Chely Wright To Release New Album, ‘I Am The Rain’

Chely Wright. Photo: Matthew Rodgers

Chely Wright is set to release her first album in five years, and eighth studio album overall, I Am The Rain, on MRI/Sony. The project will release to stores and online retailers on Sept. 9.

The Kickstarter-funded project includes her newest single “What About Your Heart,” and was recorded at Los Angeles’ Sunset Sound studio with producer/artist Joe Henry.

Emmylou Harris provides backing vocals on “Pain,” while Henry and longtime friend Rodney Crowell were co-writers on “At the Heart of Me.” Wright also offers a rendition of Bob Dylan’s classic “Tomorrow Is a Long Time,” featuring backing vocals from indie-folk duo The Milk Carton Kids.

I Am The Rain follows 2010’s Lifted Off The Ground.

In 1995, Wright was named the ACM’s Top New Female Vocalist, and followed with several hit singles, including “Shut Up and Drive,” “Single White Female,” “Jezebel,” and more. In 2010, she release her memoir Like Me, and became an advocate for the LGBT community.

The following year saw the release of the documentary Wish Me Away, which detailed Wright’s private struggle with her very public decision to come out as gay, as well as the aftermath of that decision. The feature-length film earned unanimous applause, was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award in Outstanding Documentary, and a dozen top festival awards including the Grand Jury Prize as Best Documentary at the 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival. In addition, Wish Me Away‘s 2012 Showtime broadcast received a News and Documentary Emmy Award nomination in the category of Outstanding Informational Programming – Long Form.

I Am The Rain Track Listing:

1. “Inside”
2. “Where Will You Be”
3. “At the Heart of Me”
4. “You Are the River”
5. “Holy War”
6. “What About Your Heart”
7. “Pain”
8. “Tomorrow Is a Long Time”
9. “Blood and Bones and Skin”
10. “Mexico”
11. “Next To Me”
12. “Halona”
13. “See Me Home”