Brothers Osborne, the self-titled fourth studio album released in September by the beloved country duo, opens with a fitting message. The aptly titled “Who Says You Can’t Have Everything” sonically captures the relaxed-but-rowdy vibe TJ and John Osborne have established over the years, with lyrics that reflect the most fulfilling period of their career yet: “I’m alive and kickin’ / Laid-back and living the dream / Who says you can’t have everything?”
The brothers have risen dramatically in popularity since their 2016 debut full-length Pawn Shop. But the period between their third album — 2020’s Skeletons — and now has seen the two truly come into their own as artists and as individuals. For TJ, that meant publicly coming out in 2021 as a gay man. That’s still a rarity in country music despite widespread acceptance in most other genres. As for John, he’s spoken candidly about his struggles with anxiety and depression, which factored into the pair canceling a string of dates in 2019. He also became a father last year, welcoming twins with his wife, singer-songwriter Lucie Silvas, in March.
This is, of course, on top of the career milestones the brothers have notched in recent years, including two nominations at this year’s Grammy Awards: Best Country Album for Brothers Osborne and Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “Nobody’s Nobody,” marking their 11th and 12th career nominations. And they took home Vocal Duo of the Year at November’s CMA Awards ceremony, their sixth win in that category.
It’s fair to assume that TJ and John Osborne are riding high. During a sit-down with the Scene at new East Nashville watering hole Tiger Bar, that translated to a palpable sense of contentment from both brothers. They make it readily apparent they aren’t taking anything for granted, particularly following the period of uncertainty wrought by the pandemic.
“We recognize this has been, really, kind of the first year since all the [pandemic] shitstorm that it’s felt back and feeling good again,” TJ says.
One listen through Brothers Osborne and you can feel that sense of reinvigoration. “Nobody’s Nobody,” the tune that’s up for a Grammy, is the duo at their best, with a casually confident vocal from TJ and a tasty if understated guitar solo from John. Lyrically, the song cleverly makes the case that we’re all someone and no one, and that ego distracts from the real work of treating others compassionately. While the pair is rightfully celebrated for TJ’s unrivaled baritone and John’s virtuosic playing, their lyrics, as in “Nobody’s Nobody,” are a breath of fresh air in a genre whose hits sometimes sound like hastily tossed-off MadLibs: A “girl” here, a “truck” there, find two things that rhyme with “beer,” and you can call it a day.
“We’re all writing songs — we’re trying to make it work, but there aren’t many rhymes with the word ‘girl,’” John says, laughing. “Ninety percent of the time it’s going to be ‘world.’ Luke Bryan did ‘squirrel’ and I was like, ‘You know what? Amen for changing it up a little bit.’”
Brothers Osborne at Tiger Bar (@tigerbar_nashville)
Speaking of changing it up, longtime fans of the brothers will notice an array of new sounds on Brothers Osborne, like the sultry soul of “Goodbye’s Kickin’ In,” the Fleetwood Mac-esque pop of the Miranda Lambert collaboration “We Ain’t Good at Breaking Up,” and the disco-funk fusion of “Ain’t Nobody Got Time for That,” on which TJ sounds delighted to use different modes of his voice, and John shows off his rhythmic prowess.
A major piece of the duo’s refreshed sound is that newfound sense of freedom each brother feels in the wake of opening up about who they are. There was no hiding in the writing room or the studio, and that extra energy makes its way into the music.
Another crucial part of switching things up was tapping Mike Elizondo, the Grammy-winning polymath producer who’s worked with everyone from Dr. Dre to Nickel Creek, to helm the album. This marked the brothers’ first time working on a full-length record with anyone other than Jay Joyce. It wasn’t a decision the pair made lightly, but one that wound up being exactly what they needed to hit reset and kick off a new era.
“He’s the nicest guy ever,” John says of Elizondo. “He’s a very confident person, but he has no ego about it.”
“We haven’t achieved as much as he has, although we’ve done enough to where I feel like we’re not in a place where we need to necessarily prove ourselves,” TJ adds. “We’re just very relaxed now, into what we’re doing and what brings us joy, and who we are as people. Working with Mike, it felt very much the same way. It kind of felt like we’ve known him our whole lives or something, like an old high school buddy.”
As Elizondo recalls in a separate conversation, Silvas introduced him to the brothers sometime around 2009. Years went by, and he started to hear about an exciting new duo with an incredible vocalist and ace guitarist, and he connected the dots.
“From record one, I was just totally enthralled with the musicianship and the lyrics and the whole vibe,” says Elizondo. “And I was just so happy to watch their rise, with every song, with every record. I’m just a fan of great musicians at the end of the day.”
The three would run into each other over the intervening years, seeing more of one another once Elizondo moved to Nashville in 2019. Having written together a bit before then, Elizondo and the brothers gradually developed a friendly creative relationship that would eventually lead to collaborating on Brothers Osborne.
“They just came up with the crazy idea to ask me to work on this record,” Elizondo says. “Like I said, I was already a longtime fan and was well aware of what they’re capable of doing. … Any time something like that happens, it’s just like, ‘Wow, how did our paths lead up to this moment?’ I’m very grateful. And on top of it, they just couldn’t be two nicer people. So that’s always a bonus. It’s one of those rare things where I feel like it evolved past the work relationship.”
TJ and John had already amassed a collection of demos as potential material for the record. They played it for Elizondo before the three of them made the call to try writing together just for the hell of it. That turned out to be a fruitful idea, with songs like “Goodbye’s Kickin’ In” coming from moments of experimentation and playing around.
“That was one of those songs where we just got together and wrote,” Elizondo says. “We had what we felt was enough for an album, but this was just like, ‘Hey, let’s just see what happens.’ It started as more of a tempo and a groove. We were trying to see if we could get something. I went to play something really simple on the bass. But then John comes in with this riff, and you’re just like, ‘Whoa,’ because it does sound like Brothers Osborne, but it’s not a vibe that I’d heard them do.”
Brothers Osborne at Tiger Bar (@tigerbar_nashville)
That drive to keep growing, to keep trying new things, is at the heart of what sets Brothers Osborne apart from many of their peers in country music. There’s an alchemy at play — one that takes an abiding passion for music, a deeply held commitment to craftsmanship and a sense of playful openness and makes something bigger than the sum of its parts. (There’s some perfectionism in the mix too, as John admits he’s rarely able to listen to any of their old music.)
Their sound is instantly recognizable and fully their own. That’s rare in any genre, but particularly so for an act that’s been able to find success within the homogenous institution that is commercial country radio.
“They definitely made it known that they just wanted to start a new chapter,” Elizondo says. “And I think they were just literally looking at it as a clean slate almost. Not to turn their back on what they had done, but the process could be different, the production could be different, just all the choices from top to bottom. They didn’t put any parameters on it.”
Elizondo credits this recent leveling-up to both brothers’ immense talents, of course, but even more so to TJ’s and John’s strong senses of self.
“I feel like what Brothers Osborne represents is just this sort of honesty, like, ‘Here’s who we are. We’re not ashamed of who we are, and you shouldn’t be ashamed of who you are, as well. Everyone’s welcome to the party,’” he says. “I’m just grateful for who they are and what they represent in music. I’m honored to be a part of it.”
TJ echoes this sentiment when discussing the fight for diversity within country music. “I really came out for my own personal reasons, my own personal health, with a beautiful byproduct being if it does help the genre, if it does help someone,” he says. “Ultimately, at least for us, we want our shows to be a place where people feel like you can be whoever you are, whatever you are — you can come to our show and just forget about it all and have a good time.”
In late March, the brothers will kick off their extensive tour called Might as Well Be Us, its name a play on another LP standout, the groovy and confident “Might As Well Be Me.” They’ll tour through the summer with acts like the similarly minded Cadillac Three and rising star Madeline Edwards joining the proceedings. Both are eager to bring this new music to life, while also keeping in mind that their jobs as musicians are just one piece of their ever blossoming lives.
“Back to 2023 being a year of change, we played four shows as a way to restructure our live performance and our live shows,” John says. “And it’s laid the groundwork for our tour in 2024. [We have] some new lights, new production, some new musicians out on the road with us. We haven’t even started rehearsals for it yet. And I, frankly, hate rehearsing. But I’m so excited to get in there and get the wheels moving again. Everything’s just a forward march, you know — but maybe with a new hat.”
Taking a look at the state of country music now and in the year ahead with Brothers Osborne, Black Opry, Abby Anderson and more
