Justin Townes EarleA famous – or infamous – name can be a heavy load to bear. Yet Justin Townes Earle somehow has managed to establish himself as a musical force to be reckoned with, all while shouldering the weighty burden of being the son of outlaw country giant Steve Earle and the namesake and godson of legendary songwriter Townes Van Zandt.
Although he has found success on his own terms, that unavoidable reflected celebrity was a decidedly double-edged sword early on, says Earle, who will take the stage Friday, Sept. 5, at Track 29.
“It’s kind of a mixed blessing because you do get looked at immediately,” he said, in a 2008 interview with the Times Free Press. “You’re not going to be off the radar for very long. The problem with that is that everyone is looking at you, so you have to do what you do and hope that you’re good at it.”
Now 32 and based in New York City, the singer/songwriter said his budding interest in songwriting as a teen was less a matter of familial expectation and more of using music as an escape from other responsibilities.
“I was about 15 when I started taking it seriously, quit school and started playing music,” Earle said. “When I say ‘playing music,’ it was really more bumming around with a guitar and drinking way too much.”