On March 29, Steve Earle and The Dukes will release a tribute to one of Earle’s mentors the legendary singer-songwriter Guy Clark with GUY via New West Records. Today, the New York City-based musician shared the LP’s lead single “Dublin Blues,” a song that originally appeared as the title track on a 1995 album by Clark.
The 16-track collection was produced by Earle and finds him backed by Kelley Looney (bass), Chris Masterson (guitar), Eleanor Whitmore (fiddle/mandolin), Ricky Ray Jackson (pedal steel) and Brad Pemberton (drums/percussion). The record also features guest appearances from the likes of Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell, Terry Allen, Jerry Jeff Walker and Mickey Raphael.
Here’s what Steve Earle had to say about the album in a statement:
“Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark were like Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg to me. When it comes to mentors, I’m glad I had both. If you asked Townes what it’s all about, he’d hand you a copy of Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee. If you asked Guy the same question, he’d take out a piece of paper and teach you how to diagram a song, what goes where. Townes was one of the all-time great writers, but he only finished three songs during the last fifteen years of his life. Guy had cancer and wrote songs until the day he died…he painted, he built instruments, he owned a guitar shop in the Bay Area where the young Bobby Weir hung out. He was older and wiser. You hung around with him and knew why they call what artists do disciplines. Because he was disciplined.”
Listen to “Dublin Blues,” which was premiered via NPR Music:
GUY Tracklist
- Dublin Blues
- L.A. Freeway
- Texas 1947
- Desperados Waiting For A Train
- Rita Ballou
- The Ballad Of Laverne And Captain Flint
- The Randall Knife
- Anyhow I Love You
- That Old Time Feeling
- Heartbroke
- The Last Gunfighter Ballad
- Out In The Parking Lot
- She Ain’t Going Nowhere
- Sis Draper
- New Cut Road
- Old Friends
