Last year, Philip Lupton and Truett Heintzelman, the core members of folk band Briscoe, spent Fourth of July like thousands of other Texans: watching in horror as news of devasting floods unfolded in headlines. Not only are both men from the Central Texas area (San Angelo and San Antonio, respectively), but the duo first met at a summer camp just half an hour from Kerrville. Moved by the moment, the pair sprang into action to assist with relief efforts along the Guadalupe River.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt just broke our heart, because we know how much joy you experience when you\u2019re out in the Hill Country at a camp like that for the summer,\u201d Lupton says. \u201cIt hit really, really close to home, so that\u2019s part of the reason we wanted to get out there and help as soon as we could.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lupton remembers marveling at the number of people and the various emergency response teams that showed up from across the state. The turnout was so vast that it required extensive effort just to coordinate all the volunteers. It was a moment of unity and hopefulness amid a terrible tragedy.<\/p>\n
On his way home from a day spent clearing downed trees and debris, the musician\u2019s mind began to process the events in the way that feels most natural for him. The melody of a line began to take shape: \u201cTwo thirds the state, half the world, and all my living kin helped the Heart of Texas start to beat again.\u201d<\/p>\n
One year later, Briscoe is now ready to share that song with the world. \u201cThe Heart of Texas\u201d is officially releasing on Friday, July 3, but you can hear the song today via our exclusive premiere at the link below. You can also pay what you wish to purchase the song via Bandcamp<\/a> right now, and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund<\/a> to support neighbors impacted by the floods and contribute to ongoing recovery efforts.<\/p>\n \u201cWe felt like it wouldn\u2019t do Kerrville justice to not mention the lives that were lost in the flood, and that\u2019s what we did in the third verse and tried to do that as carefully as we could knowing the amount of heartbreak that the community is still experiencing,\u201d Lupton explains. However, he says the song at its core has other aspirations: \u201cThe goal was not to tell a story of loss, but to try to capture the hope of community.\u201d<\/p>\n While the members of Briscoe were more than happy to donate their time and physical energy to assisting their community, the duo has used their talents to offer an even larger contribution via fundraising and an inspirational work of art.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople who don\u2019t keep up with the Texas Hill Country might keep up with our music,\u201d Lupton says. \u201cIt puts us in a position to shine a spotlight on the place we love and the people we love through a song like this, and continuing to support these communities that were affected by the flood even a year after the damage was done.\u201d<\/p>\n Briscoe will perform an intimate show on July 3 in Kerrville as part of a special evening of reflection and healing for the community. To read more about Briscoe, including their sophomore album, Heat of July, check out our feature on the band<\/a> published last fall.<\/p>\n Stream \u201cThe Heart of Texas\u201d below, and purchase the song via Bandcamp here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n