Texan singer-songwriter Jess Williamson is set to return with her latest studio album, A Mile South of Heaven. Scheduled for release on October 9 via New West Records, the project serves as the highly anticipated follow-up to her acclaimed 2023 LP, Time Ain’t Accidental. The new collection was recorded at the legendary Sunset Sound in Hollywood and features production from Shooter Jennings.
To mark the announcement, Williamson has shared a mini road movie for the lead single, “Goodbye to All That.” The track draws its title from a seminal essay by Joan Didion, found in her collection Slouching Towards Bethlehem. Discussing the inspiration behind the song, Williamson noted, “Didion’s essay is about leaving New York after eight years and how ‘it’s distinctly possible to stay too long at the fair.’ In my eighth year of living in LA, I felt it was time to leave. I wrote this song as my farewell to LA, but songs are powerful in sneaky ways, and the song itself changed my mind. I realised I wasn’t finished with life in LA.”
Reflecting on the thematic core of A Mile South of Heaven, Williamson offered insight into the album’s title. “Depending on your outlook, a mile south of heaven may sound sad, or it may sound hopeful,” she explained. “We’re always a mile south of the impossible goals we set for ourselves, and my point is, maybe that’s ok, because a mile is pretty close. It’s about appreciating where we are now, because there is no finish line. There is always more work to be done.”
The album features a 12-track sequence, showcasing Williamson’s continued evolution as a songwriter:
- 01 Goodbye to All That
- 02 High Heels and Blue Jeans
- 03 Country Mile
- 04 A Mile South of Heaven
- 05 Tracking the Tropics
- 06 Dark Day in Dallas
- 07 Hum of the City
- 08 Texas Time
- 09 Someone Else’s Horse
- 10 Legends Die
- 11 Battle Scar
- 12 The Gem and Mineral Show