Justin Townes Earle: In Memoriam
Broken Record with Rick Rubin, Malcolm Gladwell, Bruce Headlam and Justin Richmond
Pushkin Industries
4.5 • 4.3K Ratings
🗓️ 25 August 2020
⏱️ 38 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Our episode with Justin Townes Earle was scheduled to run next month. But after we heard about Earle's passing over the weekend, we decided to put it out sooner. It's a deeply sad conversation in some places. Especially given his passing. However, it's also incredibly soulful, funny and searching. And the performances, culled from Earle's last release, The Saint of Lost Causes, are brilliant. Bruce Headlam takes the reigns this episode for what's turned out to be a fitting tribute to one of the great, dynamic young performers and songwriters that's now gone way too soon. Rest in peace, Justin Townes Earle [1982-2020].
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Pushkin. |
| 0:09.8 | We're really sad a broken record to hear about the passing of Justin Townsirle. |
| 0:16.8 | We recorded an interview with him some time ago before the coronavirus put in studio conversations |
| 0:22.3 | on hold for us. |
| 0:24.0 | Bruce Hadlam met up with him at GSI Studios in Manhattan. |
| 0:27.3 | Some played some music they talked. |
| 0:30.2 | As you'll hear, Justin was a gifted performer and songwriter. |
| 0:33.9 | He was the son of outlaw country musician Steve Earl and got his middle name from his |
| 0:37.6 | dad's mentor, Towns Van Zand. |
| 0:40.6 | Both Steve and Towns struggled with addiction and so did Justin for most of his life. |
| 0:45.6 | He talks with Bruce about his personal troubles in this episode pretty candidly, and their |
| 0:49.8 | conversation about racial tensions in America seems prescient now. |
| 0:54.4 | Justin identified with people on the margins. |
| 0:57.2 | He wrote fantastic songs detailing fringe lives with tremendous heart. |
| 1:02.1 | They were full of desperation, humor, and specificity in the best of the Southern songwriting |
| 1:07.2 | tradition. |
| 1:08.8 | We had this interview scheduled to run next month in September. |
| 1:12.3 | When we heard yesterday morning that Justin passed over the weekend, we weren't sure |
| 1:15.7 | we should run this at all. |
| 1:17.4 | There's some really deeply sad moments in this conversation with Bruce. |
| 1:21.2 | But there's also a lot of soul. |
| 1:22.9 | So in the end, we thought you might all enjoy spending some time with Justin Towns |
... |
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