Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit Share 'Middle of the Mornin'

03-29-2023

Cover art

(The Oriel Co) In anticipation of their eighth studio album Weathervanes, GRAMMY-Award winners Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit have released a second track from the project, "Middle of the Mornin".

Weathervanes, out June 9 via Southeastern Records/Thirty Tigers, is written and produced by Isbell. "Middle of the Morning" is a song written during the pandemic lockdown. Melancholy and honest with those Isbell phrases that will sneak into your vocabulary, the narrator, who both is and is not Isbell himself, describes the feeling of being stuck in place, wheels and mind spinning, feeling like some essential part of yourself lives just outside of your reach.

"It was about trying to keep my mind from unraveling over the couple of years there," said Isbell.

Well I've tried to open up my window and let the light come in
I step outside in the middle of the morning and in the evening again
Yes I've tried to be grateful for my devils and call them by their names
but I'm tired and by the middle of the morning I need someone to blame

Weathervanes was recorded at Nashville's Blackbird Studio and features Isbell's GRAMMY-winning band, the 400 Unit: Derry deBorja (Acoustic Piano, Electric Piano, Organ, Accordion, Synthesizers, Therevox, TackPiano, Background Vocals), Chad Gamble (Drums, Percussion, Congas), Jimbo Hart (Electric Bass, Bass), and Sadler Vaden (Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Electric 12 String, Acoustic 12 String, Background Vocals). Special guests include GRAMMY winner Amanda Shires (Fiddle, Background Vocals) and acclaimed harmonicist Mickey Raphael (Harmonica on "Strawberry Woman") with Background Vocals on "If You Insist" by renowned producer and engineer Sylvia Massy & Ian Rickard and Strings on "Death Wish" by Morgan O'Shaughnessey.

Weathervanes Track Listing:

"Death Wish"
"King of Oklahoma"
"Strawberry Woman"
"Middle Of The Morning"
"Save The World"
"If You Insist"
"Cast Iron Skillet"
"When We Were Close"
"Volunteer"
"Vestavia Hills"
"White Beretta"
"This Ain't It"
"Miles"

*All songs written and produced by Jason Isbell. Additional production by Matt Pence on tracks 1, 3, 5, 8 and 10.