At 84 years old, Willie Nelson is still making music at the impressively prolific clip he’s sustained throughout his six-decade career—and now he’s once again showing the world just how talented his sons are.
For his newest album, ">Willie Nelson and the Boys (Willie’s Stash, Vol. 2), out October 20, the Red-Headed Stranger enlisted Lukas and Micah Nelson, both late in their twenties, to perform a collection of early country classics—the stuff you rarely hear about anymore at a time when mainstream country barely resembles its forebears.
“It’s the country version of ">Stardust,” Willie said of the new LP, referencing his beloved 1978 album that sought to bring American pop standards to an outlaw-country audience. “You have all these great [classic country] songs and standards that young people have never heard of. And all of a sudden, you have a new audience out there.”
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Seven of the 12 tracks—all recorded in 2011 during a previous album’s sessions—are originally by Hank Williams Sr., the undisputed King of Country Music; one is from Willie’s own songbook; and four others come from legends like Hank Snow.
In anticipation Stash, Vol. 2, Nelson and the boys—fresh off backing up Neil Young on a series of tours and albums—sat down for a filmed series of live, acoustic performances at Willie’s own Pedernales Studio.
One of those performances, of Hank Locklin’s heart-tugging “Send Me the Pillow You Dream On,” premieres here at The Daily Beast. Lukas and Micah provide extra guitars and some sublime, Everly-like harmonies as Nelson croons the lonesome howler of a tune. Watch below:
