The song was previewed in the Paramount+ series Landman
ZZ Top frontman Billy Gibbons has released “Livin’ It Up Down in Texas,” a new track previewed earlier this month in an episode of the hit Paramount+ series, Landman, created by Taylor Sheridan. The ZZ Top founder and frontman wrote the single along with Landman stars Billy Bob Thornton (Tommy Norris) and Mark Collie (Sherriff Walt Joeberg). Its release coincides with a solo tour by Gibbons and his band The BFG, including Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Chris “Whipper” Layton and Austin music stalwart Mike “The Drifter” Flanigin.
“Livin’ It up Down In Texas,” as heard on the Landman episode titled “WolfCamp,” was produced by Gibbons at Level14 Studios in Nashville. It is anticipated that the recording will be part of a forthcoming release that will be Gibbons’ fourth full-length for Concord Records. His alliance with the label previously yielded the critically lauded Perfectamundo (2015), The Big Bad Blues (2018), and Hardware (2021).
“A hard-hitting, hard rock bombast of sonic Texas soulfulness!” Gibbons shares. “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, per se, autobiographical, but does encapsulate the oil-stained Lone Star lifestyle as seen each week in the series.”
Gibbons and Thornton have been friends for many years. The latter, an Academy Award and Golden Globes winner, had decades ago been a member of Tres Hombres, a ZZ Top tribute band for which he played drums. Gibbons cited them as “The best little cover band in Texas.” Thornton co-founded The Boxmasters in 2007 and toured with them as recently as this past fall. Likewise, Collie has pursued a career in music with numerous country chart recordings to his credit and has written songs for Aaron Tippin, Alabama, Garth Brooks, and Tim McGraw, among others. He’s also recorded with Thornton and The Boxmasters.
