The Boxmasters tip their hats to the sixties on Pepper Tree Hill, a retro-tinged love letter to the music that made them want to make it themselves. Guests include Herb Alpert.
For the Boxmasters, Pepper Tree Hill is more than an album title. It’s a place, a mindset, and their personal Abbey Road. Named after the duo’s own studio, the new record marks their 19th release and may be their most heartwarming yet. J.D. Andrew and Bud (aka Billy Bob) Thornton have always worn their ’60s influences on their sleeves, but here, they fully dive into the spirit of the British Invasion, but with a sound that’s unmistakably Boxmasters. Think jangling guitars, swirling Mellotrons, backbeat-heavy grooves, and lyrics that lean into yearning Americana, all wrapped in a haze of sonic sunshine.
“The Beatles, Badfinger, The Kinks - that whole era shaped us,” says Thornton. “Since Abbey Road was where the Beatles recorded their Abbey Road, and our studio is called Pepper Tree Hill, this is our own Abbey Road.” That bold statement isn’t just metaphor, it echoes through every song, right down to the album’s title track where they team up with none other than Herb Alpert. The legendary trumpet player lends his golden touch with a part so perfect it could only be him. “We sent him the track, and he sent it back fast - boom, there it was, pure Herb,” Thornton recalls. Longtime collaborator Brad Davis also appears on the title track, adding tasteful guitar lines that underscore the track’s classic pop core. “Brad just made it sing,” says Andrew. “That song is a tribute to our creative home, and it needed to feel alive.”
Outside of the title cut, the album is a swirl of sixties-inspired sounds and modern storytelling. It’s all there - songs of hope, nostalgia, joy, and the occasional melancholy - all written with affection and a clear understanding of what made those golden-era records timeless. Formed in 2006, the Boxmasters have long since outgrown their cult status, with a reputation built on sharp songwriting, tight live shows, and reverence for rock’s most formative decade. They’ve shared stages with ZZ Top, Steve Miller, and George Thorogood, but Pepper Tree Hill is something else entirely, a creative homecoming and a clear-eyed salute to the music that still keeps them dreaming. It’s the record they were always meant to make.