Justin Townes Earle

All Music Guide:

The son of maverick Texas songwriter Steve Earle (and carrying the middle name of his dad's mentor, Townes Van Zandt), Justin Townes Earle shares just a hint of his father's vocal style in his voice, and like the elder Earle, he writes his own songs, but aside from the fact that both Earles fall to the country side of the Mason-Dixon Line, there are probably far more differences in their musical approaches than there are similarities. The younger Earle grew up in Nashville and took up music early, playing in the bluegrass/ragtime combo the Swindlers and the hard-rocking Distributors; he also toured (playing guitar and keyboards) with his father's road band the Dukes, picking up a few of the elder Earle's old bad habits in the process, but like his father, he eventually kicked his drug habit and put his life in order. Developing his own writing and playing style, a hybrid mixing folk and blues with strong early country leanings, Earle self-released the six-song EP Yuma in 2007. The release attracted the attention of Chicago's Bloodshot Records, who signed Earle and put out a full-length project, The Good Life, produced by R.S. Field and recorded at House of David Studios, in 2008. He followed it with Midnight Movies in 2009 and Harlem River Blues in 2010. Earle toured extensively behind this last album and won nearly universal critical acclaim. He followed it up with Nothing's Gonna Change the Way You Feel About Me Now, in the spring of 2012.

Wikipedia:

Justin Townes Earle (born January 4, 1982) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Earle records with Bloodshot Records and has five released albums from 2007–2012. He is the son of alternative country artist, Steve Earle.Cite error: There are <ref> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist}} template (see the help page).

Early life[edit]

Earle grew up in South Nashville, Tennessee, with his mother, Carol Ann Hunter Earle. His father Steve Earle gave Justin his middle name in honor of his mentor Townes van Zandt, but left Justin's mother when he was 2.Cite error: There are <ref> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist}} template (see the help page).

Career[edit]

Earle played in two Nashville bands, a rock band called the Distributors and a ragtime and bluegrass combo called the Swindlers. Earle spent some time as guitarist and keyboardist for his father's touring band the Dukes.

Earle developed a hybrid style of music by mixing folk, blues and country. In 2007, he released a six-song EP called Yuma. He then signed a contract with Chicago's Bloodshot Records and he released an album called The Good Life in 2008.

In 2009, Earle co-billed The Big Surprise Tour with Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, Old Crow Medicine Show, and The Felice Brothers and released the album Midnight at the Movies. In September 2009, Earle received an Americana Music Award for New and Emerging Artist of the Year.

In 2010 he released the album Harlem River Blues He released the album Nothing's Gonna Change the Way You Feel About Me Now in 2012. and appeared in an episode of the HBO television series Treme with his father.

In 2011, he received the Americana Music Award for Song of the Year category for "Harlem River Blues". His album of the same name has been described as having a "gently flowing, urban Americana sound, with horns, organ and tangy electric guitar". That year he also contributed a cover of "Maybe Baby" on the 2011 tribute album Rave On Buddy Holly and played Newport Folk Festival and the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival.

Earle produced Wanda Jackson's album Unfinished Business in 2012.

Earle played the Grand Ole Opry in 2008, Historical WSM, South By Southwest (2008–2010, 2012), the historic Beacon Theater (May 2009), Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion (September, 2009), Bonnaroo (2009) Bumbershoot (2010), the East Coast Blues & Roots Music Festival (Byron Bay, Australia), 2012, the Bowery Ballroom (March 2010) and the Nelsonville Music Festival (2008 and 2011).

The album Nothing's Gonna Change the Way You Feel About Me Now was listed at #37 on Rolling Stone's list of the top 50 albums of 2012, saying "The son of country-rock renegade Steve Earle has grown into a songwriter to rival his dad." Cite error: There are <ref> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist}} template (see the help page).

Personal life[edit]

Earle says he was abusing "hard drugs" by the time he was 12 years old. In September 2010 he had a fight with an Indianapolis club owner over a broken mirror and his band's pay. Afterwards he spent the night in jail and a month in an alcohol rehabilitation center.

Earle moved to New York City in 2007.Cite error: There are <ref> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist}} template (see the help page).