Legacy Recordings, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, today released the second track from Willie Nelson’s anticipated new studio album Last Leaf on the Tree.
The album’s second spotlight track – Willie’s rendition of The Flaming Lips “Do You Realize??” – is available on all DSPs today. Listen HERE.
One of The Flaming Lips’ most enduring songs is an existentialist masterpiece well-suited to the tao of Willie. From their perspective, the Lips loved it. “He’s just such a unique singer,” lead singer Wayne Coyne says. “You hear one second of his voice, and you go, that’s him.” Fellow bandmember and song co-writer Steven Drozd says his only regret is that his late father won’t get to hear it: “I wish he was still alive to see this happening, that Willie Nelson is doing a Flaming Lips song I had a part in co-writing. He’d be very proud.”
Also available today is a video of Coyne and Drozd expanding on hearing Willie perform their celebrated song. Watch HERE.
On November 1, Willie Nelson’s Last Leaf on the Tree will be available digitally, on CD and amber swirl double LP vinyl. In addition, the Willie Nelson webstore will have an exclusive version which includes a limited-edition lithograph created by album producer, Willie’s son Micah Nelson. All versions are available for pre-order HERE.
Last Leaf on the Tree is Willie’s 76th solo studio album and his 153rd album overall, according to Texas Monthly’s interactive All Willie Nelson Albums Ranked list. The album finds Willie covering an eclectic collection of songs by rock legends, idiosyncratic singer songwriters, alt-rock heroes, and indie folk artists, as well as a new recording of Willie’s 1967 song, “The Ghost,” and a new composition by Willie and Micah Nelson.
Read Peter Blackstock’s in-depth essay on the making of The Last Leaf on the Tree HERE
In addition to producing, Micah Nelson played many of the instruments, designed the album cover, and helped create animation for the video of the album’s first single, a cover of Tom Waits’ “Last Leaf” alongside his wife, Alexandra Dascalu Nelson. Willie plays his trusty guitar Trigger throughout and the two are joined by a host of celebrated musicians plus guest spots from legendary producer and musician Daniel Lanois, John Densmore of The Doors, Senegalese musician Magatte Sow on percussion and harmonica master Mickey Raphael, who has played alongside Willie for over 50 years.
The single comes just as Willie Nelson & Family finish their run co-headlining the final leg of this year’s Outlaw Music Festival Tour with Bob Dylan and John Mellencamp. The tour concludes this weekend on Sept. 21 with the annual Farm Aid benefit concert in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., with guests including Neil Young, Dave Matthews, Mavis Staples, Nathaniel Rateliff, Charley Crockett, and Lukas Nelson with the Travelin’ McCourys.
Meanwhile, Micah Nelson will be joining Neil Young for two shows on Sept. 23 and 24 at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY before embarking on his Particle Kid West Coast OctoberQuest 2024 tour.
Willie Nelson – Last Leaf on the Tree
1. Last Leaf (written by Tom Waits & Kathleen Brennan)
2. If It Wasn’t Broken (written by Sydney Lyndella Ward)
3. Lost Cause (written by Beck David Hansen)
4. Come Ye (written by Nina Simone)
5. Keep Me In Your Heart (written by Warren Zevon & Jorge Calderon)
6. Robbed Blind (written by Keith Richards)
7. House Where Nobody Lives (written by Tom Waits)
8. Are You Ready For The Country? (written by Neil Young)
9. Do You Realize?? (written by Wayne Coyne/Steven Drozd/Michael Ivins/David Fridmann)
10. Wheels (written by Micah Nelson)
11. Broken Arrow (written by Neil Young)
12. Color Of Sound (written by Willie Nelson & Micah Nelson)
13. The Ghost (written by Willie Nelson)
About Willie Nelson & Legacy Recordings
In February 2012, Willie Nelson entered into an historic new record deal with Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, marking a label homecoming for Nelson, who, from 1975-1993, had cut a phenomenal string of top-selling singles and albums for Columbia Records, beginning with 1975’s seminal smash Red Headed Stranger. New titles by the artist under the Legacy imprint include newly recorded songs and performances as well as archival releases, personally curated by the artist, drawn from all phases of his career including his recordings for RCA Records and others. Since signing with Legacy, Willie Nelson has released 22 albums in just over 12 years and won 4 Grammy Awards.
About Micah Nelson
Composer/multi-media artist Micah Nelson has a remarkable output that spans the creative spectrum. Producing art under the moniker Particle Kid, Micah finds no boundaries in his creativity. Particle Kid has released six albums of his original music, including his most recent release Time Capsule, a 26-song musical journey through time, space, and consciousness. His previous albums – self-titled debut Particle Kid, Everything Is Bullshit, Particle War, Window Rock, Live! Underground – are just part of the catalog of work Nelson has amassed with other artists and musicians. He was chosen by Neil Young to become a member of his band Crazy Horse in 2023, and Nelson was also featured in Young’s full-length film Paradox. On tour year round, Particle Kid has headlined shows around the world as well as opened for many other artists including The Flaming Lips, Tinariwen, Meat Puppets, Claypool Lennon Delirium, and been part of the line up for Luck Reunion, BottleRock Festival, UTOPiAfest, and the Outlaw Music Festival.
