October 20, 2023: Today, the Josh Abbott Band announces that they will release their seventh studio LP Somewhere Down The Road on January 26, 2024 via their Pretty Damn Tough label. Along with the announcement, the band has also shared heartfelt new single “What Were You Thinking.” A propulsive track with a masterful fiddle solo, “What Were You Thinking” finds singer/songwriter Josh Abbott opening himself up to the love that comes his way. Earlier this week, the Josh Abbott Band announced their plans for an extensive tour next year, taking them through Fort Worth, Atlanta, Nashville, Chicago, Indianapolis and more, concluding with their first appearance at Stagecoach Festival in April. Tickets are on sale today, and for a full list of dates, please see below or visit joshabbottband.com.
“If you’re lucky, someone comes along and motivates you to be even better,” shares Abbott. “They reassure your insecurities, fight your ghosts, and create a better life with you. It makes you wonder how it happened, but then you settle in and realize you deserve this. That’s ‘What Were You Thinking’ and it was written from the heart.”
Produced by Dwight A. Baker (who also produced 2015’s Front Row Seat) and recorded at his Matchbox Studios in Austin, Somewhere Down The Road is the Josh Abbott Band’s first full-length LP since 2020’s critically-acclaimed The Highway Kind. It also marks the first effort from the band’s newly reconfigured lineup, including longtime members Eddie Villanueva (drums), Austin Davis (banjo), David Fralin (keys) and Jimmy Hartman (bass) as well as recent additions Adam Hill (fiddle) and guitarists Cale Richardson and Kris Farrow.
Originally, the band wrote and recorded an initial follow-up LP to The Highway Kind, which was ultimately scrapped because it felt too much like a sequel rather than a reflection of their current state. From there, Somewhere Down The Road was born, resulting in one of their most personal offerings to date – a collection of songs that chronicle the importance of family and meeting life on its own terms. Sonically, thematically and lyrically, the album represents the very beginning of a new chapter for the band.
“For a long period of time I wanted to write hooky three-minute songs that would sound good on the radio, but now I’m writing from the heart more than I ever have,” shares Abbott about the album. “This record came from getting back to who I really am as a songwriter, and there was a lot of exorcising some of the demons from my past.”
Even though the band hasn’t put out a full-length album since 2020, it’s been a busy year for Abbott and the rest of the group. In March, Abbott’s side-project, TX country supergroup The Panhandlers, released their second album Tough Country to acclaim from Billboard, BrooklynVegan, Wide Open Country, The Bluegrass Situation, No Depression and more. And this summer, the Josh Abbott Band previewed the new album with the “working man classic” (Taste of Country) “Barstool Boys” after sharing the one-off tracks “Country Nights” and “My Dad And His Truck”, which garnered attention from CMT, Country Central, Whiskey Riff and Holler. They’ve also been on tour throughout the spring and the summer, wrapping up the year with a handful of dates with Dierks Bentley and Parker McCollum.
A staple in the Texas music scene since forming in 2006 at Lubbock’s Texas Tech University, the Josh Abbott Band has become an icon in the Lone Star State thanks to numerous successful singles and albums over the last decade plus. The group’s relentless on-stage attitude quickly made it a successful touring act, building out from a Texas band to a regional act to a national crew with a devoted following from coast to coast. Over the course of their career, the group has earned two top 10 debuts on the Billboard country albums chart, two RIAA Certified Gold singles, two top 40 hits including features with Kacey Musgraves and Carly Pearce and upwards of 235 million streams, fully affirming JAB as a formidable force in modern country music.
Somewhere Down The Road tracklist:
1. Astronaut (Intro) (Josh Abbott, Dwight A. Baker)
2. Astronaut (Erik Dylan, Randy Montana, Driver Williams)
3. The Sale (Josh Abbott)
4. What Were You Thinking (Josh Abbott)
5. Guilt of a Man (Josh Abbott)
6. She’ll Always Be (Josh Abbott, Neil Medley, Grant Gilbert)
7. Somewhere Down The Road (Josh Abott, Jon Randall)
8. Back To Normal (Josh Abbott)
9. Closer To You (Erik Dylan, Doug Waterman)
10. Unplug The Jug (Ryan Beaver, Neil Medley, Joe Clemmons)
11. Barstool Boys (Josh Abbott, Erik Dylan, Josh Kiser)
12. Brutus Judas And You (Josh Abbott, Erik Dylan, Brett Sheroky)
Josh Abbott Band Tour Dates:
10/20/23 – Topeka, KS – Stormont Vail Events Center ^
10/27/23 – Austin, TX – Moody Center *
10/28/23 – The Woodlands, TX – The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion *
11/3/23 – Fort Smith, AR – TempleLive
11/4/23 – Plano, TX – Legacy Hall
11/10/23 – College Station, TX – Reed Arena #
11/17/23 – Terrell, TX – Silver Saloon
11/18/23 – Orange Grove, TX – The Post OG
11/28/23 – Magnolia, AR – Story Arena
12/1/23 – Columbia, MO – The Blue Note
12/2/23 – Omaha, NE – The Waiting Room Lounge
12/8/23 – Las Vegas, NV – Mandalay Bay Events Center
1/5/24 – Fort Worth, TX – Billy Bob’s Texas
1/6/24 – Fort Worth, TX – Billy Bob’s Texas
1/26/24 – Key West, FL – Mile 0 Fest
1/27/24 – Key West, FL – Mile 0 Fest
2/1/24 – Orlando, FL – House of Blues Orlando
2/2/24 – Charlotte, NC – The Underground
2/3/24 – Atlanta, GA – Terminal West
2/10/24 – Andrews, TX – Ace Arena
2/15/24 – Athens, GA – Georgia Theatre
2/16/24 – Starkville, MS – Rick’s Cafe
2/17/24 – Little Rock, AR – Little Rock Hall
2/22/24 – Springfield, MO – Midnight Rodeo
2/23/24 – Manhattan, KS – The Hat
2/24/24 – Wichita, KS – The Cotillion Ballroom
3/22/24 – Wichita Falls, TX – The Warehouse
4/5/24 – Fayetteville, AR – George’s Majestic Lounge
4/6/24 – Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom
4/10/24 – Nashville, TN – Exit/In
4/11/24 – Lexington, KY – Manchester Music Hall
4/12/24 – Chicago, IL – Joe’s on Weed St.
4/13/24 – Indianapolis, IN – 8 Seconds Saloon
4/19/24 – Kansas City, MO – Uptown Theater
4/20/24 – St. Louis, MO – The Hawthorn
4/26/24 – Indio, CA – Stagecoach Festival
5/31/24 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall
^ – with Dierks Bentley
* – with Parker McCollum
# – with Riley Green
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