Lucinda Williams will release a new album, Stories From A Rock n Roll Heart, on June 30 through Highway 20 Records/Thirty Tigers. The acclaimed singer-songwriter shared the album’s lead single, “New York Comeback,” featuring Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa.
Williams co-produced Stories From A Rock n Roll Heart with her husband Tom Overby and Ray Kennedy, who also engineered. The 10-track album is the follow-up to Williams’ album Good Souls Better Angels, which came out in 2020.
Also in 2020, Williams’ Nashville home was damaged by a tornado weeks before COVID-19 forced worldwide lockdowns. In November, she suffered a stroke that partially impaired the left side of her body, leaving her unable to play guitar.
Williams co-wrote three songs on Stories with Jesse Malin, while her longtime road manager Travis Stephens co-wrote six songs on the pending album. The track “Where the Song Will Find Me,” was orchestrated and arranged by Lawrence Rothman. In addition to Springsteen and Scialfa, others who contributed to the record include Malin, Margo Price, Jeremy Ivey, Angel Olsen, Buddy Miller, Siobhan Maher Kennedy, Sophie Gault and the Replacements’ Tommy Stinson.
Williams started recording the new album in November 2021 and as her strength improved, continued into 2022. Sessions included Williams’ longtime touring guitarist Stuart Mathis, keyboardist Reese Wynans, bassist Steve Mackey (Dolly Parton), and pedal steel guitarist Doug Pettibone and Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers drummer Steve Ferrone. Regarding the writing and recording process for the new album, Williams stated:
“My process has always been to come up with some lyrics, then get the guitar and come up with a melody and some kind of structure. Once I get that, then I’d go back and edit the lyrics and add more. Pretty much like when you write and revise a story, except the guitar is added to it. It was very rare that I’d ever write all the lyrics completely without the guitar.
“Like Jesse, Travis is a singer and a songwriter, so he threw his bit in and that led to the co-writing of some songs. I was comfortable writing with them. Jesse knows me pretty well now, so he was able to anticipate certain things when we worked together – the same with Tom and Travis. I could contribute the melody and all.
“Since I couldn’t teach the band the songs on guitar, I would sing it to give an idea of the feel and the vibe. We’d do it a few times until we got the right groove. It was really challenging because I wasn’t playing guitar. But sometimes when things are challenging like that, good stuff can come out of it.”
Williams dedicated the album to the Replacements’ co-founder Bob Stinson who is honored on the track “Hum’s Liquor.” Williams, who celebrated her 70th birthday in January, will release her long-awaited memoir Don’t Tell Anybody The Secrets I Told You on April 25.
Stream “New York Comeback,” featuring Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa below:
Stories From A Rock n Roll Heart Tracklist
- Let’s Get The Band Back Together (featuring Margo Price, Jeremy Ivey, Siobhan Maher Kennedy, Buddy Miller, Sophie Gault)
- New York Comeback (featuring Bruce Springsteen & Patti Scialfa)
- Last Call For The Truth
- Jukebox (featuring Angel Olsen)
- Stolen Moments
- Rock N Roll Heart (featuring Bruce Springsteen & Patti Scialfa)
- This Is Not My Town (featuring Margo Price)
- Hum’s Liquor (featuring Tommy Stinson)
- Where The Song Will Find Me
- Never Gonna Fade Away
