Acclaimed singer-songwriter Troy Campbell-co-founder of the influential alt-country band Loose Diamonds, Producer of the Year at the Austin Music Awards, and founder of the international artist collective The House of Songs-sees his landmark second solo record American Breakdown return on vinyl for the first time. Campbell, also creator of the PBS series City of Songs, has long been recognized for his role in shaping the sound and story of Austin music.

Originally released on September 11, 2001, the album's title and themes carried unintended weight in the shadow of that day. What has endured is not its timing but its heart: songs that steady the spirit, uncover tenderness in brittle times, and map a way forward-slow down, take stock, keep the engine running.

Produced by Gurf Morlix, the record captures Campbell at a peak of lyrical clarity. The arrangements lean into space and honesty: weathered acoustic guitars, spare electric accents, and a rhythm section moving like headlights on a two-lane night drive. Silence does some of the lifting, so when the band blooms it feels earned. American Breakdown is roots music without costume -folk, alt-country, and late-night rock stitched together with Campbell's eye for lived detail.

The original cover was photographed in Dublin and designed by Stephen Averill, the legendary art director behind every U2 album. For this vinyl edition, Averill returns with new artwork, paired with a fresh remaster by Jim Wilson. Guest appearances include multi-platinum Irish recording artist Juliet Turner and, on the bonus track Ruby, a haunting duet with Eliza Gilkyson.

As Bruce Springsteen once said of Campbell: "His vocals have that high lonesome, wide-open sound -a rare voice." That same rare voice drives American Breakdown, making its long-awaited vinyl debut all the more essential.

Out of print! Limited quantities available.

“The Highwaymen were raw; we were as punk as punk could be — I didn’t know how a guitar worked,” he laughs. “I just thought I should be in a cool band. But I felt like no matter how shitty my guitar playing was, I could always out-sing the crowd. I would make that the instrument of destruction. And that as long as I was with my team — with my brother [bassist Mike Campbell] and Scrappy [fledgling guitarist Jud Newcomb] — we may not have been the greatest technicians, but we were undeniable, and that was more important than being technically good. We were making art.”- Richard Skanse, Texas Music Magazine

New to town from Dayton, OH, Troy Campbell went to Chicago House one night to see Bad Girls, and afterwards told Pierce his band the Highwaymen was interested in covering some of her songs. She didn't have a tape of her material, so Jo Carol went home and recorded 10 songs on a jambox, complete with homey introductions, and mailed it to Campbell. "That’s when I knew I’d made the right decision in moving to Austin,” he said.

When the Highwaymen decided to change their name to avoid confusion with the country supergroup, Campbell opted for Loose Diamonds, the name of one of the songs Pierce had recorded for him that night.

"Jo Carol's songs made me feel that I wasn't alone,' said Campbell. "She writes about emotions that we all have, but her lyrics just seem to break through to the truth… I thought, ‘Man, that's the kind of songwriter I want to be.’” - Michael Corcoran