Last month, Susto Stringband spent two days in Austin’s legendary Arlyn Studios working on their second full-length album, Susto Stringband (Volume 2). When I showed up, they were tracking harmonies on “Hard Drugs” and “Hands in the Dirt,” two songs that ringleader Justin Osborne has had in his repertoire for quite some time.
“This was supposed to be a side quest,” Justin says. “I’m still working on Susto stuff, and planning to continue doing that, but Susto Stringband in the meantime has become like, a real band.”
Justin’s rock & roll band, Susto, has been around since 2014, with five studio albums, several live albums, and plenty of collaborations to their name. Charleston was home, with underground roots before their second album, & I’m Fine Today (2017) sent them on the road.
Susto Stringband formed unexpectedly in 2023, while Justin, a South Carolina native who now resides in Austin, was living in Asheville, NC. He met his band, Holler Choir, at a Golden Folk event, run by two former Charlestonians, Luke Mitchell and Clay White of The High Divers.
“When Caroline and I first moved to Asheville we went out to it because we were trying to get more involved in the music scene. I played a couple of Susto tunes, and right after me was Holler Choir. I was just floored, I loved the instrumentation. I was really enveloped in this rock scene, so seeing the traditional instrumentation struck me.”
They met briefly after the show that night, and soon became friends. Justin remembers a night where he watched them play around the fire, calling out old-time tunes, and it got him thinking.
“I kept hanging around with them, getting more interested in the idea of trying to sing in that context,” he says.
Soon, the opportunity presented itself, and Justin played a few gigs with Clint Roberts and Helena Rose of Holler Choir. People loved it, including Justin’s record label. Soon it was more than just a few gigs.
“All of a sudden we started getting asked to do shows,” Justin says. “We wanted to get some recorded material so there was a reference point, because if you listen to Susto and you show up and Susto Stringband is there it’s a little bit of a vibe shift.”
Susto Stringband (Volume 1) was released in March 2025, containing Stringband versions of classic Susto songs like “Friends, Lovers, Ex-Lovers, Whatever,” “Acid Boys,” and “Homeboy” alongside fresh tracks like “Double Crown,” a Susto Stringband original, and more.
“My life has changed a lot,” Justin says. “I’ve moved around, I’ve been through some losses, I’m a dad. I’m a lot different than I was when some of these songs were written. But also, I think in telling a broader story, they hold up nicely to the stuff I write now. My songwriting has drifted and ebbed and flowed, but I think there’s a core to it, and some of the older songs still feel at home with the newer stuff.”
Justin says that he appreciates the change of pace with the Stringband, and particularly enjoys the challenge of playing the songs with a traditional arrangement.
“I have to rewire my brain on how I play all these songs that I’ve been playing for years,” he continues. “It took an adjustment period to get comfortable doing it live, and I’m still learning a lot. Luckily I have a great band of friends who are my teachers, because most of them grew up closer to that old-time music.”
Playing old Susto songs with this new band is not only a creative challenge for Justin. It’s also a way to bring new life to the songs that helped create the foundation for the project.
“The songs have given themselves new life to me before, because what goes around comes around,” Justin explains. “Something you go through now, you might go through something similar 10 years later.”
It’s also a chance to reach new people with songs like “Hard Drugs,” off & I’m Fine Today, which is part of Susto’s core fabric, but was released before the band had the support of a major label.
“Hands in the Dirt” is even older, dating back to Justin’s pre-Susto project, Sequoyah Prep School, originally released in 2010.
“I’m never gonna do a song that I can’t still relate to in some way,” he says. “Not that I won’t play it live, I’ll do that, but the ones that have been picked from the catalog have been intentional because they’ve helped tell a more updated story.”
Any Susto fan knows that each song has its own story. Time may change how we perceive certain stories, but the pieces all fall into place anyway.
“With this record it’s not just about reimagining it and getting that right, but also story craft and narrative arc, self-reflection, and confession, too.”
The recording sessions at Arlyn have been a big milestone for Justin, both musically, and personally. Arlyn Studios has a deep history, including close ties to Willie Nelson, and being the studio where Sublime recorded their self-titled album in 1996, not long before Bradley Nowell died.
“I’m really stoked to be recording at Arlyn,” Justin says. “Right when I moved to the Austin area a buddy of mine brought me here. That was like two and a half years ago, and so now to be making this record here, it’s just been really special.”
Susto Stringband (Volume 2) is the first Susto album recorded in Austin, but it probably won’t be the last. Justin says that Arlyn Studios has been a huge part of his setting into town.
“This studio and the experience in here is a big part of that,” Justin closes. “I felt that in Asheville at Echo Mountain, I felt that in Charleston at Wolfie’s place, like a studio home.”
Stay tuned for the new album from Susto Stringband coming in 2026. Catch both Susto and the Stringband on the road via tour dates at sustoisreal.com.
P.S. – Explore Extra Chill for a treasure trove of Susto content dating back to 2016.
