A new Johnny Cash album with never-before-heard tracks from the legendary country singer is coming out this summer, nearly two decades after he died in 2003 at the age of 71.
The “Songwriter” will be released June 28 and contains 11 unreleased songs the late-country star wrote and recorded back in 1993, but ended up shelving after he met with producer Rick Rubin and the two instead opted to focus on their musical partnership, the Tennessean reported.
The album is being produced by musician John Carter Cash, the son of Johnny and June Carter Cash, and co-produced by David “Fergie” Ferguson. The two “stripped” the songs “back to just Johnny’s powerful, pristine vocals, and acoustic guitar,” Southern Living noted.
“I wanted it to be songs that mostly people hadn’t heard and that paid close attention to who he was as a songwriter and who he was as an American voice,” Carter Cash explained. “One of my most important focuses in the past 10 years […] is to give history the opportunity to notice him as the great writer he is. I want to put that in the forefront. His writing voice specifically is a certain voice, that I think if America wants to know their history, that’s a good place to look.”
Johnny Cash’s new album ‘Songwriter’ has 11 unreleased songs that have been updated and produced by his son John Carter Cash and co-producer David Ferguson 🖤 Pre-order the new album now: https://t.co/4HGgabOE1x pic.twitter.com/ZPjyzbb3XL
— Johnny Cash (@JohnnyCash) April 23, 2024
“It’s not about selling Johnny Cash, he would be doing that himself,” he added. “I’m grateful that this record is here, even if it was only for me, because it reminds me of who my father was, and I do believe there are people out there that knew him on somewhat of a level that I did, that will be just as touched.”
“But I also believe that there are people out there that have never heard my father’s music that will find new interest in hearing this, hearing this album and hearing my father’s voice,” Carter Cash continued.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP
Fergie also talked about the album and said in a statement, “I think this record is the way I would have liked to have made one if I would have ever been in charge of one, before Rick Rubin or after Jack Clement. I’ve known John Carter since he was a boy, so it was great to finally work with him. He gave me a lot of leeway, especially in terms of grooves and things. We went right along the same page. There wasn’t ever a conversation or plan about an end product, it was just let’s do the best we can do.”
The album — which comes out via Mercury Nashville and UMe — focuses on the “Ring of Fire” hitmaker’s songwriting abilities as he sings lyrics about sorrow, spirituality, and redemption, the outlet noted.
On Tuesday, one of the song’s was released, “Well Alright,” which is an upbeat track about love in a laundromat.
Some of the other artists who are also on the album with Cash include the late Waylon Jennings, country singer Vince Gill, guitarist Marty Stuart, and The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach.