Jason Isbell

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Jason Isbell

Background information
Origin	Green Hill, Alabama
Genre(s)	Rock progressive country,alt.country.
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter Guitarist
Instrument(s)	Guitar Electronic Keyboard Vocals
Years active	2001 – present
Label(s)	New West Records
Associated acts	Drive-By Truckers Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
Website	http://www.jasonisbell.com/

Jason Isbell (born February 1, 1979 ^[1]) is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Green Hill, Alabama, near Muscle Shoals. ^[2]

Almost all of Isbell's family, except his parents, were musicians, and his father was an avid music listener. ^[3] After some work as a songwriter, in 2001 Isbell joined the rock band Drive-By Truckers while they toured in support of their album Southern Rock Opera. ^[4] Isbell recorded and wrote with the Truckers for their next three albums, and for most of this time was married to the band's bassist Shonna Tucker, though the two later divorced. ^[2]

Isbell left Drive-By Truckers amicably in 2007, the same year he released his first solo album on New West Records. Sirens of the Ditch was recorded at FAME Studios, where among the musicians helping to record the album was Spooner Oldham, famous for his work with Aretha Franklin and Neil Young. ^[2] According to Washington Post writer Catherine Lewis, Sirens of the Ditch has "a more bluesy pop sound" than Isbell's work with Drive-By Truckers. ^[5] The first single from the album, "Brand New Kind of Actress," deals with the death of Lana Clarkson in Phil Spector's mansion. ^[6] Another single, "Dress Blues," concerns the death of Corporal Matthew Conoly, a US Marine from Isbell's hometown who was killed in the Iraq War.^[2] "Down in a Hole" tells a tale of an eccentric character from Jason's locale.^{[citation needed]}