Charley Crockett Reveals New Major Label Album “Lonesome Drifter”

All that hard work over the last many years is paying off in spades for ol’ Charley Crockett. Just announced officially, Crockett has signed a major label deal with Island Records, and will be releasing his debut major label album called Lonesome Drifter on March 14th. The 12-track album recorded at Sunset Sounds Studio in Los Angeles was produced by Shooter Jennings.
“Shooter and I barely talked about it,” Charley says about the recording process. “I just brought all of my guys out, and the album made itself. It was live without a lot of overdubs. There were no inhibitions. I wasn’t being judged, and I didn’t feel self-conscious. Shooter knew how to cut loose and let this thing unfold.”
Crockett will release the title track and video on Friday (1-31), explaining about the track, “I started writing the song back when I was still playing in subways in New York. It’s how I learned to play electric guitar with an amp on my shoulder. While I was waiting for the next train, I wrote songs. A few years later, I was in California working on the ganja farms, and I came up with the ‘Lonesome Drifter’ section.“
Hopefully Island Records handed Crockett a big suitcase full of cash, and you know he wouldn’t take it if they didn’t let him keep all of his creative control. Wyatt Flores is also signed to Island Records, and it appears it’s worked out for him so far.

Things are starting to really fall into place for Crockett. After many hears of paying dues, you finally are seeing his name drift higher and higher on festival posters, and see the venues he’s playing continue to increase in capacity. This includes headlining Rodeo Houston on March 17th. And on Sunday, February 2nd, Crockett will be competing for Best Americana Album at the 2025 Grammy Awards.
Underscoring just how hardworking Charley Crockett is, he recorded Lonesome Drifter in March of 2024 before his album $10 Cowboy came out in April, and it’s companion album Visions of Dallas came out in July. Don’t be surprised if Crockett has more music up his sleeve for 2025 as well.
Peeping at the track list for Lonesome Drifter, it looks like we’ll hear Crockett’s version of “Amarillo By Morning” made popular by George Strait, as well as a new version of one of his signature songs, “Jamestown Ferry” originally recorded by Tanya Tucker.
Lonesome Drifter is now available for pre-save/preorder.
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TRACK LIST:
1. Lonesome Drifter
2. Game I Can’t Win
3. Jamestown Ferry
4. Easy Money
5. Under Neon Lights
6. This Crazy Life
7. The Death Of Bill Bailey
8. Never No More
9. Life Of A Country Singer
10. One Trick Pony
11. Night Rider
12. Amarillo By Morning
January 28, 2025 @ 7:50 pm
Shooter Jennings makes me nervous but I’m thrilled for Charley.
January 28, 2025 @ 8:15 pm
I love what Shooter has done for American Aquarium records and even that Kelsey Waldon record. I hope he works the same magic with Charley. It will definitely be a more produced-sounding record than we’re usually used to from Charley.
January 28, 2025 @ 8:21 pm
It could go either way , but the Neil Vincent Emerson was great. I’m not super familiar with all of shooter’s produced records but he has some good ones. At least he got his concept album The Life and Times of James Woods out of his system.
January 28, 2025 @ 8:05 pm
Glad to see Charley’s story continue where all of his hard work takes it. Great news for a great talent.
January 28, 2025 @ 8:59 pm
As a self proclaimed wonderer/drifter I am looking forward to the title track. I still need to get a CD of his in my library. About bought one in Round Rock a month or so ago but was over my budget already.
January 29, 2025 @ 12:31 am
Someone give the A&R man at Island a big bonus.
January 29, 2025 @ 2:10 am
Happy Charley. Looking forward to hearing the album.
January 29, 2025 @ 7:31 am
Excellent news for Charley!
January 29, 2025 @ 7:43 am
Great news. I mean, he is giving up ownership of his music and will need to sell a lot more to make the same money. But at least now we will be able to find his CDs and records in music stores, because that is how we consume music. And hear him on the radio, because there is no other way to hear music. So, smart move I think.
Wait — it’s not 1987?
January 29, 2025 @ 8:43 am
Excellent point, JF. What is the point in an artist signing a deal like this? Selling music product is not going to bring in lots of money (how are record companies even staying in business these days?). It seems the only dependable income stream for an artist is gigs/touring. How do record companies fit into that equation?
My questions are true inquiries, not rhetorical or sarcastic. Can someone alleviate my ignorance?
January 29, 2025 @ 9:26 am
At this point, Charley Crockett doesn’t need a major label. The major label needs Charley Crockett. Unless his manager is a complete dolt, Crockett fleeced Island Record for a huge advance, still gets to keep his masters and publishing, and 100% creative control. The era where artists had to sign 360 deal and give away portions of their merch and touring purses just to get distribution are over. Island sees Crockett as country music’s next big star, and are probably betting big. We’ll see how it works.
January 30, 2025 @ 9:33 am
We don’t know the terms of his deal with Island. It could be a license deal, where Crockett retains ownership of his copyrights while Island has the exclusive right to manufacture, distribute, and sell that content for a limited time.
There are plenty of advantages to signing with a major – earning a large upfront lumpsum of cash, access to new and greater resources to get the music out there to a wider audience which would translate to boosted sales and notoriety – which might translate to larger payouts for live shows, access to bigger venues, better media coverage, awards consideration, synchronizations etc.
There are advantages to doing everything independently, but in those cases its almost always at great personal cost in terms of time and expense. Signing with a major can free up time and personal expense so an artist can focus entirely on creative endeavors. The days of getting totally fleeced by major labels is over, unless you’re a total dumbass – most artists are much more savvy these days, and Crockett strikes me as a very savvy dude. He’s hustled hard for years to earn this. I’m not worried about him at all.
January 29, 2025 @ 9:11 am
He works hard. His albums have been great. Good luck to him. I hope he achieves the success his effort and his talent deserves.
January 29, 2025 @ 9:47 am
The news of this popped in my inbox the other day since i buy stuff off his store so i was already privy to this. I dont really think its going to change a lot and i expect it to sound like a charley crockett album which means it will be great. Like trigger said, hopefully crockett made some bang off this. Look forward like always to more c crockett and i do expect another album out this year.
January 29, 2025 @ 2:07 pm
Pre-ordered the vinyl. Can’t wait. Saw Charley live in August, one of the best shows I’ve seen in years.
January 29, 2025 @ 3:50 pm
That clip of the track sounds incredible! Mr.Crockett continues to release with the kind of consistent quality and volume that makes many of his peers look like slackers in comparison. Guy stays humble, puts his head down and works his ass off. Never seen him stray from himself and from who he is. Massive respect for him, and sincere appreciation for yet another album of music.
January 31, 2025 @ 2:40 am
One Trick Pony? The Paul Simon song?
January 31, 2025 @ 1:40 pm
Amarillo by Morning? Like, THEE Amarillo by Morning?
February 1, 2025 @ 12:05 am
It’s a bold move to cover it but he’s going to be perfect for it
January 31, 2025 @ 9:57 pm
I must say that this first single is a departure in sound that doesn’t work for me. He sounds uncomfortable singing it – like it isn’t his pacing. Hopefully the rest of the album is better.
February 1, 2025 @ 11:57 am
Agreed and odd choice for your first major single. Rather boring.
February 1, 2025 @ 1:59 am
I watched a video of that song and for a second it came up with the words Sagebrush trilogy , if its part of three records how hard is this guy working? I must have dreamt it lol.
February 1, 2025 @ 9:05 am
I’ve seen a few folks proclaiming there is going to be a three album trilogy here. So far I am not seeing any confirmation or even chatter of that beyond speculation. The three-part trilogy could very well be a tree-part series of videos promoting the album. I can tell you if that if there are three albums on the way, it’s unlikely the next two have been recorded yet.
February 1, 2025 @ 9:46 pm
The trilogy was one of the first things mentioned in the official announcement email from Charley, I’m surprised there has not been more made about it in the news stories about it.
February 1, 2025 @ 10:41 pm
Ah. Well that’s because all the press releases sent to the media mention nothing about it. And the media rarely subscribe to an artist’s email, because you’ll just get bombarded with tour dates and merch bundles from thousands of artists. Beyond the press releases, I’ve known about this album for a while and have been hinting at it since late last year. We’ll see how the trilogy plays out.
February 1, 2025 @ 11:47 pm
Interesting. I wonder if that was deliberate or just an oversight.
Personally I’m a little skeptical of a trilogy being announced before the whole thing is already committed to tape. Best laid plans and all that.
And it also raises the question of whether he’s intending on heading back into the studio with Shooter a whole lot more? I’d rather he work with Mark Neill again.
February 1, 2025 @ 8:21 am
Got to see Charley Crockett a couple falls ago locally. let me tell you. the opener SUCKED. noisy, badly mixed, terrible balanced. just a deafening wall of sound that was so warped and distorted it might as well have been sitting in the theatre to listen to a cd player cranked to full volume in a copper tub on stage.
Charley Crockett comes out. FLAWLESS. balanced sound, instruments acoustically placed, coherent. it was awesome.
Full disclosure, half the stuff I listen to in these SCM previews and reviews just doesn’t excite me. probably closer to 2/3rds even.
I remember the first time I heard Charley Crockett and I remember thinking ‘This is it!’ (it probably even sounded exactly like steve martin said it in that carol burnett show sketch with the aliens’
Charley Crockett has a sound that is so raw, so deep, so transcendent that it’s impossible not to take notice. It’s like my dad backing the car through the living room wall. like a grape snowcone to the face on a ninety degree day. like that jumpscare in pirates of the Caribbean 2 that you know is coming but still makes you jump.
It’s so imposing that it demands the listener’s undivided attention, so sonically unique, distinct and original that it doesn’t sound quite like anything else, past or present.
Charley Crockett’s originals are both familiar, but unique.
By comparison, i saw 49 winchester last fall and enjoyed Zandi Holup opening so much more than the headliner that i was a half dozen songs into 49 Winchester’s set and just left.
Charley Crockett is one of those rare modern artists that I’ve been hoping would come along.
February 1, 2025 @ 9:55 am
Your Dad didn’t Really back the car through the living room wall – did he?
February 1, 2025 @ 9:27 am
Charley and his band continue to impress me with their creativity and versatility. Whether he’s doing some old-school-inspired R&B, straight-up 70’s country, Americana rock, or some delicious gumbo with bits from several styles, it’s always superbly crafted and uniquely Charley. I’m happy he’s getting more recognition and I hope he continues to blaze his own path.