[Cover photo credit to Barbara FG]

Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Joe Ely has announced his new album Love and Freedom, out February 7, 2025 via Rack ‘Em Records / Thirty Tigers. With nearly 25 albums under his belt, the prolific Texas native returns with a collection of songs written by Ely as well as by some of his “musical heroes” including Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt and Woody Guthrie. Along with the announcement, Ely released a new single,“Shake ‘Em Up,” which he describes as “an ode to dice games in the Wild West.”

Ely says of the album:

I’m really appreciative of everyone’s help in putting this album together. To me, ‘Love and Freedom’ is a reminder of the times we’re living in right now, and I hope it resonates with whoever takes the time to listen.

Co-Produced alongside frequent collaborator Lloyd Maines (Miranda Lambert, Kris Kristofferson), Love and Freedom unveils songs from Ely’s recording vault over the course of several decades at Spur Studios, his home studio facility outside of Austin. Ely would record these tracks during time spent off the road and the end result features renditions of songs like the Ryan Bingham-featured take on Woody Guthrie’s protest anthem “Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos)” and Guy Clark cut, “Magdalene.”

Love and Freedom follows Ely’s 2024 official road album Driven to Drive. In addition to his solo work, he is one-third of the Texas-based trio The Flatlanders along with Butch Hancock and Jimmie Dale Gilmore. In 2021, the band released Treasure of Love, their first album in over 12 years.