Willie Nelson Announces New Album ‘The Border,’ Shares Rodney Crowell Cover

Daniel Kreps
·2 min read
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Willie Nelson - Credit: SUZANNE CORDEIRO / AFP via Getty Images
Willie Nelson - Credit: SUZANNE CORDEIRO / AFP via Getty Images

Willie Nelson is showing no signs of slowing down as a month after he celebrates his 91st birthday, the country legend will release his 75th studio album, The Border.

Ahead of the LP’s May 31 release, Nelson has shared the first single and title track, a cover of Rodney Crowell’s 2019 song about a guard on the Texas border.

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“We were writing the song to be sympathetic to the actual border guards, and I’m still sympathetic to them. They’re trying to do a job down there. It’s not their policy,” Crowell told Rolling Stone of the track four years ago. “I think if we were writing that song today it would be more about the atrocities. [But] I’m glad we wrote it when we did. To me it has a more epic quality now.”

Unlike Dolly Parton — who celebrated her Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction by releasing a rock and roll album — recent inductee Nelson sticks to his country roots on The Border, which arrives just over eight months after his 2023 LP Bluegrass.

The Border boasts 10 songs, four of which were co-written by Nelson and longtime collaborator Buddy Cannon. The remainder of the new tracks were penned by songwriters that Nelson admires like Shawn Camp, Mike Reid, and Bobby Tomberlin. The Border — which also features listening notes by Mikal Gilmore and photos by Pamela Springsteen — is available to preorder now.

The album announcement arrives that same day Nelson is set to host this year’s Luck Reunion at his Texas ranch with a lineup that includes Tyler Childers, Old Crow Medicine Show, Madi Diaz, John Oates, and the country legend himself.

Later this year, Nelson and Bob Dylan will venture off together on their epic Outlaw Music Festival Tour, with Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, John Mellencamp and Billy Strings along for the ride.

The Border Track List

1. “The Border”
2. “Once Upon A Yesterday”
3. “What If I’m Out Of My Mind”
4. “I Wrote This Song For You”
5. “Kiss Me When You’re Through”
6. “Many A Long And Lonesome Highway”
7. “Hank’s Guitar”
8. “Made In Texas”
9. “Nobody Knows Me Like You”
10. “How Much Does It Cost”

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