Jason Isbell will mark the 10th anniversary of his commercial breakthrough, Southeastern, this fall with an expanded deluxe edition of the record, including demos and live recordings. The three-CD or four-LP package, out Sept. 29, also includes a remastered version of the original album — and a new album cover that depicts an older, leaner Isbell than the 34-year-old photographed on the original.
Southeastern, which contains several reflective songs that have become set-list staples for him — “Cover Me Up,” “Traveling Alone,” and “Super 8” — helped establish Isbell as a unique voice in country, a few years after he parted ways with Drive-By Truckers. It also won Isbell some famous fans including Bruce Springsteen, who called it a “lovely record,” and John Prine, who raved about it in a Rolling Stone interview. “I’m kind of picky about songwriters,” Prine said. “But when I heard Southeastern, it just killed me. I loved it. I like songs that are clean and don’t have much fat on them — every line is direct, and all people can relate to it. That’s what I try to do, and that’s what Jason does.”
The album also ranked on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. The record “featured his sharpest literary writing (‘Elephant’), newfound vulnerability (‘Traveling Alone’), and his new calling card (‘Cover Me Up’),” according to the list. “The album set a standard for new-age Seventies-inspired singer-songwriters and coronated the Alabama native and his wife and bandmate, Amanda Shires, as the new king and queen of Americana.”
In addition to Isbell’s demos, the Deluxe Edition also features scans of Isbell’s original handwritten lyrics in the booklet, along with liner notes by journalist Charles Hughes. The live album was recorded in December 2022 at Knoxville, Tennessee’s Bijou Theatre.
Isbell is on tour now in support of his latest album Weathervanes.
Southeastern Deluxe Edition track list:
Southeastern (Remastered):
1. “Cover Me Up”
2. “Stockholm”
3. “Traveling Alone”
4. “Elephant”
5. “Flying Over Water”
6. “Different Days”
7. “Live Oak”
8. “Songs That She Sang in the Shower”
9. “New South Wales”
10. “Super 8”
11. “Yvette”
12. “Relatively Easy”
Southeastern Demos:
1. “Cover Me Up (Demo)”
2. “Stockholm (Demo)”
3. “Traveling Alone (Demo)”
4. “Elephant (Demo)”
5. “Flying Over Water (Demo)”
6. “Different Days (Demo)”
7. “Live Oak (Demo)”
8. “Songs That She Sang in the Shower (Demo)”
9. “New South Wales (Demo)”
10. “Yvette (Demo)”
11. “Relatively Easy (Demo)”
Southeastern Live:
1. “Intro (Live)”
2. “Cover Me Up (Live)”
3. “Stockholm (Live)”
4. “Traveling Alone (Live)”
5. “Elephant (Live)”
6. “Flying Over Water (Live)”
7. “Different Days (Live)”
8. “Live Oak (Live)”
9. “Songs That She Sang in the Shower (Live)”
10. “New South Wales (Live)”
11. “Super 8 (Live)”
12. “Yvette (Live)”
13. “Relatively Easy (Live)”