Summertime, and the living is uneasy for Jason Isbell

NEW YORK — Jason Isbell had big plans for this summer, between a new album specifically designed to introduce his music to a wider audience and a schedule that had him onstage most nights from May to September. “It wasn’t a new experience,” said Isbell, recalling a night in State College, Pennsylvania, where his only spectators were the opening band and bar employees. The 2013 breakthrough album “Southeastern” established Isbell as an important new voice and two vibrant follow-ups proved that wasn’t a fluke. Isbell has alluded in song to the turning point in his life — getting sober eight years ago — but never in the head-on manner he does with “It Gets Easier.” “I felt like I had a certain perspective on it that I hadn’t had before,” he said. “But, hey, we’ve got time to sit around and think about it right now.” Resuming life for Isbell isn’t a matter of feeling comfortable enough to drive to an office, of course.