Jason Isbell Eschews the White Man’s Blues On New Single “Hope The High Road”

Jason Isbell’s breakout album Southeastern was a fairly introspective affair, an occasionally harrowing portrait that chronicled his efforts to get sober after years of indulging in the demon rum.

On “Hope The High Road,” the lead single for his new album The Nashville Sound, Isbell declaims that he’s “Heard enough of the white man’s blues/ I’ve sang enough about myself/ So if you’re looking for some bad news/ You can find it somewhere else.”

The track, a resilient display of no-nonsense rock and roll, acknowledges the hard road that was 2016, but insists there will be no “fighting with you down in the ditch,” perhaps a reference to the chamber of despair that social media has become. Instead, the song imagines the prospect of a better day achieved through the moral perseverance of kindred spirits.

Watch the video for “Hope The High Road” below, and check out upcoming tour dates.

The Nashville Sound drops June 16.

Summer 2017 U.S. dates

June 17 – Asheville, NC – Thomas Wolfe Auditorium #
June 18 – Raleigh, NC – North Carolina Museum of Art #
June 19 – Philadelphia, PA – The Fillmore Philadelphia #
June 22 – New York, NY – Beacon Theatre #
June 23 – New York, NY – Beacon Theatre +
June 24 – New York, NY – Beacon Theatre +
June 26 – New Haven, CT – College Street Music Hall +
June 27 – Boston, MA – Blue Hills Bank Pavilion +
June 29 – Canandaigua, NY – Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center >
June 30 – Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavilion +
July 1 – Cincinnati, OH – PNC Pavilion at Riverbend Music +
July 2 – Huber Heights, OH – Rose Music Center at the Heights +
July 5 – Papillion, NE – Sumtur Amphitheatre +
July 7 – St. Paul, MN – The Palace Theatre +
(Sold Out)
July 11 – Sioux Falls, SD – The Washington Pavilion +
July 12 – St. Louis, MO – Peabody Opera House +
July 14 – Austin, TX – ACL Live at the Moody Theater +
July 15 – Austin, TX – ACL Live at the Moody Theater #
July 16 – Austin, TX – ACL Live at the Moody Theater #
July 18 – Houston, TX – Revention Music Center #
July 19 – Jackson, MS – Thalia Mara Hall #
July 21 – Miami Beach, FL – The Fillmore *
July 22 – St. Augustine, FL – St. Augustine Amphitheatre *
July 23 – North Charleston, SC – North Charleston Performing Arts Center*
September 7 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre
October 10 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
October 11 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
October 13 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
October 14 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
October 15 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium

Support: # Amanda Shires / + Mountain Goats / > Iron & Wine / * Strand of Oaks

2017 European Dates

October 25 – Manchester, UK – Albert Hall
October 26 – Glasgow, UK – O2 ABC
October 27 – Dublin, Ireland – Olympia Theatre
October 29 – Brighton, UK – Brighton Dome
October 30 – London, UK – Roundhouse
October 31 – Birmingham, UK – Symphony Hall
November 2 – Paris, France – Le Café de la Danse
November 3 – Brussels, Belgium – Ancienne Belgique
November 6 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Paradiso
November 7 – Hamburg, Germany – Uebel & Gefährlich
November 8 – Berlin, Germany – Columbia Theater
November 10 – Oslo, Norway – Sentrum Scene
November 11 – Oslo, Norway – Sentrum Scene
November 12 – Stockholm, Sweden – Münchenbryggeriet
November 14 – Copenhagen, Denmark – DR Concert Hall

Tift Merritt supports all European dates