Working as a fact-checker is great training for any writer. But especially so when one's subject is a notorious teller of tall tales. This was the case for Jonathan Bernstein, who was tasked with writing a biography of the late Justin Townes Earle. Known for his soul-searching songs and keen delivery of them, Earle also lived his short life negotiating the shadow of his father Steve's legend, as well as that of his middle namesake Townes Van Zandt.

In the new book What Do You Do When You're Lonesome, written with the blessing of widow Jenn Marie Earle, Jonathan tracks the life of this talented musician — from rough and tumble beginnings in the notorious "Chicken Shack" in a Green Hills backyard, to acclaim in New York City and beyond, to unraveling sobriety and a tragic end. Along the way, he also paints a picture of Nashville and other up-and-coming contemporaries of Earle's who helped shape the city, and Americana music, indelibly.

Guest: Jonathan Bernstein, author, What Do You Do When You're Lonesome: The Authorized Biography of Justin Townes Earle

Host: Demetria Kalodimos

Producer: Steve Haruch

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