Jess Williamson has adopted a highway, and she wants you to join her on it. The Texas-born singer-songwriter announced today that she has declared a two-mile stretch of road near Marfa, Texas, “the unofficial Mile South of Heaven.” The move is part of the promotion for her new album, A Mile South Of Heaven, due out October 9 via New West.
“Something I’ve been working on for a while: I adopted a highway this week!”
Williamson made the announcement on Instagram, where she detailed the stretch’s exact location. The road sits two miles outside of Marfa, heading south, and she says it was important to her to adopt this specific stretch because it’s an area “very near and dear to my heart.”
Coordinates for the Mile
The singer provided the coordinates for anyone who wants to find the spot: 30.289778, -104.051500. She thanked the kind people at the City of Marfa for working with her on the adoption.
She also explained why she picked this particular route. Throughout the recording of A Mile South Of Heaven, she made a habit of driving out of town, going over a hill, parking at the first turnout, and walking down the road to listen to her demos, rough mixes, and final masters. She called it “my way of test-driving the new material.”
The Test-Drive Ritual
Sometimes, Williamson would just drive farther, ten or fifteen miles down the road, watching the landscape unfold over each new hill. She described the experience as feeling “like being inside of a painting.”
“I highly recommend listening to music this way,” she wrote.
Picking Up Trash
Williamson made it clear that she expects to be out there regularly. “I’ll be out there, picking up trash,” she wrote.
The Singles So Far
The album is not arriving empty-handed. Williamson has already shared three singles from the record:
- “Goodbye To All That”
- “Tracking The Tropics”
- “High Heels And Blue Jeans”
A Mile South Of Heaven
The album title comes directly from the adopted stretch. The record is set for release on October 9 via New West.
What This Means for Fans
The adoption is a clever way to promote the album. Instead of a standard press push, Williamson is giving fans a physical destination tied to the music. The coordinates make it easy to find, and the invitation to pick up trash turns a promotional stunt into a community activity.
It’s also a low-key approach.
The Painting Comparison
Williamson’s description of the drive as “like being inside of a painting” captures the romanticism of the project. The idea of driving down a desert road while listening to music is simple, but it’s the kind of experience that stays with you.
The Bottom Line
Jess Williamson Adopted A Highway is a small gesture with a big effect. It turns a record into a destination, and it gives fans a reason to care about the physical space where the music was made.
The album arrives October 9. For now, the coordinates are the ticket.
KEY FACTS
– Album: A Mile South Of Heaven
– Release date: October 9
– Label: New West
– Singles released: “Goodbye To All That,” “Tracking The Tropics,” “High Heels And Blue Jeans”
– Coordinates: 30.289778, -104.051500
Source material: “Jess Williamson Adopted A Highway,” Stereogum.
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