This morning, a posthumous album of previously unreleased material from Johnny Cash has been given a release date. Songwriter is set to arrive June 28 via Mercury Nashville/UMe, and it will feature contributions from players like Dan Auerbach, Vince Gill, Waylon Jennings, Harry Stinson, Sam Bacco, Ana Cristina Cash and more.
The demos of the songs were recorded in 1993, before Cash signed with American and began working with Rick Rubin, and the Songwriter project was catalyzed by the efforts of Johnny and June Carter Cash’s son, John Carter Cash, and co-producer David Ferguson. Cash’s former collaborators Marty Stuart, Dave Roe and Pete Abbott were asked to be a part of the project and help flesh out the music.
“Nobody plays Cash better than Marty Stuart, and Dave Roe, of course, played with Dad for many years,” John Carter Cash said in a statement. “The musicians that came in were just tracking with Dad, you know, recording with Dad, just as, in the case of Marty and Dave, they had many times before, so they knew his energies, his movements, and they let him be the guide. It was just playing with Johnny once again, and that’s what it was. That was the energy of the creation.”
Listen to lead single “Well Alright” below.