Southern folk singer-songwriter Jake Xerxes Fussell is set to release his highly anticipated new album, The Old Beloved Path, on September 18 via Fat Possum. Recorded in North Carolina with producer Ben Whiteley, the project marks a significant new chapter for the artist. To celebrate the announcement, Fussell has shared his unique interpretation of the folk standard “Rock Island Line.”
While Fussell typically avoids well-trodden musical ground, he found himself drawn to “Rock Island Line” after hearing a recording by Lonnie Donegan. In a press release, the artist explained the creative process behind the track: “The song struck me as very beautiful, but just singing the verses wasn’t working for me. I couldn’t relate. So, I wound up putting it together with an old English nursery rhyme that I had been kicking around.” By marrying the nursery rhyme “Wire, briar, limberlock” with the classic spiritual, Fussell successfully reimagined the song, noting, “Marrying those two things, I felt like something worked; it felt like a song to me.”
The Old Beloved Path serves as the follow-up to his fifth album, When I’m Called, which also served as his debut for Fat Possum. The new record features a collaborative spirit, with producer Ben Whiteley contributing bass, alongside a talented ensemble of musicians including Dominic Billett, Isa Burke, Wayne Horvitz, and Ken Whiteley. As fans prepare for the release, Fussell has scheduled a series of summer dates, with plans for an extensive tour across North America and Europe this fall.
The Old Beloved Path Tracklist:
- 01 No. 1
- 02 Rock Island Line
- 03 Every Time I Go to Town
- 04 Rosin Some
- 05 Boney
- 06 Early Early in the Spring
- 07 Boll Weevil
- 08 Sandy Land
- 09 Of All the Beast-es in the World