In the context of the Nashville country music scene, Southern Family was released amidst the resurgence of substantive, traditional-leaning music, a style which was countering the dominance of “bro-country” at the time. Dave Cobb was a major force in this renaissance, having produced some of its most prominent albums, and was gaining more influence in the industry with his new A&R and publishing deals. Curating a compilation album, Southern Family, was the next step in Dave’s career. Featuring an all-star line-up of musicians, many of whom were spearheading the new trends in country music, Southern Family is a concept album that collages family life in the American South. Themes of love, religion, and inheritance are all present, but are underscored by the inevitability that families will be ripped apart by death, a concept introduced from the very first lyric. Sonically, the album covers a range of American roots music genres including country, gospel, and soul. Dave revealed that the album was inspired by White Mansions, a concept album about the American Civil War, and explained his artistic vision for the record: With Southern Family, I wanted these real stories that represent the fabric of growing up in the South and their family and all it means to them. It’s also about the unity of the Nashville community, taking all these talented artists and putting them together in making one record for the right reason. The album’s promotion was strongly tied to its family theme. Family recipes for Southern meals were provided by some of the artists, and were bundled with the album’s deluxe version. A photo scrapbook was also available online, and contained pictures of the artists’ childhoods and families. The album was highly praised by independent music critics. The album appeared on multiple decade-end lists and was named the best album of the 2010s by Mark Grondin. The album however, failed to capture mainstream attention and was only scantly covered by official music publications.