Justin Townes Earle: 'Everybody Needs To Grow A Pair Of Balls'

“I don’t consider it a political record but it’s definitely the most socially conscious record that I’ve written, and I just felt like it was the right time for it and I’m glad I was able to accomplish it.”

Nashville-based singer-songwriter Justin Townes Earle is reflecting about his eighth long-player The Saint Of Last Causes, a spirited and almost spiritual treatise about the current state of the country he was born in, and – recent disappointments aside – the country he still loves.

The Americana exponent wields empathy almost as a weapon. His heartfelt examination of the various plights prevalent around the US of A – environmental issues, economic uncertainty, substance abuse, criminal justice and race relations, to name but a few – is centred on the plight of the poor folks adversely affected rather than the lawmakers or people deemed responsible for the malaise.

The singer explains that he relates so closely to these troubled souls not just because his job takes him around the country with enough frequency that he’s aware of their travails, but because it’s just who he is. 

“The travel is definitely an eye-opener, but I was also just raised with that [empathy],” he ponders. “I was raised with a particular feeling for poor people and mistreated people and marginalised people, and it’s bad here right now. 

“I can’t really pick another time in history where it’s [been] this bad, except obviously for slavery. It’s just that the people in power don’t care about other people, which is a shame because they’re supposed to be our custodians. I have no clue.” 

Fortunately – despite some of his strongest writing driven by personal reflection – Earle doesn’t have any trouble writing from other people’s perspective. 

“I enjoy it,” he smiles. “It’s only difficult if you don’t know what you’re talking about, it’s only difficult if you haven’t done the study, if you don’t know those people. I know all those people – all those kinds of people – so I’m not saying it was easy to write, but it wasn’t a struggle.”

"Everybody needs to grow a pair of balls and step up.”

In conversations about the album, Earle has regularly conjured the spectre of Springsteen and how in the past he managed to shine a light on working-class concerns, a connection he admits first arose during the creative process.

“That was definitely something that was conscious at the time,” he offers. “I wanted to take the way Springsteen can make people feel about New Jersey – which, particularly early on, he writes about a lot – and I wanted to apply that to a wider slice of America.

“Sadly it seems not a lot of people are writing about these kinda issues anymore. Number one, I think in this day and age people are scared for their careers, and I think people are scared of some whacko walking into a club and shooting them. I can see reasons why they’re not there, but still everybody needs to grow a pair of balls and step up.”

Despite these oft-sombre topics, The Saint Of Lost Causes is far from a downcast collection, Earle using his vast knowledge and experience with roots music to craft a diverse and fulfilling musical bed for his imagery.

Many of the new songs sound like they’ll be perfect additions to Earle’s live set, although don’t expect to hear more than a handful during his impending Australian sojourn.

“I’ve only got about three of them that I’m playing in the live shows right now because I’ve got so many records that I don’t have time!” he laughs. “People want to hear stuff from all over the place, from all the records, they don’t want to hear just new stuff! I just do a few from each record, and hopefully that keeps folks happy.

“I’m very much looking forward to coming back down, it’s been a while now and I always have fun in Australia. I’ve been coming down for ten years now, which seems crazy, the first time seems like yesterday. 

“But it doesn’t get boring, primarily because I love the place and the people, but the main thing is that nothing stays the same. The one inevitable thing we have in life is change – the one truth and guarantee – so I’ve watched the cities there change over a decade and it’s been fascinating.”

Justin Townes Earle tours from 27 August.