Texas duo Briscoe announced the release of Heat of July, the bold new album, out now via ATO Records. Celebrating the great outdoors and their flesh-and-blood roots as husbands and family men, 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.
Produced by Grammy-nominated Brad Cook (Waxahatchee, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats) and featuring a “folk supergroup” featuring 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.
Today, Briscoe also released “Roughnecks,” a song inspired by a photo of Truett’s great-grandfather, who made his living working gas lines and in the oilfields of Texas. “The song tells the story of a man who spends his long and strenuous hours of work in the fields reflecting on his past decisions and the girl he left behind, with instrumentation and lyrics that pay homage to the trades that are so integral to our Texas heritage.” stated Truett.
FLOOD MAGAZINE premiered the track stated, “the deeply personal track about the duo’s laboring Texan ancestors feels even more ripe for any future dates with recent tourmates Dave Matthews or Noah Kahan.”
The track is a perfect introduction to the new sound from a fully-formed duo chasing down a broader horizon. An album written 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 a Top 40 hit on the Triple A 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 heir 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.
“We both grew up in parts of the country that were hot all the time,” Philip explains. “My parents live on 100 acres in West Texas, and there’s not a single proper tree. When you have that kind of heat running through your blood, you learn how to wait for the cool of the day. We really loved using that idea for the album title. That feeling that you get in July… it transcends the month itself. You take it with you all year long, and you learn how to appreciate the cool when it does come.”
Sharing 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, including dates through August and 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.
TOUR DATES
Oct 30 Thu – Houston, TX – House of Blues*
Nov 1 Sat – Dallas, TX – Echo Lounge*
Nov 4 Tue – Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren*
Nov 5 Wed – Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour*
Nov 6 Thu – San Diego, CA – SOMA*
Nov 12 Wed – Eugene, OR – WOW Hall*
Nov 16 Sun – Portland, OR – McMenamins Crystal Ballroom*
Nov 17 Mon – Boise, ID – The Knitting Factory*
*supporting The 502s
