On June 27, Bruce Springsteen will release Tracks II: The Lost Albums, a box set featuring seven full previously unheard archival albums spanning from 1983 through 2018. Now, in a new interview with The New York Times, Springsteen revealed he’s planning to release a follow-up box set with many more unheard albums.
Videos by American Songwriter
“Tracks III … is finished,” Bruce told journalist Jon Pareles. “It’s basically what was left in the vault. … There are five full albums of music.”
Springsteen said Tracks III will include music that dates back as far as his 1973 debut album, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J., and that he recorded as recently as 2024.
The Boss also reported that, not surprisingly, he’s continuing to work on new music. He told Pareles that he’s recently penned some songs “that are different from anything I’ve written before.” Springsteen, who describes himself as “lapsed Catholic,” noted that tunes “explore … my own spiritual experience and [Catholic] upbringing a little deeper.”
More About the Tracks II Box Set
As previously reported, the Tracks II box set’s seven “lost” albums features more than 80 songs in all, 74 of which had never been heard before.
The various albums feature Springsteen exploring several different genres, including country, drum-loop-driven rock, Mexican border ballads, and lush, orchestrated pop.
Springsteen explained to Pareles why he generally recording full albums as opposed to individual tracks and singles.
“[An album is] a cohesive group of songs, basically, that end up being greater than the sum of their parts,” he noted. “They resonate off of one another, creating altered meanings and meanings in reflection with the other songs.”
Bruce continued, “[A record] is exactly what it says it is. It is a record of who you are and where you were at that moment in your life.” He then pointed out that the albums on Tracks II “were of a piece, of a moment, of a genre—that fell together, often while working on other albums.”
Tracks II, which can be pre-ordered now, will be available as a nine-LP or seven-CD package, and via digital formats.
Springsteen Also Discussed His Approach to Writing Songs
During the New York Times interview, Springsteen also explained that when it comes to him writing songs, it can be either feast or famine. Sometimes, he’s gone years without coming up with anything new, while he also has written whole albums in just a few weeks.
“I’m a soul miner,” he maintained. “So I’m down in the mine and I’m chipping away. And very often I’m getting nothing, nothing, nothing—more often than not. … And then you hit a vein. And when you hit that vein, Bang! Things come pouring out. And you’ve struck some gold, musical gold. And then you’ll play through that vein. And then you’re back. Nothing, nothing, and you’re looking for another vein.”
Springsteen added, “Nobody can explain that moment when you breathe life into the characters in your music, in your songs. It comes up deeply from your subconscious and your life experience. And the alchemy of that moment remains a mystery of the mind, soul and heart.”
Springsteen’s Upcoming Tour Plans
Springsteen and the E Street Band launched a 2025 European tour on May 14 in Manchester, U.K. The 16-date trek is mapped out through a July 3 concert in Milan, Italy.
Bruce and his group’s next concert tales place this Saturday, June 21 in San Sebastian, Spain.
Looking ahead to the future, Springsteen told The New York Times that he has no plans to stop touring and recording.
“I’m a better man when I’m working,” he said. “I feel like I’ve got plenty of work left in me, and our band does too. Our band’s in great shape, and we carry on.”
(Photo by Rob DeMartin)
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.