Drive-By Truckers' latest album, The Unraveling, released on January 31 of this year. The Truckers had completed the three-week first leg of their tour when "things were getting scary out there," as Patterson Hood puts it.

The planned second leg of the band's tour was canceled just as it was getting underway, and now the band members find themselves at home. Drive-By Truckers' Mike Cooley, at home in Birmingham, Ala., and Patterson Hood, at home in Portland, Ore., connected with The Current's Bill DeVille to talk about what they've been up to and to take turns playing songs.

Although both Cooley and Hood say they miss touring — on both an artistic and economic level — but they agree they don't want to leap back into it too soon. "I would love nothing more than to be out on tour and it be a safe and OK thing," Hood says, "but the last thing I want is for people to come to or show … and get sick from it."

"And what if," Cooley posits, "imagine how frustrated we all are now — if we go back to normal only to have to shut right back down again, that's not going to be pretty. That's not going to be pretty at all."

"People who study pandemics, the 1918 pandemic that people keep talking about," Hood adds, "the second wave in 1919 killed way more people than the first wave. … They opened back up too quick, and it was devastating."

"It's the most bitter pill I've ever had to swallow," Cooley admits, "but if we go back to doing what we do too soon, deaths are going to soar. That's reality."

There are lighter moments in the conversation, too, including talk about the Netflix series Tiger King, and about everyone's love of the great John Prine. Use the video player above to watch the full session.

Songs Performed

05:58 "21st Century USA" (Hood)
10:09 "Grievance Merchants" (Cooley)
22:46 "Quarantine Together" (Hood)
25:33 "Eyes Like Glue" (Cooley)
Songs 1 and 2 are from the Drive-By Truckers' 2020 album, The Unraveling; song 3 is a newly released single available on Bandcamp; and song 4 is from the Truckers' 2010 release, The Big To-Do. Both albums area available on ATO Records.

Hosted by Bill DeVille
Produced by Jesse Wiza
Engineered by Erik Stromstad
Web production by Luke Taylor

External Link

Drive-By Truckers - official site

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