Jim Lauderdale Previews New Album With Robert Hunter Collaboration ‘Memory’
Americana stalwart Jim Lauderdale has released a new song titled “Memory” from his upcoming 34th album Hope, which will be issued July 30th via Yep Roc.
Following the first single, “The Opportunity to Help Somebody Through It,” the new track was co-written with longtime collaborator the late Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter.
A laid-back strummer that has shades of the IndieLands’ early Seventies output, “Memory” is both a song of mourning and praise for those who’ve departed. Lauderdale sings of the pain left by someone’s absence but finds comfort in carrying the memory. “One thing I know is/you’re with me everywhere I go,” he sings, with guitar work from Russ Pahl and background vocals by Lillie Mae Rische and Frank Rische.
“Losing Robert just before the pandemic was so hard, but he left the perfect lyric to sum up my feelings about him and to honor all the people we’ve lost since,” Lauderdale said in a statement.
Hunter died in September 2019 at the age of 78. His lyrical contributions to the Dead spanned decades and included “Dark Star,” “Box of Rain,” and “Touch of Gray.” Hunter also had a long-running collaboration with Lauderdale, working with the performer on albums including 2004’s Headed for the Hills and 2011’s Reason and Rhyme.
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Lauderdale has a handful of live performances coming up, including a release-day show at Nashville’s 3rd and Lindsley and Bristol Rhythm & Roots Festival in September.
Hope Tracklist
- “The Opportunity to Help Somebody Through It”
- “Sister Horizon”
- “The Brighter Side of Lonely”
- “Mushrooms are Growing After the Rain”
- “Memory”
- “Breathe Real Slow”
- “Brave One”
- “Don’t You Dream Anymore?”
- “We Fade in We Fade Out”
- “It’s Almost More Than All the Joy”
- “Here’s to Hoping”
- “When Searching for Answers”
- “Joyful Noise”
