Brothers Osborne are ready to take us to Watertown. The award-winning country duo has announced the forthcoming release of their fifth album, named for the Maryland town where bandmates John and TJ Osborne grew up (population: 5,333). Due out Oct. 23 on MCA, it’s available for pre-order now.
Watertown is billed as an exploration of Brothers Osborne’s beginnings. The 11-song set traces the origins of their musical journey and the many contours of life: change, love and loss, and family in all its forms. “We’re not just getting back to where we were born and raised, but to the roots of where we started musically,” TJ Osborne says. “A time when music wasn’t dictated by anything other than what our hearts and souls wanted to say.”
Brothers Osborne’s recent hit “R.I.P.” features on Watertown, as does “Bottle It Up,” their new single released in conjunction with the album announcement. Written by TJ Osborne, Hunter Phelps, and Alysa Vanderheym, the stripped-down and groovy song finds the Osbornes reveling in the sensations of a sweet summer day, wishing they could stow away that feeling for future enjoyment. “Yeah, it tastes so sweet and it feels so good,” they sing on the chorus. “I know I can’t but buddy if I could/ I’d bottle it up, bottle it up.”
The advance singles from Watertown will be released as “SELLOUT EDITS” that cut down the songs’ runtime to appease short attention spans. “Our SELLOUT EDITS are a result of understanding where we are in 2026. It’s our way of meeting the people where they are,” John Osborne explains. “Our hope is that these edits will drive people to the deeper story. If they want to meet us where we are, at our live shows, they will likely get even more than what’s available to them on the internet. Different strokes for different folks, and we welcome them all. It’s still us and our songs at the end of the day.”
TJ Osborne adds, “Songs aren’t static – they’re recorded one way, released another, played live yet another. All versions are valid, just like all interpretations are valid. We hope that meeting listeners where they are with these different formats opens up new avenues for our music to connect.”
