CHARLEY CROCKETT RELEASES NEW ALBUM LONESOME DRIFTER – OUT NOW VIA ISLAND RECORDS
CO-PRODUCED BY CROCKETT AND MULTI-GRAMMY® AWARD-WINNER SHOOTER JENNINGS
“[LONESOME DRIFTER] SHARES A DEVOTION TO TRADITION WITH MUSIC BY TYLER CHILDERS AND STURGILL SIMPSON EVEN AS IT SHOWCASES CROCKETT’S LARGER-THAN-LIFE PERSONA.”
- LOS ANGELES TIMES
Today, GRAMMY Award-nominated artist Charley Crockett releases his much-anticipated new album Lonesome Drifter, his first release for Island Records. Listen HERE . Recorded over 10 days in March 2024 at Sunset Sound Studios in Los Angeles and co-produced by Crockett and GRAMMY®-winner Shooter Jennings, Lonesome Drifter finds Crockett continuing to refine and expand his “Gulf & Western” sound. Crockett’s encyclopedic knowledge of various strains of American music – country, folk, soul, blues, R&B, rock & roll, and more – are put through his singular prism. At the core of it all is Crockett’s songwriting, offering hard-won insights from a remarkable, and at times unbelievable, life. “I’d like to be known as a storyteller,” Crockett explains. “I’m trying to tell good, true stories in song.”
Crockett has already given his constantly expanding fan base a taste of Lonesome Drifter, releasing the title track “Lonesome Drifter,” “Game I Can’t Win,” and a retooling of fan favorite “Jamestown Ferry” ahead of the album’s release. Inciting tastemaker applause, Rolling Stone christened him “eternally prolific,” while NPR profiled him in-depth and marveled at how his work ethic “might even win him a GRAMMY®.”
Check out the full tracklisting below. Watch the “Night Rider” music video HERE.
In the leadup to release, Crockett engaged his audience by notably giving away 100,000 copies of a four-song sampler of Lonesome Drifter as a way to pay homage to his journey as a working musician. In addition to the CD sampler giveaways, special Lonesome Drifter listening parties took place at 132 independent records in 41 states.
Crockett will launch a special series of in-store performances this month, including tonight March 14th, at Waterloo Records in Austin, TX; March 15th at End of An Ear Records in Austin, TX; March 19th at Josey Records in Tulsa, OK; and March 22nd at Good Records in Dallas, TX.
Over the years, he’s kept his head down and delivered music at a relentless pace, refining his “Gulf & Western” sound and playing just as hard on the road to boot. Notably, “Lonesome Drifter” marks his 15th LP, major label debut, and first release as part of the “Sagebrush Trilogy.”
All of that work and life effectively prepared him to record Lonesome Drifter with Jennings. Musically, he traces a roadmap through his own myriad of influences, tipping a hat to everybody from Waylon Jennings, Bill Withers, Bob Dylan, and Woody Guthrie, drawing on countless, often unbelievable true experiences since he first left his native Texas. From the spellbinding vocal performances to the raw and rustic instrumentation to the unforgettable storytelling, Lonesome Drifter stands out as his most cohesive body of work to date. As such, the album is the sound of dues paid, strength gained, and wisdom earned shared on tape.
Crockett’s dance card for 2025 continues to fill up. In addition to the first round of “Lonesome Drifter Tour” dates announced last week, he will play his biggest headline show to date at NRG Stadium as part of the 2025 Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo on March 17th.
ABOUT CHARLEY CROCKETT:
Some people politely wait for their turn, ask for permission, and take a shot at their dreams when the opportunity allows. Charley Crockett isn’t one of those people. He’s never just waited around, asked for permission, or let opportunity find him. Instead, the GRAMMY® Award-nominated Texas-born maverick defied the odds at every turn, tapping into a rebellious strain of country, releasing 14 albums independently, and grinding from obscurity to selling out some of the world’s most renowned venues. As Pitchfork points out, “in the decade it took Crockett to brush country stardom, the bygone era of music he loves and embodies arrived in the modern age. He is a key player in deciding where it will go next.” He has continuously pushed forward too. Since 2015, he has paved a singular path out of Texas. Beyond garnering hundreds of millions of streams, he picked up his first GRAMMY® nod for 2024’s $10 Cowboy. In the last year alone, he notably sold out Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, CO, the Greek Theater in Los Angeles, CA and two nights at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN. Crockett and his music have also received praise from The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, and Variety. Speaking to his impact, CBS Mornings chronicled his journey, and he’s sat down for an interview on The Daily Show. Plus, he’s graced the stage for performances on Austin City Limits, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and CBS “Saturday Sessions” in addition to playing behind NPR Music’s “Tiny Desk.” With multi-GRAMMY® Award-winning Shooter Jennings as co-producer, the same unapologetic spirit, diehard work ethic, and no-nonsense honesty drive Crockett’s Island Records debut LP, Lonesome Drifter.