Carl Broemel is a changed man.

In 2010, when I first interviewed Broemel, the guitarist for My Morning Jacket admitted that his "crazy lifestyle" unfortunately didn't leave him much time for reading. Sure, he had plans: he'd gaze longingly at that stack of books on his bedside table, wondering when he'd ever get to read them. But the stack mostly remained untouched.

It's a different story now, pun intended. Broemel devours books. He reads everything. I always ask songwriters what they're reading, and I get some great responses. But Broemel and I could've talked forever about what he's been reading, and the enthusiasm in his voice was obvious. He reads fiction and poetry; we shared our mutual adulation for Anthony Doerr's book All the Light We Cannot See (best book ever) and e.e. cummings. But Broemel is especially fond of books that ponder the meaning of human existence, whether it's about space exploration or deeper existential meaning. He cites Joseph Campbell, Alan Watts, Chris Impey, and Neil DeGrasse Tyson as his favorites. In short: Broemel is always reading.

Besides the obvious benefit of being a Worldly Man of Letters, Broemel's reading habit has done two things. One, in his eyes (and I agree), it's made him a much better songwriter. This is hardly a stretch: you cannot be a writer unless you're a reader. That through line is easy. He's a more confident lyricist because the writing comes easier. Two, Broemel is a father, and he's passed his reading habits down to his son. He told me, "My son is inspiring to me. He reads like crazy. It’s an infectious thing around the house now. Everyone is just tucked away with a book. And those are wonderful moments in the house. We also read a lot together."

As a father of four young kids, I know the feeling because our kids are the same way. But I also know this too: kids do have to sleep, and we shared our anxiety over having to practically pry the books from our kids' hands at the end of the night. Broemel says, "He would stay up all night for sure. It’s heartbreaking. I'll say, 'I'm sorry, dude, it’s time. It’s time to go to bed.' And he’s like, 'Daaaaaad.'” But we both agreed that it’s a good problem to have.

Carl Broemel's new album 4th of July comes out August 19. I've been listening to it over the past month, and it's fantastic. It's a significant progression in Broemel's songwriting. You can pre-order the album from different outlets on his website. And listen to "Sleepy Lagoon," off the new album, below.