Willie Nelson has confirmed the release of Last Leaf on the Tree, which will serve as his 153rd album (including solo studio albums, live records, and collaborative LPs). The album will arrive on November 1st.
Nelson, now 91, shared his last studio album The Border back in May. For Last Leaf on the Tree, Nelson’s son Micah curated a list of songs for Willie to cover, including The Flaming Lips’ “Do You Realize??,” Beck’s “Lost Cause,” and Tom Waits’ “Last Leaf,” which serves as the album’s title track. There are also a few originals on the album, including a re-hash of Nelson’ 1962 single “The Ghost,” as well as covers of tracks by Warren Zevon, Nina Simone, Keith Richards, Sunny War, and more.
Get Outlaw Music Festival Tickets Here
“Last Leaf” originally appeared on Tom Waits’ 2011 album Bad as Me, and Nelson’s cover is just as poignant. Across blooming strings and a lonesome accordion, Nelson reflects on aging and a life of experiences with tenderness and patience. Take a listen to “Last Leaf” below.
Willie Nelson may be celebrating his 91st year, but the singer and songwriter has also been on the road for his traveling Outlaw Music Festival throughout the summer. He had to drop several shows, however, back in June due to a battle with illness — he returned to the stage for his annual 4th of July Picnic in New Jersey, and has since continued the Outlaw Festival run. The next batch of shows go down in early September, and will feature Nelson and his family band, Bob Dylan, John Mellencamp, and Southern Avenue. Get tickets here.
Meanwhile, Willie Nelson’s long-running Farm Aid benefit concert is set to return in September, and will feature performances from Nelson and Mellencamp as well as Neil Young, Dave Matthews, Mavis Staples, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Joy Oladokun, and more. Nelson also released collaborations this year with Beyoncé and Orville Peck.
Last Leaf on the Tree Album Artwork:
Last Leaf on the Tree Tracklist:
01. Last Leaf
02. If It Wasn’t Broken
03. Lost Cause
04. Come Ye
05. Keep Me In Your Heart
06. Robbed Blind
07. House Where Nobody Lives
08. Are You Ready For The Country?
09. Do You Realize??
10. Wheels
11. Broken Arrow
12. Color Of Sound
13. The Ghost
14. Lookin’ For Trouble
Willie Nelson 2024 Tour Dates:
09/06 — Somerset, WI @ Somerset Amphitheater *
09/07 — Tinley Park, IL @ Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre *
09/08 — St. Louis, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre *
09/11 — Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center *
09/12 — Cuyahoga Falls, OH @ Blossom Music Center *
09/14 — Burgettstown, PA @ The Pavilion at Star Lake *
09/15 — Clarkston, MI @ Pine Knob Music Theatre *
09/17 — Buffalo, NY @ Darien Lake Amphitheater *
09/21 — Saratoga Springs, NY @ Broadview Stage at SPAC (FARM AID)
* = w/ Bob Dylan, John Mellencamp, and Southern Avenue