Joshua Hedley Announces New Ray Benson-Produced Western Swing Album with “Fresh Hot Biscuits”

Today (August 7), country traditionalist Joshua Hedley announced that he will release his next album, All Hat, in October. Produced by Ray Benson (Asleep at the Wheel), the album sees Hedley diving head-first into Western swing. Along with the announcement, Hedley shared the album’s lead-off track, “Fresh Hot Biscuits.” Check it out below.

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So far, Hedley has proven himself to be a master of several styles that fall under the broader country music umbrella. His debut album, Mr. Jukebox, saw him expertly tackling the countrypolitan sound of the 1960s. Four years later, he released Neon Blue. That album sounded like it was pulled directly from the 1990s. His third album, All Hat, will see him taking on Western swing under the watchful eye of one of his musical heroes and a modern master of the style.

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Make no mistake, All Hat isn’t Hedley’s attempt to put a modern spin on the style. Instead, it’s a tribute to the big bands that graced dancehalls in a bygone era. It’s a love letter to the likes of Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys and Asleep at the Wheel. One only needs to press play on “Fresh Hot Biscuits” to see that this is the genuine article.

Joshua Hedley’s Long Journey to All Hat

Joshua Hedley has been honing his craft since he got his first violin at eight years old. When other kids were forming rock bands or playing video games, he was hard at work learning the fiddle style of Western swing pioneer Bob Wills. “I didn’t grow up in garage bands,” he shared in a press release. “I grew up at the godd**ned VFW hall. I grew up playing with guys in their 50s and 60s.”

“When I first heard Asleep at the Wheel and their Bob Wills tribute, it blew my mind that there was a band out there still playing this kind of music,” Hedley shared. Years later, he joined the Wheel on a world tour, playing fiddle alongside Ray Benson and the rest of the band. Then, Benson suggested they work on an album, and he jumped at the chance. So, they stepped into the Asleep at the Wheel frontman’s brand new studio, The Bismeaux Barn, in Austin, Texas, and christened it with 11 swinging new tracks.

“Obviously, he was in the producer role and he produced the sh*t out of this record, but a lot of it was him just letting us cut loose and see what happens,” Hedley said of Benson. “We’d work out a song, and he’d step in with some suggestions. It was amazing to see how it’s done, not only in real time, but from one of the greats. I don’t think he knows just how much he was teaching me.”

All Hat Tracklist and Information

Joshua Hedley will release All Hat via New West Records on October 24. It will be available across digital streaming platforms, on vinyl, and compact disc. Fans can pre-order or pre-save the record today.

Tracklist:

1. “All Hat (No Cattle)”
2. “Boogie Woogie Tennessee”
3. “Fresh Hot Biscuits”
4. “Stuck in Texas” featuring Ray Benson
5. “Hedliner Polka”
6. “Come Take a Ride with Me”
7. “Clueless”
8. “Mean Mama Blues”
9. “Crawlin’ Home to You”
10. “The Waltz I Promised to You”
11. “Over the Line”

Featured Image by Joshua Black Wilkins