Some artists seem to need alcohol and drugs to excel creatively and struggle to deliver once they sober up.
Not so Justin Townes Earle, son of singer, songwriter, activist, producer, playwright, actor and novelist Steve Earle, a drug addict in his young teens who spent most of his adult life struggling with addictions that landed him in a lot of trouble.
Although the younger Earle says he was not particularly close to his troubadour father, growing up in Memphis and Nashville he must have soaked up country and soul music from an early age.
Only in the last couple of years has the younger Earle finally gotten a grip on his addictions and cleaned up his act.
The singer-songwriter now divides his time between Nashville and New York.
''My angst and my want is very much New York but my actual movement and my thought process I just don't move that fast. But after living in New York, I move a little bit faster but not that much.''
Last month he released his fourth and arguably best full-length studio album, Nothing's Gonna Change the Way You Feel About Me Now.
While its predecessor Harlem River Blues (including the song of the same title that won him an Americana Music Award for best song last year) was a twangy country number, the new offering adds some soul to the equation.
''It's a record I wanted to make for a long time. Instead of it being based in country music, I based this record on the roots of soul music.
''While making Harlem River Blues I started to experiment ... with horns and things like that and this new album is much in the same vein; it is a little bit dark, and much more an emotional record than my past records.''
In the lyrics he opens up about the blessing and curse of having a famous father, his martyred mother, his own struggle with addictions and fractured romances.
The title track and first single is like the final chapter of a loveless affair, where he tells the girl that he never loved her and that it is time to move on.
''It's definitely a song that is going to piss at least one person off, but sometimes, unfortunately, if you're involved with an artist, you know what artists do, they hang their laundry out to dry, and that's what happens here,'' he explains.
So while it's a bit of a mean and bitter song, it is presented in a laidback way with a cheerful horn section and Earle's slightly raspy voice.
The album was recorded live in a studio in North Carolina, yet the music is infused with the spirit of Memphis, taking in soul, country and even a bit of rockabilly.
It was Earle's first live recorded album and was done in less than a week.
''It was really an awesome experience, because you record a track and then it is done,'' he says.
Having left his troubles behind (''there's nothing rock'n'roll about dying in your 30s'' he reflects now), he says he didn't feel the need to change anything when reaching the milestone of turning 30 earlier this year.
''I was going to keep doing what I was doing. It worked out pretty well for me so I don't see any reason to change.
''I arrived at a calmer point in life and I don't feel as much need for drama these days.
''I just barely managed to accomplish the things in life, all I want to do is making a living from my music and I pulled that off and I won't ask for anything else,'' he says.
Having an Americana Music Award under your belt would, one may think, widen the scope of a musician's freedom, but he says his label, Bloodshod Records, never bothered him anyway.
''I always had freedom to do what I want and I think that I have surrounded myself with the right players and the right people.
''For the most part, I do what I want this is not a democracy, it's a dictatorship and I am the sole, supreme dictator,'' he laughs.
The lanky young man with the big glasses is not only a gifted musician but has made himself a name as a snappy dresser. It's not unusual to see him sporting hats, scarves, bowties and vests.
He's no stranger to fashion shoots and a couple of weeks ago he was modelling designer suits for an Italian fashion magazine.
And he's happy to reveals his style secrets.
''I have two designers I wear predominantly. One is here in Nashville called Imogene + Willie, and I also dress in Billy Reid who is from Alabama. These are both very dear friends of mine and we get together and make a lot of my clothes,'' he says.
He is about to embark on his fourth tour of New Zealand, and he says he has grown fond of the county. His last album even had a song called Christchurch Woman.
''I started coming to New Zealand because I was touring Australia and it seemed like a no-brainer kind of thing to do and the crowds were really great from the start. I enjoyed my time there very much and I have a fascination with this part of the world.
''I am looking forward to relaxing and playing some good shows for good people.''
- © Fairfax NZ News
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