The last time I spoke to Rhett Miller, the conversation turned to 9/11, as it sometimes does. The Old 97s singer was living in New York, not far from ground zero and has a fairly harrowing story to tell. Today, it’s a brand-new collective trauma, nearly three years into a global pandemic. Living out in the country with his family has given the music time to decompress, slow down and spend time getting to reconnect with his kids, after years on the road. As I type this, however, he’s back on the road. It’s a band tour, followed by solo dates, to promote his latest solo album, the Misfit. It’s a Tom Petty inspired affair that finds him learning to let go and once again write from the heart.
