Willie Nelson Announces Contemplative New Album ‘Last Leaf on the Tree’ with Lead-Off Track “Last Leaf”

At 91 years old, Willie Nelson remains one of the most prolific artists in country music. Today (August 15), he announced his 76th solo album, his 153rd album overall, and his second this year. Nelson released The Border in May. His next collection, Last Leaf on the Tree will drop in November.

Last Leaf on the Tree is a landmark of sorts. It’s the first album that Micah Nelson produced for his dad. The younger Nelson put together a collection of songs spanning decades and genres and presented them to Willie to cover in his unique style. The album sees him covering songs from Nina Simone, Keith Richards, Sunny War, Neil Young, Particle Kid (Micah’s band), Beck, and more. The lead-off track from the album, “Last Leaf” is a Tom Waits cover.

Videos by American Songwriter

[RELATED: 5 All-Time Willie Nelson Covers That Every Outlaw Country Fan Can Get Behind]

Willie Nelson Ponders His Mortality on the New Album

Micah spoke about the album in a press release. He said he took a sculptor’s approach to the project. “It’s an approach that I love and have used a lot over the years,” he shared. “Just throwing the clay down and stepping back, then maybe adding a little more, then maybe shaving down here, and kind of building the tracks that way,” he added. He also provided most of the instrumentation on the album, created the cover art, and helped animate the video for “Last Leaf” with his wife Alexandra Dascalu Nelson.

The album’s concept is fitting. At 91 years old, Last Leaf on the Tree sees Nelson contemplating his mortality and the inevitability of death. “There are little side quests, but that became the through line [of the album]—facing death with grace,” Micah explained.

Last Leaf on the Tree Tracklist and Information

Willie Nelson will release Last Leaf on the Tree on November 1. See the full tracklist below.

1. “Last Leaf” (Tom Waits, Kathleen Brennan)
2. “If It Wasn’t Broken” (Sydney Lyndella Ward)
3. “Lost Causes” (Beck David Hansen)
4. “Come Ye” (Nina Simone)
5. “Keep Me in Your Heart” (Warren Zevon, Jorge Calderon)
6. “Robbed Blind” (Keith Richards)
7. “House Where Nobody Lives” (Tom Waits)
8. “Are You Ready for the Country” (Neil Young)
9. “Do You Realize??” (Wayne Coyne, Steven Drozd, Michael Ivins, David Fridmann)
10. “Wheels” (Micah Nelson)
11. “Broken Arrow” (Neil Young)
12. “Color of Sound” (Willie Nelson, Micah Nelson)
13. “The Ghost” (Willie Nelson)

Featured Image by Michael Zorn/Shutterstock