Alejandro Escovedo was born into a musical family in San Antonio Texas. Where his older siblings and father pursued Mexican music, he dove into rock and roll. His San Francisco punk band The Nuns played dates with The Ramones and the Sex Pistols. He moved to Austin where he emphasized songwriting and formed early roots rock bands Rank and File and The True Believers. Then through a solo career and enthusiastic collaborations he took on the status of an underground icon.

In 1998, No Depression magazine named him its first Artist of the Decade. In 2006 the Americana Music Association granted him a Lifetime Achievement Award as a performer.

Escovedo's newest project stemmed from collaboration of old friends Peter Buck - former guitarist of REM - and Scott McCaughey of power pop band The Minus 5. They collectively wrote and produced Burn Something Beautiful, a ruminative folk rock album that confronts aging and some of Escovedo's life struggles, including a 20 year battle with Hepatitis C. Escovedo sat down with me at the City Winery Nashville a few hours before the Burn Something Beautiful Band took the stage.