Billy F. Gibbons, founder of ZZ Top, releases a new song

Concord Records has announced the release of “Livin’ It Up Down In Texas“, a new song by Billy F. Gibbons premiered earlier this month in an episode of the hit series Landmancreated by Taylor Sheridan airing on Paramount+.

The song, now available for streaming and download, was written by the founder and frontman of ZZ Top together with the stars of Landman the actor, director and musician Billy Bob Thornton (Tommy Norris) and Mark Collie (Sherriff Walt Joeberg).

The release coincides with the start of a solo American tour by Gibbons and his band The BFG, which includes the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Chris “Whipper” Laytoin longtime Austin musician Mike “The Drifter” Flanigin.

“Livin’ It up Down In Texas,” featured on the soundtrack to the Landman episode “WolfCamp,” was produced by Gibbons at Level14 Studios in Nashville. The recording is expected to be part of an upcoming release that will be Gibbons’ fourth full-length for the label. His partnership with Concord previously produced the albums “Perfectamundo” (2015), “The Big Bad Blues” (2018) and “Hardware” (2021).

Billy F Gibbons and Billy Bob Thornton have been friends for many years. The latter, winner of an Oscar and a Golden Globes, had been part of the decades ago Tres Hombresa ZZ Top tribute band for which he played drums.

Billy Gibbons cited them as “The best little cover band in Texas”. Thornton co-founded The Boxmasters in 2007 and toured with them until last fall, releasing 12 albums with them between 2008 and 2022. Thornton also has a solo career behind him and has released four albums under his name between 2001 and 2007.

Mark Collie has also embarked on a musical career with numerous recordings on the country charts and writing songs for Aaron Tippin, Alabama, Garth Brooks and Tim McGrawamong others. He also recorded with Thornton And The Boxmasters.

Says Gibbons: “It seemed really natural to team up with Billy Bob and Mark to write a song for Landman. ‘Livin’ It Up Down In Texas’ isn’t itself autobiographical, but it captures the Lone Star lifestyle tainted by oil, as seen every week in the series.”