Texas Country Legends Asleep at the Wheel Announce Their Next Album ‘Riding High in Texas’ with New Single “Texas in My Soul”

Asleep at the Wheel has been keeping the spirit of Western Swing and Texas country music alive for more than five decades. While the band didn’t start in the Lone Star State, they have called it home for 50 years. Today (June 12), the band announced a new album full of songs about the state they call home. Riding High in Texas will hit streaming platforms and record stores on August 22. Hear the lead-off single, “Texas in My Soul,” below.

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Asleep at the Wheel will cover songs by some of country music’s greatest songwriters. Cuts from Guy Clark, Ernest Tubb, Jimmie Rodgers, and more appear on the tracklist. Additionally, Riding High in Texas features a nod to Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys in the form of “Beaumont Rag.” The new album will also feature collaborations with the likes of Lyle Lovett and Billy Strings.

[RELATED: Swingin’ and Skankin’: Ray Benson Discusses the Future of Asleep at the Wheel and His Upcoming Reggae Album]

Penned by Zeb Turner and Ernest Tubb, Tex Williams and His Western Caravan was the first act to record “Texas in My Soul” in 1946. Willie Nelson popularized the song when he recorded it in 1968 for the album of the same name.

Asleep At the Wheel Frontman Ray Benson on Riding High in Texas

Ray Benson spoke about the new album in a press release. “It’s been 55 years for Asleep at the Wheel as a band, and 50 of them have been spent in Texas,” he shared. “We are known worldwide for being a Texas band and playing Texas and Western Swing music, and it gives us great pride to carry the torch and responsibility,” he added.

Riding High in Texas will also feature the latest addition to Asleep at the Wheel, fiddler and vocalist Ian Stewart. Longtime Wheel member Danny Levin introduced Stewart to the band. “Danny’s word was enough for me. He knows the gig as much as anyone,” Benson said about the latest addition.

Riding High in Texas Tracklist

1. “Riding High in Texas”
2. “Texas in My Soul”
3. “Long Tall Texan”
4. “Texas”
5. “Texas Cookin’”
6. “Lonesome Pine Special”
7. “T for Texas (Blue Yodel #1)”
8. “All My Exes (Live in Texas)”
9. “There’s Still a Lot of Love in San Antonio”
10. “Beaumont Rag”

Fans can pre-save or preorder the new album here.

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