The Brothers Osborne went through a lot of hell recording their last album, 2020’s SkeletonsLead guitarist John Osborne developed tinnitus. His brother, singer and guitarist TJ, was sidelined for a month with salmonella poisoning. The historic tornado that hit Nashville this year caused their studio to lose power, and COVID continued to rage through the community, forcing the country-rock duo to finish the album in quarantine.
Things didn’t get any easier as they prepared to record another album, but this time the issues the brothers faced were personal. TJ made headlines when he came out (becoming the first openly gay artist to sign with a major country music label) and he used his position to establish himself as a leader of a more inclusive country community.
Meanwhile, John struggled with depression and anxiety, which led him to seek help at a therapy retreat. “We went through a lot, but we received a lot of love and support,” John says. “And in many ways, we became stronger as people and musicians. We channeled all of that into our writing and wrote with an open heart.”
Throughout his life, John viewed the guitar as a loyal friend that was always there, especially in difficult times. But the double burden of mental health problems and persistent tinnitus took its toll on him and for the first time in a long time, he put the guitar down.
“It was difficult at first because I didn’t have a blanket,” he says. “After working on myself, I was able to come back to the guitar and get interested in it again. Now I feel like I’m a better player. It’s like I came back with a clean slate.” He pauses, then says firmly, “But that’s only because I put in that work; otherwise I’d just be fumbling my way through.”
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The new album with the simple title Brothers Osborne, is as musically powerful as anything the duo has ever done. But not surprisingly, hook-filled, commercial hits like Who says you can’t have it all? And Nobody is nobody show a new-found – and undoubtedly hard-earned – lyrical maturity.
One of the most striking elements of John’s playing is his ability to surprise, especially in solos and on the country-funk groover Nobody has time for thathe delivers a wonderfully crazy industrial lead role that is guaranteed to cause a stir.
“Our producer Mike Elizondo is a total techie, so we’re soulmates,” says John. “He said he heard an Electro-Harmonix Bass Micro Synth on this solo, so I tried it out and it sounded amazing! I couldn’t stop talking about it. My wife bought me one for my birthday, so you might hear more about it in the future. In country music, anything can sound good if you play from your heart.”
You and TJ are really pushing the boundaries of country music, which begs the question: Do you consider yourself a country guitarist?
“I do. I grew up listening to country music and learned a lot of the old stuff. The first song I learned was Your deceitful heart by Hank Williams. I studied a lot of country musicians – Don Rich, Roy Nichols… people like that – but then I broadened my horizons.
“I was listening to Alan Jackson and hearing this insane guitar playing from Brent Mason. Then Brad Paisley and Keith Urban took it to another level. Am I a country guitarist? Sure. But the genre is so broad, just like rock. I mean, Chuck Berry is a rock guitarist, but so is Buckethead.”
For me, the guitar and the song are inseparable.
Yet you and TJ seem to be able to avoid country cliches both lyrically and musically.
“It’s funny how bad country music is. Have you ever heard people say, ‘I don’t like country music because it’s so lame,’ but still mention a country artist they like? They never say that about other genres. I listen to all genres of music and there are artists in each one that I don’t like, but I don’t trash the entire genre. (laughs)
“For me, it’s almost a philosophical question that boils down to authenticity. Luke Bryan is authentic because he’s not trying to be Sturgill Simpson. Sturgill Simpson isn’t trying to be Luke Bryan. The same goes for Chris Stapleton. TJ and I are just being ourselves. Thank God people like what we do because we don’t know how to be any different.”
You are interesting because you play unexpected licks and solos that seem to fit the material perfectly. And you don’t need much space. Your solo in Who says you can’t have it all? is very short and strange, but it gets to the point.
“I think the guitar and the song are inseparable. Some people say, ‘I’ve got four bars, eight bars – I’m strumming my way through.’ Why would you do that? As a lyricist, if you’ve got four bars or eight bars, you wouldn’t say, ‘I’m just going to sing what I want.’ I want what I play to be singable and memorable. That’s why Mike Campbell is one of the best guitarists for songs. Everything he plays is important.
“It took me a while to understand that, because when you’re young, you just want to go wild and impress girls. I love jamming and improvising, but that doesn’t work when you’re trying to play for the song. I don’t want to just kill dead space; I want to play something that sticks in your mind. It can be something adventurous or something simple, as long as it’s important.”
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To The farewell beginsTheir licks and solos are pretty simple, but they are just as important as the lyrics.
“It was pretty similar to Tom Petty and Mike Campbell. I played a Tele through a Princeton amp and got a really clean sound. It’s a bit like the Stones too. I love the rhythm parts and the solo is something like three notes with a lot of space.”
That’s the surprising thing. Many guitarists would use this space to burn, but you went for the minimal. It’s reminiscent of Steve Cropper or Curtis Mayfield.
“There you have it. I don’t say, ‘Look at me.’ I say, ‘Listen to the song.’ Cropper is a great example – keep it simple and singable. What did Miles Davis say? ‘Music is the space between the notes.’ Sometimes it’s hard to remember that because as guitarists our instinct is to fill all the spaces.”
As a guitarist, how do you look for new inspiration? Who are you listening to at the moment?
“I’ve been listening to stuff I used to ignore, like all the pop music Tim Pierce played. Toto was a band I didn’t have time for because it was my dad’s music, but now I listen to them and it blows me away. I’m obsessed with sounds. Tame Impala – how does this guy (Kevin Parker) get those sounds out of a guitar? I mean, you wouldn’t put him in a blues jam session, but what he does is remarkable.”
On the other hand, maybe it would be cool if he was at a blues session.
“You know, you’re right. (laughs) That juxtaposition would be cool. That’s my goal: If you’re inspired, it will come through in your playing and sound cool with your music.”
