Tanya Tucker Announces New Album Following Her Country Music Hall of Fame Induction
On Monday (April 3), Tanya Tucker was announced as one of the Country Music Hall of Fame’s newest inductee-elects, alongside Patty Loveless and songwriter Bob McDill. The two-time Grammy winner Tucker wasted no time adding to the heralded moment, revealing her upcoming album, Sweet Western Sound, will release June 2 via Fantasy Records.
The 10-song set will reunite Tucker with producers Brandi Carlile and Shooter Jennings, who helmed her 2019 album While I’m Livin’, the project that garnered Tucker her first Grammy wins for best country album, as well as best country song, for its single “Bring My Flowers Now.”
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“Sweet Western Sound is another revelation and I’m excited to see what folks think of our new endeavor,” said Tucker said via a statement. “It’s ALWAYS a trip working with Brandi and Shooter. I didn’t know if we’d be working together again on a new album after While I’m Livin’!! But we did it! Lots of new things we did this time and I even co-wrote some of the songs, which means a lot to me. Brandi says we’re MAGIC together, and I’m starting to believe her!!!!”
The Phil and Tim Hanseroth-written track “Kindness” leads the project, which also features contributions from Elton John’s longtime collaborator Bernie Taupin, Allison Russell’s Birds of Chicago bandmate JT Nero, Billy Don Burns and Craig Dillingham. A voicemail-generated rhyme from Tucker’s hero and friend, the late Billy Joe Shaver, opens and closes the album.
In addition to contributing production and co-writing four songs on the project, Carlile lends her voice to the track “Breakfast in Birmingham,” which Carlile co-wrote with Taupin. Sweet Western Sound also includes the previously released song “Ready As I’ll Never Be,” which also served as the closing song to Tucker’s 2022 documentary, The Return of Tanya Tucker, Featuring Brandi Carlile.
Tucker is also slated to headline two concerts at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, set for June 3-4.
See her announcement and the tracklist for Sweet Western Sound below:
“Tanya” (written by Billy Joe Shaver, Tanya Tucker)
“Kindness” (written by Tim Hanseroth, Phil Hanseroth)
“Breakfast In Birmingham,” featuring Brandi Carlile (written by Brandi Carlile, Bernie Taupin)
“Waltz Across a Moment” (written by Shooter Jennings)
“Ready As I’ll Never Be” (written by Brandi Carlile, Tanya Tucker)
“The List” (written by Brandi Carlile, Tanya Tucker)
“Letter to Linda” (written by Tanya Tucker, Shooter Jennings)
“City of Gold” (written by JT Nero)
“That Wasn’t Me” (written by Brandi Carlile, Tim Hanseroth, Phil Hanseroth)
“When the Rodeo Is Over (Where Do the Cowboys Go?)” (written by Billy Don Burns, Craig Dillingham)
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