Country-rocker Jason Isbell was recently profiled by GQ, in a wide-reaching piece that explores his family life, passion for music, sobriety and unyielding work ethic.

“I remember in rehab they would say, ‘Keep your head and your ass in the same place,’ ” Isbell tells GQ. “And I spent a lot of time thinking, What exactly does that mean? And it comes back to—a friend of mine and I laugh about the similarities between the teachings of Ram Dass and the coaching of Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide. We may be the only two people on earth who are in a position to evaluate both of those. And it’s always about the process. You’re playing the game; you’re not playing an opponent. You’re doing the work in order to do the work.”

Writer Zach Baron also speaks with Isbell’s recent collaborator David Crosby.

“He’s a very good musician. He’s a fine guitar player. But the thing that separates the men from the boys for me is content,” the legendary songwriter says. “It’s the words. It’s what he’s actually talking about. He’s talking about love in ways that I admire.”

Isbell and his 400 Unit will share their forthcoming LP – Reunions – on Friday, May 15.

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