The Turnpike Troubadours to Release New Album “A Long Way From Your Heart”
Is it October 20th yet?
How ’bout now?
Sorry for the impatience, but that’s the day one of the most badass independent country bands in existence will release their highly-anticipated fourth album A Long Way From Your Heart via Bossier City Records and Thirty Tigers. Songwriters Evan Felker and RC Edwards, along with Turnpike members Kyle Nix (fiddle), Ryan Engleman (guitar), Gabe Pearson (drums) and Hank Early (pedal steel), have been hitting the studio hard and heavy in 2017, and are now ready to share their latest collection of songs with the world.
The new album marks one of the quickest turnaround times for the band between releases. Previously the band has made fans wait for what seems like an excruciatingly long time between albums due to the infectiousness and earnestness of the Oklahoma-based band’s music. Turnpike released their last self-titled album in September of 2015. It also marks the first time pedal steel player Hank Early will be part of the bad as a full time member.
A Long Way From Your Heart is said to be filled with “Vivid character sketches and blue-collar narratives, [while] Evan Felker continues to solidify his place as one of the finest songwriters to come out of the dustbowl in recent years. The theme running through ‘A Long Way From Your Heart’ is resilience during difficult circumstances, as in album opener, ‘The Housefire.’ The subjects in Felker’s songs are composite characters based on real people. Some tracks feel deeply personal, such as the poignant but upbeat ‘Pay No Rent’ or country/folk ditty ‘Oklahoma Stars.’ Other observational songs like ‘Unrung’ and the raucous rocker “The Winding Stair Mountain Blues” are proof that Felker’s penchant for great storytelling in the tradition of his musical forbearers has become masterful.”
Keep your eyes peeled for pre-order links in the coming weeks.
TRACK LIST:
1. “The Housefire”
2. “Something to Hold on To”
3. “The Winding Stair Mountain Blues”
4. “Unrung”
5. “A Tornado Warning”
6. “Pay No Rent”
7. “The Hard Way”
8. “Old Time Feeling (Like Before)”
9. “Pipe Bomb Dream”
10. “Oklahoma Stars”
11. “Sunday Morning Paper”
R2D2
August 2, 2017 @ 11:52 am
Yes! This is great news to hear!
JF
August 2, 2017 @ 11:55 am
Oh hell yes.
musicfan
August 2, 2017 @ 11:57 am
CAN’T WAIT!!!
Sean
August 2, 2017 @ 12:00 pm
Evan told me at a show in April that he had writer’s block. Glad to see he got passed it. He’s truly one of the best songwriters of this generation, right up there with Jason Isbell imho.
CountryKnight
August 2, 2017 @ 6:43 pm
Fake news.
There is no way someone as talented as Evan had writer’s block. I would accept high standards as a reason.
musicfan
August 2, 2017 @ 9:17 pm
This is probably closer to the truth…at Medicine Stone in 2014, Evan was onstage talking between songs and told the crowd, “everyone keeps asking me when there will be a new album. I don’t know if y’all know this or not, but writing songs is HARD! Writing shitty songs is easy. Writing good songs is hard.”
Corncaster
August 2, 2017 @ 12:00 pm
I bought their charity cd online. It arrived, but it was blank. Feeling sour.
TXDadoo
August 2, 2017 @ 12:14 pm
I don’t always
But when I do , it’s for a new Turnpike Troubadours release.
Rockies
August 2, 2017 @ 12:17 pm
This could be a big deal for them. They are in a position to make the “big time”.
Now the waiting…
CountryKnight
August 2, 2017 @ 12:18 pm
About damn time!! Been waiting for this information for months.
Thanks Trigger!! Best Country Music website on the internet.
CG
August 2, 2017 @ 12:26 pm
Words cannot express my excitedness. Right there on that same scale with you! Heard one of the new songs in June; it sounded mighty fine, but what else could we expect?
Barstool Hero
August 2, 2017 @ 12:33 pm
Excellent News! I’ll be looking for the pre-order info….The countdown is on.
David Jones
August 2, 2017 @ 12:58 pm
This will be their 5th album
Bossier City
Diamonds & Gasoline
Goodbye Normal St
Turnpike Troubadours
Trigger
August 2, 2017 @ 10:25 pm
According to the band, this is their 4th release. That is what it says in all the press materials. Since “Bossier City” is officially out-of-print, I’m guessing they’re not counting it.
Josh
August 3, 2017 @ 1:11 am
I really wish they would release Bossier City to Spotify. Yeah, it may not be as good as their work since, but since it’s impossible to find for sale and it’s basically scrubbed from youtube, newer fans like me don’t have a way to enjoy their earliest stuff.
AV
August 3, 2017 @ 7:25 pm
I got it from the charity release and it really isn’t even much worse than their other albums. Austin to ashes is great and the shape is actually one of my favorite turnpike songs. But I agree, 95% of my music listening is on Spotify so I wish it was there
scott
August 2, 2017 @ 1:01 pm
YES!! Just hope hoptowntiger is as excited as the rest of us. I know the Knoxville debacle soured him some…
hoptowntiger94
August 2, 2017 @ 4:02 pm
I haven’t been skipping their songs when they come on anymore. So, I’m healing. A solid new album might get me back on the horse.
J.J Walker
August 2, 2017 @ 4:15 pm
what was the ‘knoxville debacle’.?
hoptowntiger94
August 2, 2017 @ 7:21 pm
Just an off night in a bad venue that was poorly attended… but I drove 1k miles round trip (from Pittsburgh) to see it. I’m coping.
Bo Fiddley
August 3, 2017 @ 6:53 am
Prayin’ for you, bud. 🙂
J.J Walker
August 3, 2017 @ 6:03 pm
sorry for your experience in knoxville..Turnpike was in town the same night of Jason Isbell, who was only 3 blocks away at the Tennessee Theater.. I’m guessing that kinda split the crowd. The Mill and Mine is actually a cool venue created by Ashley Capps, the same dude that created Bonnaroo..They have quite a few acts listed on this site like Cody Jinks..Maybe you can find a reason to give it another shot in the future..,cheers
Broncaho
August 6, 2017 @ 7:21 am
The venue was at least half full on a Sunday. Give us a break, man.
sbach66
August 2, 2017 @ 1:19 pm
Sweet.
hoptowntiger94
August 2, 2017 @ 1:33 pm
I’ll wait and see …
Wesley Gray
August 2, 2017 @ 1:37 pm
It’s about time! Being from Oklahoma, I am obligated to be a fan of Turnpike…okay, let me re-phrase; as a fan of Red Dirt music, I am a fan of Turnpike. They are so young in their career and still SO good. I watched them stream a few songs the other night from a show and it was killer. Saw them at the Criterion in March. Damn good. DAMN good band. This is fantastic news! Thanks for the heads up, Trigger. It seems that every Saturday when I get off work for the weekend, the first song I throw on in my car is “Long Hot Summer Day”. GREAT news! Can’t wait! I love that hard-country sound.
Whiskeytown
August 2, 2017 @ 1:59 pm
Nice, can’t wait to see them at KOKE fest.
Trig, you gonna make it to KOKE fest?
Trigger
August 2, 2017 @ 10:27 pm
I’m not sure. Doing my rounds of festivals at the moment, and not sure if I will be back in Texas for it or not. If I’m in town, I will likely attend.
KGD
August 2, 2017 @ 1:59 pm
This year’s revelation for us. We saw them in Athens, GA. Almost bailed because we were going to see Jason Isbell the next night in Knoxville and I was the only one familiar. Welllll, thank goodness we didn’t. They just flat blew the roof off of the Georgia Theater. Went to see them a few weeks later in Birmingham and then my fellow travelers went to see them in Kansas City (w/Charlie Crockett and Lucero).
Watching closely for the next reasonable opportunity to see them. Glad there will be new stuff.
Doesn’t hurt that Evan makes our wives swoon. :O
Ryan
August 3, 2017 @ 4:46 am
Jason Isbell is great and all, but his live performance is no where near the level of Turnpike. I fell asleep when he opened for John Prine in Atlanta…literally. I enjoy his stuff, but the three times I’ve seen him he had zero energy or stage presence.
Jon
August 3, 2017 @ 3:40 pm
Man, I’m not saying you’re wrong, but I see it the exact opposite. Isbell isn’t the most active guy on stage but lately he’s been more energetic than ever and there’s always big energy in the music to me. If he was playing solo, I could maybe see that more being the case but the band is on fire right now. I saw Turnpikes at Billy Bob’s a year and a half ago-ish and they were great but there was no stage presence whatsoever. Just singing and playing (albeit incredibly well). But I’ve only seen them once and Isbell several times, so maybe I caught an off-day from that perspective.
Again, your experience is your own, but it was just so opposite for me. Really looking forward to this new release, though.
KGD
August 4, 2017 @ 4:47 am
I think Isbell is great in concert. I’ve seen him 4 times and every time has been top notch. Troubadours shows are a little higher energy, but that has more to do with the two artists’ music imo.
If you made me choose between seeing either one, I don’t think I could. Their paths crossed in Virginia recently and the Troubadours opened for Isbell. We damn near drove up there from Atlanta. Unfortunately it was a Wednesday night.
Jon
August 4, 2017 @ 4:10 pm
Maybe it was just the night we saw them. In no way did it turn me off to seeing them again, they just seemed more like a no-frills, play and sing band. Which is all right by me, anyway.
I find that I enjoy all the songs on Isbell’s last three records more in concert than on record, so that probably influences my perspective some, too.
KGD
August 5, 2017 @ 10:08 am
Agreed – live > studio for me as well.
Joe Doran
August 2, 2017 @ 2:15 pm
In with a decent shout of being my favourite current band. And to think, I probably would never have even found out about them were it not for this site. Fantastic news.
Cool Lester Smooth
August 2, 2017 @ 2:17 pm
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Saw them in Boston back in April, and they were fucking incredible.
And, of course, Every Girl to 7&7 may be the best 1-2 punch to open an album of all time.
October 20th can’t get here soon enough.
Cameron
August 2, 2017 @ 3:28 pm
Omg omg omg ysssssssssss!!!
hoptowntiger94
August 2, 2017 @ 4:06 pm
It is awesome to see everyone excited and an album. No horns? No political agendas? No fucking beards. It’s like SCM 2010!
RWP
August 2, 2017 @ 7:45 pm
I would give hoptowns comment a thousand likes if I could.
Big Cat
August 2, 2017 @ 4:12 pm
FUCK YES!!!!
Ryan
August 2, 2017 @ 5:04 pm
Tracklist via RS Country https://www.rollingstone.com/country/news/turnpike-troubadours-ready-new-album-long-way-w495631
CountryKnight
August 2, 2017 @ 6:46 pm
No “Come As You Are.”
Broncaho
August 6, 2017 @ 7:24 am
“Come as you are” will be a bonus on vinyl.
Cobra
August 2, 2017 @ 5:24 pm
Oh hell yes!
Before FM
August 2, 2017 @ 6:32 pm
I have been wondering when Lorrie and Jimmy would be back.
CountryKnight
August 2, 2017 @ 6:47 pm
When I saw them in Philly, they didn’t play any new songs.
The rest of you were luckier than I.
Jim L.
August 2, 2017 @ 6:54 pm
One of my favorite new bands of the past several years. The tone and character of Evan’s voice is superb.
Dot
August 2, 2017 @ 8:50 pm
Take my money now!!!
Gina
August 2, 2017 @ 9:08 pm
Yeah! I was lucky to see them in Texas a few times. Also, yeah for Thirty Tigers, who always does a great job.
Christian H.
August 2, 2017 @ 9:51 pm
Excellent news, thank you! Gonna see them this week, can’t wait!!
Charlie
August 3, 2017 @ 4:33 am
This bodacious band badly begs to break big, boys! Bonkers ’bout it!! Bringit!!!
Benny Lee
August 3, 2017 @ 6:24 am
Every time Long Hot Summer Day comes on the kids and I stop what we’re doing and sing along. Drives my wife nuts. Love this band! They’re easily in my top 5 favorite “current” acts.
Chris31
August 3, 2017 @ 12:21 pm
Saw them in Athens a few months back. Flew back home to Atlanta from a work conferance in Vegas. Buddy picked me up from the airport and off to Athens we went. The show was amazing and was everything we could have asked for. When we left the Georgia theater we saw Evan and Ryan Engelman hanging out beside the venue. Even was awesome and took time let me take a picture with him.
Ryan Engelman was very rude. You could tell he wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone that wasn’t female. All me and my buddy did was congratulate him on a good show. So not a big fan of his but he isn’t the band as a whole.
On a side note I got an email last week from Bristol Motor Speedway letting me know that Jinks would do the pre race show. Called the track to see what the rules were for changing seats just for the show. Its no problem as long as you are in your assigned seats by race time. Jinks gives me a good reason to make sure I’m at the track early (will be the 3rd time this year seeing him live).
hoptowntiger94
August 3, 2017 @ 4:07 pm
I saw that too about Jinks. I just assumed it was going to be on a small stage in a parking lot.
Chris31
August 3, 2017 @ 6:06 pm
Very excited and then he won’t be on some stage in the parking lot. And when I called the track the ticket office said they had been surprised at the reaction from fans excited about the concert said there are more Jinks fans and they thought. Hoping he will pick up a few more fans after the show.
Bristol is just a little half mile track. They will put the stage on the back stretch. You will have a catch fence between you and the stage. The stands will elevate you enough so that you can be level with the stage and above the fans at the stage. Front stage passes are $100 (also includes passes to pit road). Was in the pits earlier this season at Atlanta and $100 is too much to stand shoulder to shoulder with a bunch of people in that August heat. Really looking forward to seeing him in Bristol even if his set will probably be abbreviated.
hoptowntiger94
August 3, 2017 @ 6:56 pm
Thanks for the info! Maybe I’ll bump into you there!
the pistolero
August 3, 2017 @ 3:37 pm
Ohhh, fuck yeah. Release-day buy, if not first-day preorder.
(I’ll probably do the latter. Did that with the most recent albums from TT & Boland and got ’em both close to a week before release date.)
seabass
August 4, 2017 @ 10:55 am
I’m going to see them tonight. Anybody know which, if any, of the new tracks they’ve been playing at recent shows?