Folk That

As promoters of roots music the Roadworks agency haven’t been around for very long but they’ve quickly shown themselves capable of tempting some of the most interesting musicians on the international scene out of the orbital pull of London, at least as far as the little moon that is Dublin. Of all the stars in the alternative country firmament, one of the most enigmatic and idiosyncratic is Jason Isbell, who Roadworks will be bringing to the stage of the Workman’s Club on Sunday November 24 (oddly enough, almost exactly a year after his erstwhile band mate Patterson Hood).

Since he hooked up with Hood’s Drive-By Truckers for 2001’s Southern Rock Opera, Isbell has inspired a devoted following amongst the press, the blogosphere and a growing number of fans. His departure from the Truckers’ fold three albums later was viewed as career threatening, not so much for Isbell as for the band. Happily both have flourished. Within a matter of months he'd released his first solo album, Sirens Of The Ditch, before spinning off into a fresh project as Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit. Named after the psychiatric unit at Florence, AL’s Eliza Coffee Memorial Hospital, the 400 Unit feature Centro-matic’s astonishing drummer Matt Pence, both behind the kit and on production and engineering duties. The band released their second album Here We Rest in 2011 and Isbell’s second solo album Southeastern followed earlier this year.
Contributing vocals to Southeastern was Kim Richey and Isbell’s wife Amanda Shires, whose rise to prominence has mirrored his own. As well-known for her skill with the fiddle as she is her vocal abilities, Shires has performed as a member of the 400 Unit and the Texas Playboys and been a longstanding member of Thrift Store Cowboys, as well as collaborating with Rod Picott, who played here himself earlier in the year. She's also released four solo albums to date, with 2012’s Carrying Lightning proving to be one of the alt-country sleeper hits of the year, and Down Fell The Doves following fast in its steps.
Written quickly after a difficult 12 months in which she broke a finger, a long-term relationship fell apart and she destroyed the 150-year-old fiddle she'd played for the previous fifteen years in a freak onstage accident, the idea had been to write with Jason Isbell, but as the pair hung out together, romance blossomed to the detriment of songwriting. They got married and the album came together, turning an annus horribilis into an emotional and musical triumph.
She’ll be filling the support slot at the Workman’s Club in what should be one of the best buy-one-get-one-frees of the year. I’m really not too sure, which I’m looking forward to more.
Also emerging as a vibrant force is Slaid Cleaves whose current album Still Fighting The War has been picking up accolades, including praise from writer Stephen King, who said of him, "I’m glad I found Slaid Cleaves, because my life would have been poorer without him." Like Shires he's also collaborated with fellow Maine native Rod Picott, with whom he co-wrote much of the album. Having made short work of the United States earlier in the year, he'll be touring extensively in Europe throughout this month and next with Irish shows in the Flowerfield Arts Centre, Portstewart (September 26); Errigal Inn, Belfast (27) and Vico Suite, Dalkey (28).