That striking lyric comes from “Marlboro Vinyasa,” the newest single by Willi Carlisle, a Tyler Childers–produced double album, The Universal Bubba.
Whereas the preceding track “Mason Jar At The Center Of The World” rode a traditional reel you could square-dance to, Marlboro Vinyasa leans into a smoky barroom country-rock groove. The promotional material leans hard into the smoky mood, a vibe that fits even with the Marlboro reference tucked into the title.
Carlisle offered this backstory:
Carlisle shared the origin of the song: there’s a beloved bar in the Quad Cities called the Raccoon Motel. After a few gigs there, he struck up a conversation with someone who runs a yoga session and learned they practice breathing on a sticky floor and perform sun salutations while facing Marlboro advertisements. The irony hit hard: yoga breathing and cigarettes in the same scene. It’s a distinctly American moment—finding the wheel of samsara in a pint glass. He came with only a lean, simple shuffle—sparseness reminiscent of Springsteen’s Nebraska but with a Band-like warmth. The rest was up to the band, taking it out into space and making it groove.
Watch Carlisle and his band voyage through the cosmos in the video below.
The Universal Bubba drops on 11/6 through Signature Sounds. Pre-order is available here.
