Willie Nelson’s New LP ‘Band of Brothers’ Due in June
It’s another year, another album from Willie Nelson. Since 2008’s Moment of Forever, Nelson has released a new record every year, with double that — Let’s Face the Music and Dance and To All the Girls… — last year. On June 17th, he unveils Band of Brothers, which, unlike his last two decades of albums, is distinguished by a wealth of new material.
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The title track, written by Nelson with Buddy Cannon, who produced the project, is an homage to the touring life and those betrothed to it. The chorus feature one of the best displays of Nelson’s famously “what me worry” attitude: “We’re a band of brothers and sisters and whatever.”
Of the songs not written by Nelson, two are Billy Joe Shaver compositions, “The Git Go,” a duet with Jamey Johnson, and “Hard to Be an Outlaw,” which also appears on Shaver’s new album, Long in the Tooth.
“Willie’s writing his ass off,” Shaver told Rolling Stone Country recently. Nelson’s fellow Texan believes their two respective albums will help revitalize country. “I feel like these two albums, mine and Willie’s, I think it’s going to switch things around and change it back to the good ol’ stuff,” Shaver said. “I’m pretty sure it will, because he has so many followers and people listen to him.”
Earlier this month, Nelson premiered a video for Band of Brothers track “The Wall” on Rolling Stone. A collection of images of the Red Headed Stranger, the clip features milestone facts and figures from the Country Music Hall of Fame member’s life.