Texas country folk rock band Briscoe, released “Blues Eyes And Wine” a heartland rock anthem replete with harmonica, stomping drums, thumping guitar and uplifting banjo. The song is out now and another preview from their Brad Cook (MJ Lenderman, Waxahatchee, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats) produced album, Heat Of July, dropping September 19 via ATO Records . Listen HERE / WATCH HERE
The band recently announced a special Austin hometown show at Sagebrush on August 27 – this is in addition to their headline tour across the U.S. this fall starting August 19, and appearances at Americanafest in September and Austin City Limits Festival in October. Full tour dates below.
Heat of July marks a major sonic leap for lifelong friends Philip Lupton and Truett Heintzelman, the Austin based duo known for their signature intertwined vocals and relentless touring alongside acts like Noah Kahan and Dave Matthews Band. Pre-order HERE
Austin Chronicle who premiered the song, stated “Their fetching harmonies, sung over straightforward strings laced with brass solos and candy-coated keys, linger in your ear like a laurel-scented breeze.”
Discussing the track Philip Lupton stated, “Some decisions only need to be made once—this is the sentiment we try to capture in Blue Eyes and Red Wine. The song was written about my recent marriage and how choosing to spend a lifetime with someone is a significant and meaningful decision. Yet it doesn’t have to be overly complicated. Inspired by the rugged beauty of the Big Bend region of West Texas, where we got married, the song tells a story of love in its simplest form: finding the right person and choosing to stay with them for life.”
Working with Cook, Briscoe assembled a “folk supergroup” of musicians for the album, including Watchhouse (formerly Mandolin Orange) , and studio musicians who have performed with artists including Bon Iver, Houndmouth, and Hiss Golden Messenger. With sweeping arrangements and vivid storytelling, the album elevates Briscoe’s raw, rootsy foundation into a polished folk-rock masterwork. A new sound for a fully-formed duo chasing down a broader horizon.
The duo wrote the album while on the road, as they traveled across North America, playing everywhere from Canada to Cancun.
"We learned how to write music from behind the wheel," Philip says, thinking back to the show-filled schedule that helped transform Briscoe from Texas' best-kept secret into national torchbearers of timeless American Roots. Adding, "Coming up with melodies in our heads, without a guitar or piano nearby, was a necessity for us during those tours. We were on the road so much that we had to become more mobile with the creative process."
It is also a snapshot of the major shifts in Philip and Truett’s lives, as they both married their longtime partners in the wake of West Of It All's success — whose accolades included hitting Top 40 on the Triple A chart and #25 on the Americana Singles chart with "The Well” – and thoughts of family lingered as they traveled across North America and penned the album while on the road and on their many road trips through the desert of Arizona.
Heat of July is inspired by the brutal summer heat of West Texas in title, but offers a wide-angle view of the American landscape and shares their journey, both geographic (Lupton is an ex geology student) and emotional — Heat of July celebrates two great friends at their creative peak, and a band stepping confidently into its next chapter.
"I studied geology, so driving through Arizona is like me being a kid in a candy store," says Philip. "We'll always write songs inspired by that landscape, but we've learned how to tell more personal stories with our music, too. We're talking about our wives, our relationships, and our family trees. We're really wearing our hearts on our sleeves when we're writing."
There's more touring up ahead, of course, with dates through August and September including Americanafest in September and an appearance at Austin City Limits festival in October. More commitments that will take Briscoe away from the lives they've built in Texas. Heat of July may be the band's next ticket out of town, but it's also a love letter to the landscape that first inspired Truett and Philip to write songs. The road goes on forever… but for Briscoe, the road always leads back home, too.
It is also a showcasing for a pair of songwriters who've learned to grow without leaving their foundations behind. As they prepare for another packed year of touring, Heat of July stands as both a powerful travelogue and a heartfelt tribute to the people and places that continue to inspire and anchor them to this day.
TRACKLIST
Saving Grace
Arizona Shining
Roughnecks
Heat of JulyEscudilla
Adeline
Blue Eyes and Red Wine
Leaving California
Flashlights in the canyon
Free
Mexican Eagles
Is this where
TOUR DATES
Aug 20 - St. Louis, MO - Off Broadway+
Aug 21 - Indianapolis, IN - Hi-Fi+
Aug 22 - Lexington, KY - Burl County Fair
Aug 23 - Lawrenceburg, IN - The Liberty Theater+
Aug 26 - Fayetteville, AR - George's Majestic Lounge+
Aug 27 - Austin, TX - Sagebrush
Sep 9-13 - Nashville, TN - Americana Fest
Sep 10 - Knoxville, TN - Barley's Tap Room
Sep 11 - Athens, GA - Georgia Theatre Rooftop
Oct 3 - Austin, TX - Austin City Limits Music Festival
Oct 30 - Houston, TX - House of Blues~
Nov 1 - Dallas, TX - Echo Lounge~
Nov 4 - Phoenix, AZ - The Van Buren~
Nov 5 - West Hollywood, CA - Troubadour~
Nov 6 - San Diego, CA - SOMA~
Nov 7 - Santa Ana, CA - The Observatory~
Nov 8 - Oakland, CA - Fox Theater~
Nov 12 - Eugene, OR - WOW Hall~
Nov 14 - Vancouver, BC - The Commodore Ballroom~
Nov 15 - Seattle, WA - Showbox SoDO~
Nov 16 - Portland, OR - McMenamins Crystal Ballroom~
Nov 17 - Boise, ID - The Knitting Factory~
Nov 20 - Boulder, CO - Fox Theatre^
Nov 21 - Fort Collins, CO - Aggie Theatre^
Nov 22 - Manitou Springs, CO - Lulu's Downstairs^
Dec 4 - Tyler, TX - Stanley's BBQ
Dec 5 - Waco, TX - The Backyard
Dec 6 - San Antonio, TX - Sam's Burger Joint
+ w/ Miles Miller
~ supporting The 502s
^ w/ Nathaniel Riley
