Briscoe's "The Heart of Texas" Is a Love Letter to a Town That Refused to Stay Down
- Jul 13
- 2 min read
One year after the 2025 floods tore through the Texas Hill Country, Austin duo Briscoe has released "The Heart of Texas," a tribute to the communities that lost homes, livelihoods, and loved ones—and to the wave of people who showed up in the aftermath. Philip Lupton and Truett Heintzelman both spent time volunteering around Kerrville after the disaster, and what struck them wasn't just the devastation, it was the hope of the community to perservere through it all.
"The strength of community left a lasting impression on us," Lupton says
The song became a way of honoring both the lives lost that day and the folks still helping the Hill Country get back on its feet.
You can hear all of it in the refrain: "Two thirds the state, half the world, and all my living kin helped the Heart of Texas start to beat again." It's the kind of line that doesn't need dressing up, and Briscoe wisely doesn't try. The song moves through images of river communities, volunteer crews, Coast Guard helicopters, ranchers, and strangers working side by side—vivid, specific storytelling delivered in the warm Americana harmonies that made Rolling Stone take notice of the duo in the first place.
And they're putting their money where the music is: a portion of proceeds from the song goes to the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund, supporting ongoing recovery efforts in the region. Fittingly, Briscoe marked the release with a show in Kerrville itself—the town at the center of the story—before heading out on a massive tour that runs through November, including stops at Pickathon, Americanafest, and a fall run supporting Phillip Phillips.
"The Heart of Texas" is out now on all platforms. Listen loud, and if you can, give.
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