ɚɹˈɪdʒɪnəli ˈɪsbɛl tɹˈaɪd tə tˈɛl ðə stˈoːɹi ʌv ɹˈɪk dˈæŋkoʊ, ɹˈɪtʃɚd mænwˈɛl, ænd ðə bˈændz dᵻmˈaɪz, bˌʌt fˈaʊnd ðə skˈoʊp ʌvðə kˈɑːnsɛpt tˈuː dˈɪfɪkəlt tʊ ˈæktʃuːəli dˈuː dʒˈʌstɪs tə ðɛɹ stˈoːɹi, ænd ɪnstˈɛd ʃˈɪftᵻd ðə kˈɑːnsɛpt tʊ ɐ tˈɛlɪŋ ʌvðə lˈaɪf əvə mjuːzˈɪʃən θɹuː ðɪ ˈaɪz ænd ˈækʃənz ʌv dˈæŋkoʊ ænd mænwˈɛl.
Originally Isbell tried to tell the story of Rick Danko, Richard Manuel, and The Band's demise, but found the scope of the concept too difficult to actually do justice to their story, and instead shifted the concept to a telling of the life of a musician through the eyes and actions of Danko and Manuel.