Roots music legends and longtime friends Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore realized some years back that they had never played music with each other before. Texas-born Gilmore (twice named Country Artist of the Year by Rolling Stone), and California native Alvin (of hard-rocking rhythm and blues band The Blasters) discovered that their musical roots in old blues and folk music are exactly the same. So when they hit the road to sing songs and swap tales back in 2017, their shows included their own classic original compositions, plus songs from a wide spectrum of songwriters and styles, from Merle Haggard to Sam Cooke to the Youngbloods. Now they’re back, with a full band, an album, Downey to Lubbock, and some new stories to share.