It’s hard to believe that folk-rockers Briscoe created something special while rolling down America’s highways in a dingy white 15-passenger Ford Transit van, with a trailer rattling behind them. But that’s exactly what happened.
“Being outdoors is just a huge part of our songwriting,” says Briscoe’s Phillip Lupton. “Whether we are on an eight-hour drive on I-10 through Arizona, or between Asheville and Durham, North Carolina or the Canadian Rockies— being outdoors is a great way to get inspiration for songs.”
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“I get to look out the window and see just beautiful things 95 percent of the time,” adds bandmate Truett Heintzelman. “It’s really easy to stay inspired and draw from that landscape and the things we are seeing and the people that we’re meeting along the road.”
The ability to draw from those views helped Briscoe create their upcoming album, Heat of July, a dozen finely cut tracks set for release September 19. The record that could firmly plant the Texas-born duo in today’s folk-rock scene.
“Our previous record was called West of It All, and we were in college, and we were meeting our respective wives at the time, so I think that record reflects that feeling of being in college,” Lupton says. “In this new record, [our songwriting] evolves in a really cool way. It takes us a step further.”
It’s those very steps that have taken Briscoe into markets that once felt far out of reach for the two Texans, who have toured alongside the likes of Noah Kahan and Dave Matthews Band in recent years. Now, each return visit feels like a milestone—especially their upcoming August 20 stop at Off Broadway. The pair last visited St. Louis, where say they’ve been putting down some major roots, in March 2024.
“We’ve been building this Briscoe band slowly, in a grassroots sort of way, with just one step at a time,” says Lupton. “It hasn’t been overnight.”
“But the people from the Midwest have always been wonderful,” adds Heintzelman. “They’re so excited about live music, which is the best thing ever. I think people dog on the Midwest. But really, it’s just a different culture and does not have as many giant cities. I think because of that, people really accept and love live music in the Midwest. We have had nothing but good experiences playing there.”
Certainly, the music Briscoe creates seems to fit neatly with the hardworking ethic of the Midwest, something especially evident on the duo’s current single, “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.
“We are road dogs in many ways,” Lupton says. “There’s no other way for us to grow the band except to get out and put in the hours and put in the shows and shake hands with people and be out in front of people. A lot of people are finding success through whatever mediums they’re finding success within. But for us right now, the way that we are finding success and the way that we’re continuing to grow is just to put in the hours that it takes.”
And it’s paying off, especially with Briscoe’s midwestern fans.
“Some of the most loyal fans that we have are in the Midwest,” Lupton says. “We often know that if we go to this city, we’re going to see this person and then we would bet a thousand dollars that they’re going to be at the next two shows as well. And they’re going to drive about five hours each night. Fans like that have a respect for the work that we are putting in to get there. I think they resonate with that in the Midwest.”
In the end, Briscoe’s success isn’t measured in charts or streams, but in the miles they’ve traveled, the hands they’ve shaken, and the roots they continue to plant along the way.
