Sammy Brue’s latest release is The Journals, which stands as a tribute to his late mentor and friend Justin Townes Earle, who died in 2020. The material is largely comprised of songs culled from Earle’s journals; in some cases they were complete songs and in other instances Brue compiled Earle’s writings for the lyrics. One song, “For Justin,” is Brue’s sole solo composition on the record.
Brue, who has been playing professionally since around the age of 10, met Earle just a few years later and was soon sharing stages with his mentor, even appearing on the cover of Earle’s 2014 album Single Mothers.
We discussed their first meeting in this conversation as well as Brue’s approach to making the album. He has also participated in some events with Earle’s biographer, Jonathan Bernstein, whose book What Do You Do When You’re Lonesome also came out earlier this year. (Bernstein will be a guest on a future episode of Into Music.)
Host/Producer: Jedd Beaudoin
Theme music: Torin Andersen
