Asleep at the Wheel announced their next album, Riding High in Texas, earlier this month with “Texas in My Soul.” Today (June 26), they shared the LP’s second single, “Texas.” Listen to the official audio below.
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Ahead of today’s release, Asleep at the Wheel’s frontman and co-founder, Ray Benson, sat down with American Songwriter to discuss the new single. He also discussed how he found the band’s new singer, Ian Stewart, and what he brings to the Wheel.
Ray Benson on Why Asleep at the Wheel Cut “Texas”
Charlie Daniels wrote “Texas” and released it as the second and final single from his 1975 album, Nightrider. The song was a top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. It also broke into the Hot 100, peaking at No. 91 on the all-genre chart. When Asleep at the Wheel decided to record an album of songs about Texas, they knew they had to include this tune.
“I love it, and Charlie was a good friend of mine,” Ray Benson says when asked how the band chose this song. “I met Charlie in 1971 or 2. We played 100 shows together and hung out together,” he recalls. Benson added that the first time he heard “Texas” on the radio, it took him a moment to realize that it wasn’t an Asleep at the Wheel song. “I’ve always loved the tune,” he adds.
“Texas” is more than a great tune. Asleep at the Wheel’s rendition also brought one of the band’s founding members together with the newest addition to the lineup. “Our new fiddler and singer, Ian, worked it up with Danny Levin, an original band member,” Benson says. “We grew up together back in the 1970s,” he says of Levin, the band’s original pianist.
New Additions to the Band
Asleep at the Wheel has seen many lineup changes over the years. Ahead of recording Riding High in Texas, they added two new members.
“We have a template that is Asleep at the Wheel. The new guys look at the template, learn the parts, and then add their personality, whether it’s singing or playing or whatever,” Ray Benson explains. “With Ian, he’s able to do more of the bluegrassy stuff. I can’t sing that high. I always wanted to sing bluegrass, but I could never get that high lonesome sound,” he adds.
“Ironically enough, he grew up literally down the street from me, one-quarter of a mile away in my neighborhood,” Benson says of Ian Stewart. “When we were replacing a fiddle player, Danny said, ‘Hey, I got your guy. He’s been working his way up the ranks of the honky tonks.’ He played with every imaginable person coming up, everybody from Alvin Crow to Charley Crockett. I got ahold of him and he’s been just great. We’re very excited because our voices complement one another. That’s what I’m always looking for,” he explains.
“Then, we added a new piano player. The guy grew up within two miles of where I grew up. A friend of mine, an AM sports disc jockey, said, ‘Hey, my son’s friend is pretty good.’ So I decided to give him a try. He came in, and it was the same thing. He sings the third part. And all of a sudden, Asleep at the Wheel has a new lineup.”
“Texas” is available to stream everywhere now. Riding High in Texas will be available across digital streaming platforms on August 22. Fans can pre-order a copy of the album today
Featured Image by Andrew Dalton
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