Justin Townes Earle Signs To New West Records, Preps New Album

Justin Townes Earle has signed to New West Records and is set to return with Kids In The Street on May 26.

The 12-song set was produced by Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes, First Aid Kit) at his ARC Studios, and is the first time in his career that Earle has worked with an outside producer. Kids In The Street marks a decade into Earle’s recording career and follows his albums Single Mothers (2014) and Absent Fathers (2015).

“Life has changed a lot for me in the last few years,” Earle says. “I got married and am getting ready to become a father, and this is the first record that I’ve written since I’ve been married. There’s definitely an uplifting aspect to this record in a lot of ways, because I’m feeling pretty positive.”

He continues, “When I wrote songs in the past, I was looking in on what I was feeling, but this record’s more about looking outward on what’s happening, and writing about subjects like gentrification and inner city strife. This record also has more of a soul influence to it, and it’s got a deeper connection to the blues than anything I’ve done before.”

Kids In The Street marks Earle’s first album to be recorded outside of Nashville, though the album references many of the lower-middle-class Nashville neighborhoods he grew up in, as well as the effects of gentrification on those neighborhoods.

“It’s the first time that I’ve worked outside of my usual umbrella of people to make a record,” Earle explains, adding, “In Nashville, if you have the right connections, it’ll spoil the shit out of you, because you’ve got access to the best musicians in the world and the best studios in the world. If you had told me when I started making records, that I wasn’t gonna make every record in Nashville, I would have told you you were crazy. And if you’d told me that I’d end up making a record in Omaha, I’d tell you you were out of your freaking mind.”

New West Records President John Allen said, “When I first met a young Justin Townes Earle, it was evident then he was intent on following his own artistic path. As his publisher, I saw his songwriting evolve to a literary depth and swagger that maintained that unique vision. New West is very proud to release Justin’s next album of his best work yet.”