Brooklyn-based alt-country sextet Phosphorescent is on its way to Florida. The band’s current tour with David Gray? will stop at Ruth Eckerd Hall April 13, Fillmore, Miami Beach April 14 and Hard Rock Live, Orlando April 15. Besides releasing a Willie Nelson? tribute album, To Willie, last year, we haven’t seen any new material from the band since 2007’s Pride. That will all change May 11, when Here’s To Taking It Easy, the band’s freshly-recorded LP, is released. REAX caught up with Phosphorescent’s frontman/mastermind/singer/guitarist Matthew Houck, who dished on the new album, his tour with David Gray? and the possibility of another tribute album.

REAX: In what ways does Here’s To Taking It Easy differ from Pride?
Houck: Pride was a total solo effort and this one was with the full band. We tracked it live with the band in three days and I took those tracks and worked on them for about six months in the studio overdubbing and manipulating and playing with stuff. So, on one level, there was a lot more people involved so that helps. That really makes a difference.

REAX: What was the most difficult thing about the recording process this time around?
Houck: Well, it’s like I said, I’ve never started out making a record with an entire record already finished, if that makes sense. We recorded all the songs live, so three days in, in some people’s minds, there was already a complete album there with separate guys playing on it. So using that as a ground view to begin making a record, it made all kinds of challenges I didn’t foresee. Some of them were really good and exciting to do, but it’s a whole different process to start with an empty tape versus already having an entire song on there and then beginning to make a song from that.

REAX: Where did you record the album?
Houck: We recorded the initial three days at a studio in Brooklyn called Headgear. And then I recorded during the next six months in our own studio, which is sort of like a DIY space, where I’ve made the last couple albums.

REAX: When did you start touring with David Gray?
Houck: We started this particular tour…I guess it’s been about 5 weeks. I went on a solo tour during the European leg of their tour and rode with them as a solo artist, so it’s been a couple months.

REAX: Any good stories from the road?
Houck: Oh God, there’s far too many to even pick one out. But the David Gray? people have all been really amazing to us and all of them are great musicians. It’s been a pleasure to play with them.

REAX: What are some of your favorite songs to perform live?
Houck: I like all of them. I like all the Phosphorescent songs.

REAX: That’s definitely a good thing.
Houck: (laughs) Yeah.

REAX: You’ve obviously been influenced by Willie Nelson?. What are some other artists who have inspired your music?
Houck: Too many to list, you know? Any kind of songwriter, I think, that can kind of continually write good songs over an extended period of time and have a sustainable career. Most artists I’ve ever loved have several albums that span several years that you can dig into. That seems to be a consistent feature. So anybody that’s had lots of records that are good ends up being pretty important because they have something sustainable to say.

REAX: What’s next for Phosphorescent? How long do you anticipate being on tour after the new album comes out?
Houck: We’ll be on tour a bunch. The record comes out May 11, so right now the record’s not even out and we’re touring with David because he invited us. That’s just a really nice thing. So rather than stay home for this last month or two, we decided to come out on the road. As soon as we get home from this tour the record comes out, and then we’re going to be touring, gosh, probably for the better part of the year I would imagine.

REAX: Got any more tribute albums in the works?
Houck: I don’t know. I wouldn’t rule it out. I really enjoyed making that Willie Nelson? record. I would do it again, if the right…That would be hard though, because I’ve known those songs for so many years. There’s a few others like that, I think, but it would be hard. That one just kind of felt natural to do. If something felt that natural again, sure, I would do it.

Check out Phosphorescent "It's Hard To Be Humble (When You're From Alabama)" over on our Daily Download section + our Feature Event on David Gray at Capitol Theatre