"Takin ' A Walk"-Music Discovery with Briscoe unpacking new music "Heat of July"

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Takin' a Walk" — Music Discovery with Briscoe Unpacking New Music "Heat of July"

Podcast: takin' a walk
Host: Buzz Knight (iHeartPodcasts)
Guest: Briscoe (Philip Lupton and Truett Heinzelman)
Release Date: September 19, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode of "takin' a walk" dives into the emerging Texas folk-rock band Briscoe, comprised of lifelong friends Philip Lupton and Truett Heinzelman. Host Buzz Knight explores their musical journey, influences, songwriting process, their new album "Heat of July," and the spirit of collaboration that fuels their creative output. With warm camaraderie and candid storytelling, the episode provides insight into what makes Briscoe's sound both grounded in tradition and uniquely contemporary.

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Key Discussion Points

1. Opening Reflections: The "Walk" Question

[04:41]

• Buzz Knight’s signature opener: “If you could take a walk with somebody, living or dead, who do you think you would take a walk with and where would you take that walk?”
  • Philip Lupton: Dream walk with Lyle Lovett in Austin’s Hyde Park, mixing talk of songwriting, Texas, and Mexican food.
    “I'd just love to take a walk with Lyle Lovett...maybe stop and grab a margarita or something and pick his brain.” (Philip, [05:04])
  • Truett Heinzelman: Jerry Garcia for songwriting wisdom and perspective, especially on lyrics and world views.

2. Briscoe's Origin Story

[08:05]

• Met at summer camp in middle school; looked like twins with matching red curly hair and identical shoes.

• Maintained friendship across different cities; began playing music and writing songs together as teens.

• Made Briscoe official at the University of Texas in Austin, gigged locally, wrote, and released music.

  “When we met...we looked like twins and we were wearing the same exact pair of shoes.” (Philip, [08:05])

3. Musical Influences

[09:46]

• Deep roots in late 60s–70s music, citing The Eagles, James Taylor, John Prine, the Laurel Canyon and Texas music scenes.

• Heavily inspired by artists who seamlessly blend genres:

  • Jerry Garcia (Grateful Dead & Old & In the Way’s bluegrass/jam/folk/psychedelic mix)
  • Lyle Lovett, Robert Earl Keen, Kris Kristofferson, Guy Clark, Jerry Jeff Walker, and others

  “That age of music...is what we're both raised on. It's what we both consider to be kind of the gold standard of music.” (Truett, [10:35]) “They’re all artists that do such a great job of writing music that's loved universally, but it's also specific to where they're from.” (Philip, [13:54])

4. Songwriting Process & Creating "Heat of July"

[14:46]

• Usually write songs individually, then consult each other for feedback.

• Rarely co-write from scratch, but often polish songs together.

• This album was shaped by writing on the road, capturing poetry and ideas while traveling—challenging but growth-inducing.

  “A lot of the writing was almost more like writing poetry in the van...it's you and the words on the page, and if those words can't stand on their own, then you're kind of in trouble.” (Truett, [15:03])

5. Working with Producer Brad Cook

[21:58]

• Grammy-nominated Brad Cook also produced their debut; helped them clarify their ambitions and sound.

• Brad fostered a lyric-forward approach and encouraged new ideas and instruments, deepening their musical palette.

  “Brad knows us, he knows our sound, he knows that we desire more and more to put our lyrics first...” (Philip, [22:15])

6. The "Supergroup" of Collaborators

[23:58]

• Studio musicians included Andrew Marlin (Watchhouse/Mandolin Orange), Libby Rodenbaugh (Mipso, fiddle), Phil Cook (multi-instrumentalist), Matt McCaughan (Bon Iver, drums), and Matt Myers (Hound Mouth, electric guitar).

• Each brought something distinctive and elevated the record.

  “When this kind of all came together, we were literally in the studio just kind of like, what is happening? This has just turned into a 2010s folk super group out of nowhere.” (Truett, [24:10])

7. Album Highlights: Favorite Tracks

[28:11]

• Philip’s Highlights:

  • “Flashlights in the Canyon”: Written after witnessing border crossings during a hunting trip in West Texas; captures the complex human reality at the border.
    • “It's a song that's about a hunting trip...and we see some flashlights...people crossing the southern border...It just inspired a lot of thought.” (Philip, [28:29])
  • “Free”: A country road-trip song written by Truett.

• Truett’s Highlights:

  • “Arizona Shining”: Piano-driven, Western-feel song reminiscent of Elton John’s “Tumbleweed Connection.”
    • “This could be the soundtrack to a western movie...the piano hook just catches you instantly.” (Truett, [29:41])
  • “Adeline”: A personal love song with melodic guitar by Matt Myers.
  • Both praise “Flashlights in the Canyon” for stripping away politics and returning to the humanity of border stories.

  “He did such a great job of stripping all that down and taking us back to the humanity of it all.” (Truett, [30:22])

8. The Magic of Collaboration

[31:59]

• Both see collaboration as essential: it refines their ideas, allows vulnerability, and results in stronger material.

• Cited external input from producer Brad Cook and fellow musicians raising their songwriting to the next level.

  “When you really are able to get the song...the way that I would play it for you if I were sitting in your room...the magic of collaboration there is so, so strong.” (Philip, [32:28])

  “The beauty of collaboration...it's a refinery process, people bringing their different perspectives and it ultimately you end up with a really cool thing.” (Truett, [34:39])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Musical Identity:
  “We call ourselves like a Texas folk rock band. But there's, you know, aspects of country music, aspects of bluegrass music, Southern rock, blues...we really appreciate that sort of bouncing and weaving through genres—especially in the way that Jerry [Garcia] did it.” (Truett, [11:49])

• On Community and Legacy:
  “You're working through a list and...to come up with a batch of songs...the magic of collaborating and in songwriting, especially that step two, is really, really cool.” (Philip, [32:28])

• On Navigating Complex Topics in Songwriting:
  “He did such a wonderful job of writing about a super complex topic that has become ultra politicized...just reminds everybody that there are human beings on both sides of this equation.” (Truett, [30:39])

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Opening & "Take a Walk" Icebreaker: [04:29]–[07:17]
• Briscoe’s Origin Story: [08:05]–[09:39]
• Musical Influences Deep Dive: [09:46]–[14:46]
• Songwriting & “Heat of July” Process: [14:46]–[17:31]
• Working with Brad Cook: [21:58]–[23:58]
• Collaborators/Supergroup Musicians: [24:10]–[28:11]
• Favorite Songs – Album Highlights: [28:11]–[31:59]
• On Collaboration: [31:59]–[37:39]
• Closing Gratitude & Farewell: [37:39]–[38:13]

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Episode Tone and Language

The conversation is friendly, earnest, and often self-effacing. Briscoe are reflective about their own journey, passionate when discussing both their influences and their collaborators, and display warmth—toward each other, toward their studio band, and toward the idea of making art together. The host, Buzz Knight, brings a sense of curiosity and genuine admiration throughout.

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Final Thoughts

For anyone new to Briscoe or folk-rock, this episode serves as an inviting primer on not just a band’s evolution, but also the broader traditions and communal spirit alive in contemporary Americana music. It’s both a celebration of roots and an honest look behind the scenes—a must-listen for music discovery fans.

Transcript

[Buzz Knight]

Taking a Walk I'm Buzz Knight and.

[Buzz Knight (Ad reads)]

Welcome to another edition of Taking a Walk. This is the podcast where we get the stories behind the music from all.

[Buzz Knight]

Sorts of artists, new artists, hall of Famers, the whole gamut. Today we're joined by a band that's.

[Buzz Knight (Ad reads)]

Been quickly turning heads with their sharp.

[Buzz Knight]

Lyrics, rich harmonies, and a sound that.

[Buzz Knight (Ad reads)]

Feels both fresh and timeless. They're lifelong friends who turn their shared.

[Buzz Knight]

Love of music into something that's resonating.

[Buzz Knight (Ad reads)]

With audience across the country. They call themselves Brisco and if you haven't crossed paths with their songs yet, you're about to discover why so many people are leaning in.

[Buzz Knight]

So settle into the rhythm and we'll get into it with Brisco after these words.

[Buzz Knight (Ad reads)]

This is an iHeart podcast. This episode of Taking a Walk is brought to you by Chase Sapphire Reserve Whether I'm booking my next vacation or going to a concert, catch Chase Sapphire Reserve is my gateway to the world's most captivating destinations. When I use my Chase Sapphire Reserve card, I get eight times points on all the purchases I make through Chase Travel and even access to one of a kind experiences like music festivals and sports events. And that's not even mentioning how the card gets me into the Sapphire Lounge by the club at select airports nationwide. No matter where I'm walking, travel is more rewarding with Chase Sapphire Reserve. Discover [e-mail] Sapphire Reserve cards issued by JP Morgan, Chase Bank NA member FDIC subject to credit approval terms apply. Every music lover has that moment you hear or read something that stops you in your tracks. A forgotten B side, an offhand comment in an interview. A connection. Nobody else noticed that curiosity that that's where Claude comes in. Claad is AI for people who don't stop at the surface. It helps you explore the real stories behind the music, not with quick answers, but by working through the discovery with you, matching your level of curiosity. Try Claude for free at Claude AI Buzz Lexus believes in the importance of standards. One of my standards I never want to be late. I always want to show up on time. For Lexus, the standard is simple experience. Amazing. Their benchmarks aren't stats or specs. They're feelings. Exhilaration, joy. That sense your car was designed just for you. Machines built to make you feel more human. Because a car that doesn't make you feel something is a car that stops short of amazing experience. Amazing at your Lexus dealer tired of.

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[Philip Lupton]

Please welcome aboard the Johnson Family.

[Disney Cruise Line Ad Voice]

The whole fam's here for the Disney Cruise. So you know we came to play and listen. The adults are gonna have a ball. First we're chilling in the infinity pool, onto massages at Sense's spa, then gliding into Star Wars Hyperspace Lounge for a toast. We're even gonna kick back with Mick Disney's Private Island. That's how we get down cuz Disney Cruise Line is where we came to play. Taking a Walk.

[Buzz Knight]

Well, it's so good on the Taking a Walk podcast to have Brisco on. That's Philip Lupton and Truitt Heinzelman. Hello gentlemen.

[Truett Heinzelman]

How's it going?

[Philip Lupton]

Hello.

[Buzz Knight]

It's going well. It's so nice to have you on Taking a Walk. So since we do call this, this little podcast Taking a Walk, I like to ask this question. If you could take a walk with somebody, living or dead, who do you think you would take a walk with and where would you take that walk?

[Philip Lupton]

Wow, that's a great question. I have thought about this. I checked out your podcast and had seen that you asked this question and it really got me thinking. And it's funny because my answer before I even realized that you had talked to him before was immediately Lyle Lovett. I would just love to take a walk with Lyle Lovett. I'd love to pick his brain on everything, songwriting, everything Texas, everything, Mexican food. And I would just take a walk through the neighborhood that I live in, that we both live in in Austin is called Hyde Park. And it's just a homey neighborhood. I don't know where Lala Bit lives, but I've seen him at a restaurant in this neighborhood before and I would Just take a walk around the neighborhood, maybe stop and grab a margarita or something and pick his brain.

[Buzz Knight]

That's a great one. I love it.

[Truett Heinzelman]

So I didn't come as prepared, but off the top of my head, I would love to take a walk with Jerry Garcia. I am just super fascinated by him, as I think a lot of people are. As a musician, as a writer, as just a person. He's just, he's such a peculiar person who had a lot of very profound things to say. I know songwriting wise, he wrote a lot of times with Robert Hunter. So I honestly, if I could pick both their brands, that'd be great. But even just Jerry, I think he's a super underrated songwriter and or lyricist perhaps. I think obviously people love his songs, but I think his lyrics are incredible and so I would love to just get to kind of talk about that with him and I think to just his viewpoint on the world and on things was very unique and would be super interested to hear what he had to say about everything.

[Buzz Knight]

Those are two good ones. They're. They're all good. But those are two side by side, that would be pretty, pretty incredible. Never had the opportunity myself to run into Mr. Garcia while he was on this planet. And having Lyle Levitt on was a long standing dream come true. And as you both know, he couldn't have been any nicer and accommodating. So that was a big, a big, big thrill. So we're going to talk about your new music, Heat of July and, and you know, get into that. But first of all, take me here to the beginnings and the story behind how Briscoe came together.

[Philip Lupton]

Yeah, absolutely. I'll jump in. Also, I don't think we introduced ourselves. I'm Philip, this is Truett. Okay, Briscoe. Briscoe. So true. And I met at a summer camp when we were in middle school age around, around that maybe seventh or eighth grade, we went to a summer camp and we were just talking about this. But it was so funny when we met for the very first time, we were wearing the same exact pair of shoes. And you'll be able to tell, but we have red curly hair and we look like twin brothers. So when we met, it was comical because we looked like twins and we were wearing the same exact pair of shoes. We grew up in different cities and we stayed friends through high school. We continued to go to the summer camp and we just started to play music together. We realized we had a lot of the same influences. We loved a lot of the same music and kind of through late high school, began writing a lot of songs and started to release that a little bit. And then we got to college at the University of Texas in Austin, and that's when we really made Briscoe official and began to play shows and gig around and record music and try to get. Get it off the ground.

[Buzz Knight]

I'd say you've gotten it off the ground.

[Philip Lupton]

Well, thank you.

[Truett Heinzelman]

Thank you very much.

[Buzz Knight]

Can you guys talk about, though, those musical influences? Obviously, I'm sure it touches a little bit on what you led with on the taking a walk question. I'm sure Lyle Lovett's had influence. I'm sure Jerry Garcia has had influence as. Especially considering what. What Jerry did so brilliantly on how he and all those others in that little super group called Olden in the way, kind of took bluegrass and brought it into a different sense of mainstream, which was kind of unheard of then. And to this day, that, you know, great project, Olden in the way, still stands as a milestone. But talk about, you know, Philip and true at your musical influences.

[Truett Heinzelman]

I mean, we could just get lost talking about our musical influences. It's kind of like when you're, you know, a young kid at a shopping mall with your mom and you get lost, and it's just so exciting, but it's almost overwhelming because we could just be there all day. So musically, I mean, like you said, everything from Jerry Garcia, that whole late 60s through the 70s decade of music is just, to us, the, like, pinnacle of. Of music. Both from a songwriting perspective, the. That spans plenty of genres. You know, the whole Laurel Canyon scene, the country scene. In that day, guys like John Prine, you got senior songs, senior songwriters like James Taylor, The Eagles are a band that we think are one of the best out there. And so that age of music, I think, is what we're both raised on. And it's what we both consider to be, like, kind of the. The gold standard of music. And so that has a ton of influence. And then, yeah, guys like Jerry Garcia, like you're saying, it's so fascinating to me that he, you know, like, started off, really is like a blues guy, and then the. The dead kind of morphed into this, like, folk bluegrass, you know, like, working man's dead sound until, you know, blues into a jam band, and then obviously, eventually got into the psychedelic thing. But just the way that he kind of intertwined all this is something that's really fascinating to us. And we, you know, call ourselves like a Texas folk rock band. But there's, you know, aspects of, like, country music, aspects of bluegrass music, aspects of, like, Southern rock music, aspect of straight up blues music. So we really appreciate that sort of bouncing and weaving through genres and especially in the way that he did it. That was so authentic.

[Buzz Knight]

Philip, how about you?

[Philip Lupton]

Yeah, Yeah, I think that's. That's a great kind of take on where we're at. I remember. So I'd like to compare it to this. When I moved to Austin for college, I had grown up in a town called San Angelo in West Texas. In San Angelo, didn't have very many restaurants with different cuisine. So I get to Austin and it's like, okay, I'm going to try Korean food. I'm going to try chicken tikka masala. I'm going to try all these different foods, and I'm going to just, like, feel like I'm in a brand new world. And getting to Austin and exploring the music scene felt so similar because I was in this new world. I was just inundated by the lore, the legends, the blues, the rock, the country, the folk, the singer songwriters. And I think that recently, recently, what we've been consuming a lot of is, like, true. It talks about, like, that golden standard of the, you know, 70s, greater full country rock and roll scene. And I think that recently we've been really exploring, like, what does that mean through the lens of Texas? Who are these Texans that we, you know, can resonate with growing up here that we love so much? And I think that guys like, I love it. Robert Earl Keane, Kris Kristofferson, Guy Clark, Willis, Alan Ramsey, Jerry, Jeff Walker. I mean, the list just goes on and on. But those, I'll just say recently, have been such a big influence in our songwriting because they're all artists that do such a great job of writing music that's loved universally. But it's also specific to where they're from, where they live, and the places and people that they care about the most.

[Buzz Knight]

So let's talk about the creation of the heat of July. First of all, what is your. Your process on the songwriting side of things? Take us behind the scenes on how you both work in that regard.

[Truett Heinzelman]

Great question. So, generally speaking, despite being a duo, we tend to write most of our songs individually and kind of use each other as a, like a consulting type of relationship to where, you know, if I or if Philip has a song that's 100 done and brings it to me and is like, hey, what do you think about this? And a lot of times, like, perfect don't change anything. It's great. Occasionally there'll be like, oh, what do you think about this here? Instead of this or this here or. And then every probably one in, you know, 10 songs or so, we'll sit down and write something together, or I'll bring, or Philip will bring a verse in a chorus and we'll say, hey, what do you think about this? So that's generally speaking how we roll songwriting wise, but this record was kind of a new thing for us because we put out our first record, west of it all, two years ago and then pretty much just hit the road after that and really spent a lot of time on the road, which was awesome, and it was great to get to play shows, but we weren't home for extended periods of time really much at all. And so we kind of had to learn to, to write songs on the road, which was great, but it was just very different. And so it was a, it was a really good kind of experiment or exercise, if you will. A lot of the writing was almost more like writing poetry in the van, you know, and it's, it's super helpful. When you're driving through beautiful parts of this country, it's very easy to get in the head space to, to write lyrics. But yeah, it was, it was. At least for me, it was my first time, like, sitting down and writing poetry, if you will, and then sitting down later with a guitar and kind of seeing how it all fits together musically. Whereas in the past it was almost exclusively like guitar in hand, writing a song, you know, maybe taking a phrase or whatever. But so, so it was a, it was a cool. I, I feel like it challenged us, and I'd like to think it made us better songwriters because it's like you literally just, it's you and you and the words on the page, and so if those words can't stand on their own, then, then you're kind of in trouble.

[Disney Cruise Line Ad Voice]

We'll be right back with more of the Taking a Walk podcast.

[Buzz Knight (Ad reads)]

This episode of Taking a Walk is brought to you by Chase Sapphire Reserve. Whether I'm booking my next vacation or going to a concert, Chase Sapphire Reserve is my gateway to the world's most captivating destinations. Travel is one of the most precious things in my life and the memories of each of the experiences and live on forever. Chase Sapphire Reserve allows me to travel with ease, with a $300 travel credit and access to a curated collection of hotels through the edit. So no matter where I'm walking, travel is more rewarding with Chase Sapphire Reserve. Discover more with Chase sapphire [e-mail] Sapphire Reserve cards issued by JP Morgan Chase Bank NA member FDIC subject to credit approval terms apply. Every music story has layers most people never discover the session musician who created that signature lick, the studio accident that became a classic sound, the cultural moment that made a song possible. That's when you need Claude AI Built for minds that can't stop at the first answer. Comb through interviews, biographies, recording session notes, Claude analyzes up to 200 pages instantly and can reveal connections across decades of music history. Need to verify claims about music legends? Claude searches the web and cross references sources with citations you can check. But here's what's different. Claude doesn't just give you quick facts. It works through the problem with you, step by step. It's built for people who know that understanding music means understanding the culture, technology, and human stories behind the sounds. Whether you're researching your favorite artist, exploring genre evolution, or discovering untold music history, Claude matches your curiosity about what really happened. See why the world's best problem solvers choose Claude as their thinking partner and try for free at Claude AI Buzz Lexus believes in the importance of standards One of my standards I never want to be late. I always want to show up on time. For Lexus, the standard is simple experience. Amazing. Their benchmarks aren't stats or specs, they're feelings, Exhilaration, joy. That sense your car was designed just for you. Machines built to make you feel more human. Because a car that doesn't make you feel something is a car that stops short of amazing Experience. Amazing at your Lexus dealer.

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[Disney Cruise Line Ad Voice]

Welcome back to the Taking a Walk podcast.

[Buzz Knight]

So you found a producer in Grammy nominated Brad Cod Cook, who's fairly well known. Had you known you knew his work. But had you known Brad personally before you brought him on for this project?

[Philip Lupton]

We had known Brad's work for a long time. Like you said, records that we loved, from Nathaniel Ra to Waxahachie to Brent Cobb, Bony Ver. Brad is a great producer and we've loved his work for a long time. And then getting to cut first west of it all with him as our debut record was, we just feel so fortunate because Brad was able to just really put the greater like ambition into perspective of okay, what do we want to do? What do we want to make? What do we want to present ourselves as? Like, what foot do we want to put forward first? And Brad helped do that through west of it all. And then getting to do Heat of July with him as well was just a great next step. Because Brad knows us, he knows our sound, he knows like that we desire more and more to put our lyrics first. And we got to talk through what we wanted this, this Heat of July record to be with Brad and we got to execute and we got to bring in new instruments, we got to bring in new, new sounds, new ideas that just really helped build upon what we've already began to build, but bring it somewhere new. And I think that Brad just, I mean, he's very, very wise and he's very, very thoughtful about the work that he does. And I think it's just a huge blessing to have him on our team.

[Buzz Knight]

And a bit of a, I dare say a bit of a super group behind you. Can you talk about some of those outstanding players?

[Truett Heinzelman]

Yeah, absolutely. When this kind of all came together, we were literally in the studio just kind of like, what, what is happening? This has just turned into like A, A 2010s folk super group out of nowhere. And all of these artists are people that we are huge fans of. And if you had told us, you know, back in high school that we would be playing or having these people play on our records, we would have, you know, fallen over. But yeah, we were super fortunate to have an awesome roster of musicians play on this record. Starting off with Mr. Andrew Marlin of Watch House, formerly Mandolin Orange, who is just unreal. I mean, he's so, so good. But not only does he have the chops, he's so tasteful and he knows really what a song needs and he gives it exactly what it needs and nothing more and nothing less, which is such a gift. And so we knew that we wanted some sort of kind of flat picking acoustic guitar. I think our initial thought was like, oh, maybe some sort of like nylon Spanish guitar. And Brad was like, well, what if I call Andrew Marlon? And we were like, yeah, please. Andrew comes in and lays down some acoustic guitar and also played some mandolin as well. And it's just great. There's some, some gold nuggets of parts that he plays in songs, which is awesome. We also knew that we wanted to bring in some new instrument, lean into to our Texan roots. And so we did that with the fiddle as well. And we got Libby Rodenbaugh, who is the fiddle player for the band Mipso, as well as some other projects that she's involved with, to come and play some fiddle. And we had gotten to know her at a festival and she also just happened to be good friends with Brad. And so she came in and we were there when she laid down some of the fiddle tracks and it was just like, it was almost overwhelming. It was just awesome to hear. And it brought such a new dynamic to our music. And you know, there's a song that Philip wrote called Flashlights in the Canyon. It's just an awesome like storytellers paradise. And the fiddle just brings it to light and in a really awesome way. So that was awesome. And then we brought back Phil Cook, Brad Cook's brother, who played on the first record. And he's just the Jack of all trades, can play it all and can play it all better than anyone. That was great. And then Matt McCon, who plays drums from Bon Iver and played on the record again as well. We also had Brad Cook play some bass. And then kind of towards the end of the project, we happened to be on the road with a band called Hound Mouth and got to know them pretty well. And their front man and lead guitarist is in Matt Myers. And we put it together that Matt, you know, a few weeks after the run that we were on, we were going to be finishing up some stuff on the record with Brad. And the very next day Matt from Hound Mouth was going to fly in and work on some of his new music with Brad. And so we were like, well, dude, would you want to play some electric guitar on a couple of Songs, and he ended up wanting to, which was super exciting. So he played some electric guitar. Same thing. Super talented, just such a melodic guitar player. And he's super dynamic and so. Yeah, sorry. I know I just went on there for a while, but it's exciting to me and to us that we got to even, you know, throw their names on a record that we wrote and that they played on songs that we wrote. So we're incredibly humbled and just super grateful for how it came together.

[Buzz Knight]

Let's highlight a couple of your favorite songs, each off of. I know that's hard. I'm sorry. But first, Philip, what are some of your favorites off of the new album?

[Philip Lupton]

Yeah, absolutely. A couple of my favorites.

[Buzz Knight (Ad reads)]

All.

[Philip Lupton]

All double down. On what? True. It was just talking about that song. Flashlights in the Canyon is definitely one of my favorites and one of the songs that I feel like showcases our just growing desire to write songs. Well, lyrically. And I think it's a. It's a song that's about a hunting trip that I took in West Texas, out on the border. Ended up like we're in the middle of nowhere and we see some flashlights and the canyon down beneath us, people crossing the southern border into the states. And it just was really a very unique experience to experience that firsthand. It just inspired a lot of thought. We. You don't really know what's happening, and you talk to the locals there, and there's just a lot of perspectives. And I tried to write a song about it, so that turned out Flashlights in the Canyon. Another song that I'm really excited about is one that Truit wrote called Free. It's great kind of country, just windows down, great instrumentation. Just a song that I think people are going to love.

[Buzz Knight]

Truit.

[Truett Heinzelman]

What.

[Buzz Knight]

What are some of your favorites?

[Truett Heinzelman]

I love. There's a song that Philip wrote called Arizona Shining. And it.

[Philip Lupton]

He.

[Truett Heinzelman]

Philip is a really talented piano player and hasn't really gotten the chance to play piano in our live set in the last couple years and is now starting to get to do that, which is awesome. But this song is very piano forward song, but it still feels kind of west Western, if you will, or Americana. It's, you know, kind of like. What's that Elton John record Tumbleweed Connection? Yeah, Tumbleweed Connection. It's kind of. It's kind of reminds me of that sort of thing where you're like, all.

[Philip Lupton]

Right, this is an.

[Truett Heinzelman]

I mean, obviously Elton John, Englishman playing the piano, but this could be the soundtrack to like a western movie or whatever. It Kind of has that feel and it's just a beautiful song. And it's the piano hook just catches you instantly. So that's a great song. Another song I'm excited about is called Adeline. It's a song that I wrote about just my experience, starting to date my now wife, and really love how that song came together. And Matt Myers played some guitar over it, and I just love the part that he played. It's just, once again, exactly what the song needs, and it's great. And then lastly, I'll triple down on Flashlights in the Canyon. It's such an awesome song. And Philip did such a wonderful job of writing about a super complex topic that has become ultra politicized. And he did such a great, great job of stripping all that down and taking us back to the humanity of it all and the fact that there's people on both sides of the literal border and the literal issue that are experiencing really difficult things. And so I just. I love the way that that song was written and kind of rebalances, if you will, this complex issue that has gotten so, so crazy and just reminds everybody of. Of that they're human beings on both sides of this equation that are going through it.

[Buzz Knight]

Well stated, for sure. So in closing, first, I want to go to you, Philip. It's obvious you both love the art of collaboration. You love it in your work together. You love it in the creation of Heat of July with this incredible group of people that you talked about. Describe the magic of collaboration and what it means to you.

[Philip Lupton]

Yeah, what a great question. The magic of collaboration, I think musically, I think that that can go a lot of different ways. I think being able to. Where I. Where I see, like, the magic of collaboration the most is on kind of step two of our songwriting process. If step one is individual, we're separate. We're, you know, recording voice memos on our own, kind of like getting the bones of these songs. And step two is taking the songs to each other. And for the past couple albums, it's been taking them to Brad Cook as well, and sitting down in a room and going through songs and really just like trying to choose, okay, what do we want to focus on, what do we want to present, what do we want to put on a record, what works well together here? And I think that the collaboration there, being able to work through a list and to come up with a batch of songs and one step further, to take that song to life in the most basic form, whether that's putting a harmony on it, whether That's Brad suggesting to change a certain word or a certain perspective of a song. And I think that when you really like, are able to get the song even like not produced, not recorded and produced yet, but just to its final form, the way that I would play it for you if I were sitting in your room with the guitar. I think when you finally have a song finished, you have all the lyrics nailed and you have the perspectives down and you have what you want to present. I think that the magic of collaboration there is so, so strong. And I just love the idea of writing songs and being able to present them with people that you trust and people that you look up to as well that are going to help you just make something special. And I think that the magic of collaborating and in songwriting especially that step two is really, really cool.

[Buzz Knight]

So well stated. My God, Truett, how about you and the magic of collaboration?

[Truett Heinzelman]

Yeah, I think to me, collaboration when done right, puts everybody involved in the best position to succeed in results in the best possible final product, if you will. And not to make it sound all businessy, because collaboration really is not an efficiency thing as much as it is a creative thing. But where my head goes with that is one of my favorite songwriters of all time is a guy named Jimmy Webb, who wrote a ton of hits for a ton of people, including Glen Campbell. You know, he wrote the Highwayman, which eventually, you know, became adopted by the Highwayman. But brilliant songwriter. And I just love that kind of writer, performer relationship that Jimmy Webb had with Glen Campbell because Glen Campbell's just like a once in a generation talent and is just born to be up on stage and play every instrument and sing and tell jokes and is wonderful. And then when you've got a guy like Jimmy Webb who writes these brilliant, beautiful songs, it just puts Glen Campbell in the perfect position to succeed. And so I, I kind of think about it like that. And I think in our experience, you kind of have to humble yourself a little bit, which is a lot easier said than done. Another example for us was the next single that will release In Anticipation. It's the first song on this record is called Saving Grace. It was a song that I had, what I thought was finished. Took it to Brad and Philip and they were kind of like, hey man, this song's great. And like, where it stands now, it's fine. But I think if we revisited these lyrics, this song could be like, awesome and. And you know, that's a situation, I think, in which you can easily get your feelings hurt if you let yourself. But then when you take a step back and you're like, oh, they like the song. They're just pushing me here to like come together and present the best possible thing. And so we rewrote it and where it landed was 15 times better than where it began. And so it's a really special thing and I'm really thankful that I have that relationship with Philip and now that we have that relationship with Brad to where we can kind of push each other in that direction and feel confident in the work that we're doing. So I think, yeah, I think that's the beauty of collaboration. It just is a refinery process and people bringing their different perspectives and it ultimately you end up with a really cool thing.

[Buzz Knight]

The work is amazing. Heat of July is wonderful. Briscoe, it's so great to have you on Philip Lupton and True at Heintzelman. Good luck on the road bringing this out to everybody across the the country and so grateful that you came on Taking a Walk guys.

[Philip Lupton]

Well, thank you for having us on. Truly, it's an honor. We love what you're doing and know that you have high caliber guests and people that we enjoy listening to as well. So it's an honor to be on the slate. So thank you. Thank you very much for having us on.

[Disney Cruise Line Ad Voice]

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[Buzz Knight (Ad reads)]

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[Philip Lupton]

Please welcome aboard the Johnson family.

[Disney Cruise Line Ad Voice]

The whole fam's here for the Disney Cruise, so you know we came to play. And listen. The adults are gonna have a ball. First we're chilling in the infinity pool onto massages at Sense's Spa, then gliding into Star Wars Hyperspace Lounge for a toast. We're even going to kick back with Mickey on Disney's private island. That's how we get down, because Disney Cruise Line is where we came to play.

[Buzz Knight (Ad reads)]

This is an iHeart podcast.