played on tracks like Paul Simon’s “Kodachrome” and Bob Seger’s “Old Time Rock and Roll.”
Isbell recalled seeking profound advice from Hood on how to succeed in music. “He said, ‘Show up on time and make sure your equipment works,’” Isbell remembered. “That advice could have applied to roofing or anything else, but it’s the same advice. He said that’ll put you ahead of a good solid 75% of everybody else.” While appreciating the practical wisdom, Isbell also noted Hood’s humility, emphasizing the bassist’s transcendent artistry on records by The Staple Singers and others. “There’s something about the way he interprets a song that can really make the song more than it would have been otherwise,” he added.
His path into the professional music world was solidified through another Hood—David’s son, Patterson Hood—when Isbell joined the band Drive-By Truckers in 2001. He learned the business side of music from Patterson’s independent, punk-rock approach, which included booking tours from the van and pioneering crowdfunding for their album The Southern Rock Opera long before platforms like Kickstarter existed.
Isbell clarified the long-told story of how he joined the band. During a break at an acoustic show, he saw an opportunity. “I just saw an empty chair, and I said, ‘Patterson, if you’ll let me up there, I can play these songs and I won’t mess it up.’ And he did,” Isbell recalled. “That’s when I joined the band, and I left with them the next day to go on tour.”
His celebrated lyricism, often compared to the works of William Faulkner and John Prine, was honed during his creative writing studies at the University of Memphis. Though his scholarship ran out before he could finish, Isbell deliberately took classes that would force him to read and write in various forms. “I think the time that I spent reading and understanding how to write in different forms—poems and short stories and longer forms—it informed me a great deal,” he said. “Those devices, you use them in songs too.”
Recently, Isbell has channeled personal turmoil into his work, using songwriting as a form of therapy while navigating a difficult divorce. Describing the process of making a recent solo acoustic project, he said, “It was terrifying, because if you mess up, there’s nothing to hide behind.” He found the experience liberating, however. “The music kept me focused, and it kept me centered,” he reflected. “It reminded me of what my purpose is.” For these intimate recordings, he used a single 1940 Martin O-17 guitar, a small-bodied, all-mahogany instrument whose sound perfectly suited the raw, personal nature of the music.
Beyond music, Isbell ventured into acting during the pandemic, landing a role as Bill Smith in Martin Scorsese’s Oscar-nominated film Killers of the Flower Moon. He auditioned on a whim and was shocked to be cast. On set, he found his acclaimed co-stars to be generous mentors. “I remember asking Leonardo DiCaprio, ‘Hey, how do I do this?’” Isbell said. “He was kind enough to answer honestly and be helpful. I was working with people who were at the very top… so they had no problem helping me not ruin their movie.”
As he prepares to headline ShoalsFest, Isbell remains a passionate curator of music, focused on bringing exceptional songwriting and performance to his hometown. When asked which act he’s most excited for attendees to see, he pointed to Memphis-based artist Garrison Starr. “Her songs are great. Her singing is unbelievable, very powerful, very emotional,” he said. “I do think a lot of people will show up not knowing what to expect and get blown away by Garrison.”
