Brothers Osborne: Expect Even More Real on New Album ‘Skeletons’
The Brothers Osborne have been putting together a pretty damn good career straddling lines between country and rock, mainstream and independent, finding some success on the radio, but not at the expense of their souls. And from what they’re saying, you can expect more of that on their upcoming album from EMI Nashville called Skeletons due out October 9th.
“If ‘Pawn Shop’ was our introduction, and ‘Port Saint Joe’ was like the first conversation we had with someone over a beer, then ‘Skeletons’ is the moment where you start getting down to the real stuff and showing who you really are,” says John Osborne. “If you really want to get to know us, this is the record to do it.”
Get ready once again for a more country rock sound from the brother duo since they’re pairing with producer Jay Joyce once more, and there’s also some interesting names that show up in the songwriting credits such as Hayes Carll and Natalie Hemby. John and TJ Osborne either write or co-write every track on the record, with John earning sole writing credits on a couple of songs.
Brothers Osborne surprised most everyone when they first won the CMA for Vocal Duo of the Year over Florida Georgia Line in 2016, and then again in 2017 and 2018 before having their streak broken by the dumb Dan + Shay in 2019. They’ve also been nominated for six Grammy Awards, speaking to their positive reception among the more critically-minded of country.
The lead single from the new record called “All Night” is well … a lead single, meaning it yearns for radio play, and will likely end up near the top of the charts right about the time the record comes out if everything goes according to plan. But you can expect the record to get better from there.
Like most everyone else, Brothers Osborne have had their tour plans cancelled for 2020.
TRACK LISTING:
1. “Lighten Up” (John Osborne, TJ Osborne, Daniel Tashian and Ian Fitchuk)
2. “All Night” (John Osborne, TJ Osborne and Andrew DeRoberts)
3. “All the Good Ones Are” (TJ Osborne, Lee Miller and Craig Wiseman)
4. “I’m Not for Everyone” (John Osborne, TJ Osborne, Luke Dick and Natalie Hemby)
5. “Skeletons” (John Osborne, TJ Osborne and Andrew DeRoberts)
6. “Back on The Bottle” (John Osborne, TJ Osborne and Hayes Carll)
7. “High Note” (John Osborne, TJ Osborne, Casey Beathard and Dustin Christensen)
8. “Muskrat Greene” (John Osborne)
9. “Dead Man’s Curve” (John Osborne, TJ Osborne and Lee Miller)
10. “Make It a Good One” (John Osborne, TJ Osborne and Stephen Wilson Jr.)
11. “Hatin’ Somebody” (John Osborne, TJ Osborne and Casey Beathard)
12. “Old Man’s Boots” (John Osborne)
July 25, 2020 @ 10:45 am
“All Night” makes my head hurt. I hope it’s an anomaly within the album.
July 25, 2020 @ 10:56 am
Seriously? I actually purchased it so it can go on my gym ipod playlist….
July 25, 2020 @ 11:11 am
The lead single on a mainstream record is almost always the anomaly.
July 25, 2020 @ 12:10 pm
I couldn’t make it all the way through. Even “real” can be tedious I guess, who knew?
July 25, 2020 @ 3:53 pm
I agree. It is a terrible, terrible song.
July 25, 2020 @ 11:01 am
They’ve also been nominated for three Grammy Awards…
Slight correction trig, they’ve been nominated 6 times; 5 consecutive times in the Country Duo/Group Performance category and last year for country album.
July 25, 2020 @ 11:14 am
I stand corrected. For some reason, I was only seeing their performance noms.
July 25, 2020 @ 11:03 am
I thought the Osborne Brothers died a long time ago.
I always liked them doing “Cincinnati Ohio”
July 25, 2020 @ 11:31 am
Sonny Osborne’s weekly column at Bluegrass Today is a fun and informative read.
July 25, 2020 @ 5:30 pm
You’ve made this same joke here on this site before. It wasn’t funny that time either.
July 25, 2020 @ 5:49 pm
Sorry, jokes on you dude, cuz like, you’re a former underwear model and shit. Hahahahaha…poser.
July 25, 2020 @ 5:59 pm
Fuck off Mark Fuzzy is a hall of famer get em Fuzz!
July 25, 2020 @ 7:18 pm
It’s no joke. With all the talk of name changes regarding the lady A-int country and the Ditzy Chicks I think dialogue needs broaching that these two need to change their name too
July 25, 2020 @ 6:02 pm
Bobby Osborne and the Rocky Top Express were still touring as of last year I know and were occasionally on the Opry. I’d been hoping to catch them live at some point
July 25, 2020 @ 12:14 pm
I tried into these guys before … didn’t Lee Ann Womack sing a song with them on their first album? Then I saw them on two Outlaw Fest stops and they were just noise. I think the last time (last year) they had DJ on the stage and they just made a lot of noise and ran around the stage, hollering. I’m not trying again.
July 25, 2020 @ 12:28 pm
I can’t speak to your experience, but I have never seen or heard of a scenario where Brothers Osborne have any involvement with a DJ, or would be running around the stage “hollering. ” They may make a lot of noise, but Florida Georgia Line, they’re not.
July 25, 2020 @ 1:02 pm
This was last September in New Hampshire. I was looking at videos and it may have been the organist/keyboard dude who looked like a DJ from where I was sitting in the lawn. Even in some of the youtube videos though his hand does a circular motion like he’s mixing records (maybe something on his keyboard??). I remember them dropping loud r&b/ rap, top 40 songs for their entrance and between a couple of their songs which lead me to believe he was a DJ. At the end they divided the crowd to do a “Ho,” “Hey” chant thing.
July 25, 2020 @ 1:38 pm
What were you Infamously doing in the bathroom before you saw this DJ?
July 25, 2020 @ 3:33 pm
Tennessee Walking Powder and what they said was fresh maple syrup from a tree spout.
July 25, 2020 @ 5:36 pm
Yeah, nope, doesn’t sound like you saw the band being talked about in this article. In fact, doesn’t sound like you are sure who you saw. But ya know, you should just go ahead and bad mouth them anyways. Just like your supporter there, floozy two sheets. We know, we know, nothing new can be good country. Only willie and Waylon. Dam kids, get off my lawn etc.
July 25, 2020 @ 5:52 pm
The one guy had a really deep voice … like deeper than Josh Turner. The other dude shredded a mean guitar. There… something nice.
July 25, 2020 @ 3:46 pm
The Osborne Brothers were talented bluegrass musicians who always put on a great show.
Two posers who are chipping away at their legacy with a similar deliberately confusing name might do that tho.
I for one love the Osborne brothers and I hate to think I’ll ever have to say that and be followed up with “oh you mean brothers Osborne?”
July 25, 2020 @ 4:09 pm
I think that plays into prejudice too!
July 25, 2020 @ 9:26 pm
Nobody is confusing the Osborne Brothers for Brothers Osborn aside from the easily confused, and that’s on them.
July 26, 2020 @ 7:23 am
All these Osbornes (and Joan, Josh, and most especially Ozzy) should get together and record a “Family Reunion” album just to confuse everyone.
July 26, 2020 @ 8:24 am
And record it in their homeland down under.
July 25, 2020 @ 3:29 pm
As far as mainstream goes, this is my most anticipated album of the year. These guys can straddle the line of country and rock exceptionally well. Some songs go into 6 or 7 minutes on their records which is jam band territory. Pretty bad when we have to rely on Brothers Osborne, Kip Moore, and Eric Church for decent rock music.
July 25, 2020 @ 4:04 pm
I like these dudes, and I’ll most likely buy the album, but I have no illusions about them being “real”, whatever that means, I assume “traditional”. The new single is catchy and fun, but it’s pop for sure.
Side note, I saw ‘em live a year or two back and, again, they were fun but probably the cheesiest country act I’ve ever seen live. Lots of “yeah!”, “come on, y’all!”, and “put your hands up!” type yelling from John (the bearded guitarist brother) trying to hype up the crowd.
Way too much of that, maybe it was too much pre-game blow or something. Anyway, fun time but they need to let the music speak for itself. Less goofy crowd hyping.
July 25, 2020 @ 4:16 pm
I just don’t see how a song can need input from more than two people. It’s a song not a PT Cruiser! But if we can get together a bakers dozen of talented individuals to write some transcendent pop country hot garbage for Blake or Jason count me in! Baby needs a new pair of shoes!
July 25, 2020 @ 5:51 pm
For some reason I think All Night is so similar to It Ain’t My Fault in terms of the overall sound. I heard All Night playing on the radio and for a hot second I didn’t even realize that it was actually that song, not It Ain’t My Fault.
July 25, 2020 @ 6:35 pm
OhMyGosh,
Hard Truth Hills, Brown County, IN.
Great music, no masks, Oh Heck Yeah!
July 25, 2020 @ 9:56 pm
Wait, you expect the “All Night” single to be near the top of the radio charts by October??
I think it has a good chance to get into the Top 10 but that would likely be by February or March at best.
Like many other artists, a 9 to 12 month climb is likely the lifespan of a single..
Hoping for a duration of 6 months (April to October) seems like wishful thinking.
Truly the sad reality of today.
But don’t worry, it will only take 3 months for anything Blake Shelton, Sam Hunt, or Like Bryan to peak at #1
July 25, 2020 @ 10:00 pm
Asking only because I’m a Pardi stan… But how do you think “Aint Always the Cowboy” is doing ?
It’s been over 4 months since its radio release and it’s slowly climbing , currently at #24 … Is a November/December peak likely at this point?
I wish it wasn’t stalling this much. It’s such a great song.
July 26, 2020 @ 9:36 am
Yeah, his singles always take a while to climb the charts. It’s been rising more as of recently too
August 1, 2020 @ 7:30 pm
I was wondering this also. Both AATC and Cheatin’ Songs by Midland are two songs that I hope make it into the top ten (or at least top 20).
It seems like the charts have been moving extremely slowly this year. I also noticed that almost every song that makes it to the top ten is peaking at number one for a week then falling rapidly.
July 26, 2020 @ 5:59 am
I haven’t listened to the lead single but I have enjoyed their Port Saint Joe record and their live record a lot. I’m looking forward to this new one.
July 26, 2020 @ 6:55 pm
I’ve loved this band as far back as Rum, but even I didn’t like the first single. Thankfully though they seem to work hard to put albums out and not just some catchy first single, a boyfriend ballad and filler. I’m excited for Skeletons, and mostly for the songs that won’t be sent to radio.
July 27, 2020 @ 12:52 am
Hayes Carll and Dustin Christensen co-writers? Yes please, seems like it’ll be a good record