Austin Band Briscoe to Release New Song Benefiting Kerr County Flood Relief

Last Fourth of July weekend, tragic floods swept through the Hill Country, claiming the lives of more than 130 people, including 119 on the Guadalupe River. According to the National Weather Service, 7 to 12 inches of rain fell over the South Fork of the Guadalupe River on July 4, with most of it falling in just three hours.

Alongside the countless volunteers who helped with relief efforts were Truett Heintzelman and Philip Lupton, members of the Austin band Briscoe.

“With lots of family and friends who live in and around the Kerrville area, we were pretty quickly able to get plugged into different groups helping out,” Heintzelman and Lupton said. “It was second nature for us to go help, knowing the area and people to call that could put us to work.”

How Briscoe’s music is making a difference

As a tribute to those who helped rebuild the area, Briscoe is releasing a new single, “The Heart of Texas,” with part of the proceeds going to the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund. The song will be available to stream beginning July 3 as an uplifting reminder of how the Lone Star State came together to help one another.

While the song starts with imagery of a house being swept away by floodwaters, the lyrics largely focus on the spirit of those who banded together in the aftermath of the storm. In the refrain, the band sings, “Two thirds the state, half the world and all my living kin helped the Heart of Texas start to beat again.”

These feelings of hope and solidarity are what Briscoe wants listeners to take away from the song as they reflect on the anniversary of last year’s disaster.

Briscoe’s Texas roots

As a band, Briscoe started in the Hill Country, at least spiritually. Lupton and Heintzelman, who are from different parts of the state, first met while learning to sing and play guitar at a summer camp outside Kerrville. When they later found themselves in Austin attending classes at the University of Texas, they often returned to the Hill Country to gather inspiration for their Americana-infused folk-rock sound.

The new release features scenic artwork from Austin artist El Baker. It’s also the band’s most recent release since their last full-length album, “The Heat of July,” which captured the experience of playing shows across the country, the beginnings of married life and the serene landscapes of the Southwest. Now the band, prone to writing songs on the road, has started another cross-country tour. The release of this single gives them more material to build on while keeping them connected to home.

Continuing to rebuild Kerr County

The band kicked off its tour in San Angelo, Texas, on June 26 with a show launching Good Company, an organization designed to bring awareness to issues around men’s mental health in West Texas. After donating their time to flood relief efforts last summer, the band also donated a portion of the money they earned playing last year’s Austin City Limits Music Festival to the same cause. Giving back to Texas communities seems to be at the core of Briscoe’s ethos.

“The way that people came from all over to rally behind all of those beloved communities was incredible,” the band said, “but there’s still a ton of recovery and healing that needs to take place.”

You can stream “The Heart of Texas” beginning July 3, 2026.