Brothers TJ and John Osborne were born in Maryland but relocated to Nashville in 2012. Now with four full-length albums to their name, Brothers Osborne have received a dozen Grammy nominations, one of which became a win in 2022 for Best Country Duo/Group Performance.
Below, younger sibling TJ previews their return to the UK, having appeared at last year’s Country 2 Country Festival.
You kind of remind us of that famous song by Donny and Marie Osmond, A Little Bit Country - A Little Bit Rock ‘N’ Roll.
[Laughs but sounding mildly aghast] That’s maybe not the coolest way of getting our message across, but yeah… exactly. We are the product of what we grew up listening to. Some country music is terrible but I still love it, and we like to come at things with a high energy. We get the electric guitars going and we hit it hard.
Is one sibling more rock’n’roll than the other?
You’d expect John, as a guitar player, to be far more into it, but that’s not really true. No matter how hard we try we just can’t polish ourselves up and make it too slick.
What makes the two styles so compatible?
We could talk for an hour about that. I guess the origins of all music go back to the same things, and I don’t think that too many people worry a great deal about labelling genres. For the longest time, what was and wasn’t considered country music was very specific, but that’s no longer true. It’s why when you come to see us there will be folks from all walks of life.
With a London show at London’s Hammersmith Apollo, this the band’s biggest tour so far. Why do you think you connect with UK audiences?
One strange thing that we often hear is: “I don’t like country music but I do like you guys.” I think the reason it works is that there’s something there for everyone.
Our goal was to keep on playing bigger and bigger venues. We made that investment financially and in terms of time spent, and by the time we arrive this will be a sold-out tour. I love that the crowds in Britain know all of our material. They’re really willing to take a deep dive, whereas in the US we pretty much have to stick to the hits.
Within the traditional country scene, it must have been very difficult to come out as gay. Four years down the line, how has life changed?
It’s completely different. I’m still the same person but I can be open and free. I wasn’t that inclined to talk about it, but there were a lot of people out there like me from that community, and I also wanted to show the general public that they have no clue about who is gay or who is straight. We have a song called I Don’t Remember Me (Before You) which was written with Shane McAnally, who coincidentally is also gay. Now, that song takes on a whole new meaning for me. I’m much more comfortable in my own skin.
Did it impact upon the group’s fan base?
It most certainly did. We lost some fans and we gained some new ones. I certainly don’t waste a whole lot of time thinking about that. I feel like I’m connected to the audience in a way I never was before.
Around the time the band last spoke with Classic Rock, in mid-2023, John was dealing with some mental health issues.
He’s in a far better place now. He’s a father with twins. John would be the first to tell you that he now takes medication to deal with an imbalance. Both of us have realigned what being successful actually means. Once you ‘make it’, where do you go next? There’s no such thing as a finish line in music. But we are far happier now.
Who’s the support act on the tour?
It’s a guy named Tyler Braden [a singer and guitarist from Alabama]. He is awesome, and it will be an amazing pairing for us.
Last year you released a digital-only four-song EP, Break Mine, apparently to satisfy fan demand.
We write all the time, though I do like to take a break whenever I can to avoid losing my mind – or my love of what I’m doing.
Are the wheels in motion for releasing a new full-length album?
We’re in the creative wheelhouse right now. Some songs are recorded and finished. What we need now is a conversation about how to release them. It would be nice to have a song or two out before we come over. We may even play them live, but let’s see about that.
Someone puts a gun to your head and demands a decision – country or rock’n’roll?
I can’t plead The Fifth?
No. It must be one or the other.
In that case, for me it’s got to be country. I like them both, but if I want to get in a good mood then playing some old Merle Haggard or Hank Williams always works. Those are my roots.
Brothers Osborne's tour of the UK and Ireland begins in Dublin on January 17. Tickets are on sale now.
