The Josh Abbott Band is kicking off the New Year in the best way possible—with new music. Today (January 8), the band announced their seventh LP Somewhere Down the Road. The album sees the band shifting from writing songs for the radio to creating more personal and experimental tracks. Additionally, it will be the band’s first outing with its newly retooled lineup. Listen to the first single “She’ll Always Be” below.
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Somewhere Down the Road hits record store shelves and streaming platforms on January 26. So, fans are just weeks away from getting a brand-new album. However, Abbot recently revealed on Twitter that the band has been sitting on the record for about a year. “It’s wild that we finally release our new album in just 3 weeks,” he wrote. “Been waiting since we recorded it last January.”
[Josh Abbott Band Somewhere Down the Road Tour: Get Tickets]
The Josh Abbott Band went into Somewhere Down the Road as an eight-piece. The lineup currently features longtime members Abbot (vocals), Eddie Villanueva (drums), Jimmy Hartman (bass), David Fralin (keys), and Austin Davis (banjo) along with new members Cale Richardson (guitar), Kris Farrow (guitar), and Adam Hill (fiddle).
Josh Abbot on the Band’s Upcoming Album
Abbot spoke about Somewhere Down the Road in a press release. “For a long time, I wanted to write hooky three-minute songs that would sound good on the radio,” he said. “Now, I’m writing from the heart more than I ever have,” he added. “She’ll Always Be” is a perfect example of Abbott writing from the heart. The song is about and dedicated to his six-year-old daughter.
“This record came from getting back to who I really am as a songwriter, and there was a lot of exorcizing some of the demons from my past,” Abbott explained.
Before recording Somewhere Down the Road, the Josh Abbott Band recorded and scrapped an entire album. “The more I listened to that other record, the more it sounded like a sequel to the last album rather than a representation of where we’re at now,” Abbot said.
Somewhere Down the Road Tracklist
- “Astronaut (Intro)”—(Josh Abborr, Dwight A. Baker)
- “Astronaut” (Erik Dylan, Randy Montana, Driver Williams)
- “The Sale” (Abbott)
- “What Were You Thinking” (Abbott)
- “Guilt of a Man” (Abbott)
- “She’ll Always Be” (Abbott, Neil Medley, Grant Gilbert)
- “Somewhere Down the Road” (Abbott, Jon Randall)
- “Back to Normal” (Abbott)
- “Closer to You” (Dylan, Doug Waterman)
- “Unplug the Jug” (Ryan Beaver, Joe Clemmons, Medley)
- “Barstool Boys” (Abbott, Dylan, Josh Kiser)
- “Brutus, Judas, and You” (Abbott, Dylan, Brett Sheroky)
Photo Credit: Eric Morales
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