Shooter Jennings has announced the upcoming release of ‘Songbird,' a never-before-heard album of unreleased material by his father, country music icon Waylon Jennings. Set to arrive on October 3, 2025, via Son of Jessi/Thirty Tigers, ‘Songbird' is the first of three forthcoming albums compiled from a trove of recordings made between 1973 and 1984.
The project showcases Jennings in his creative prime, recording with his trusted band The Waylors—including Richie Albright and Ralph Mooney—and special guests such as Tony Joe White and Jessi Colter. The title track, a powerful cover of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Songbird,' is available now alongside a newly released visualiser on YouTube.
The project began in mid-2024 when Shooter Jennings, now a three-time GRAMMY-winning producer, began digging through high-resolution multitrack tapes from his father’s personal archives. While working at Sunset Sound Studio 3 in Hollywood, he discovered not demos, but full-fledged recordings intended for release.
Assembling and mixing the album in a fully analog process, Jennings added fresh contributions from surviving Waylors and contemporary artists including Elizabeth Cook and Ashley Monroe. “This is the first of three gifts from me to you,” Jennings said. “These records bring my dad’s passion and soul back to life in a way that feels immediate and powerful. This project has deepened my understanding of my father not only as an artist but as a person, and I can't wait for the world to hear what he left behind.”
