Ringo goes country (again)

Produced and co-written by T Bone Burnett, "Look Up" will be out on Jan. 10, 2025 with 11 original songs. Starr recorded the songs this year in Nashville and Los Angeles. The track "Time On My Hands" came out today. Daniel Tashian and Bruce Sugar co-produced.

Nine of the 11 songs were written or co-written by Burnett, one by Billy Swan and the other co-written by Starr and Bruce Sugar. Starr sang and played drums on all the songs and co-wrote the closer, "Thankful," featuring Alison Krauss. Billy Strings, Lucius and Molly Tuttle appear appear on the release.

Starr's love of country has been apparent throughout his

Ringo Starr will release country music album, "Look Up," next year.

Produced and co-written by T Bone Burnett, "Look Up" will be out on Jan. 10, 2025 with 11 original songs. Starr recorded the songs this year in Nashville and Los Angeles. The track "Time On My Hands" came out today. Daniel Tashian and Bruce Sugar co-produced.

Nine of the 11 songs were written or co-written by Burnett, one by Billy Swan and the other co-written by Starr and Bruce Sugar. Starr sang and played drums on all the songs and co-wrote the closer, "Thankful," featuring Alison Krauss. Billy Strings, Allison Krauss, Larkin Poe, Lucius and Molly Tuttle appear on the release.

Starr's love of country has been apparent throughout his career. He performed and wrote numerous country and country-tinged songs throughout his years with The Beatles (i.e. "Act Naturally," "What Goes On," "Don't Pass Me By") as well as with the earlier Rory Storm and The Hurricanes, and recorded a country album, "Beaucoups of Blues", in 1970 as his seconds solo album. His love of country and the blues led him to try and emigrate from London to Texas while still a teen, after reading that Lightnin' Hopkins lived in Houston.

The new album comes after a chance meeting with Burnett at an event in Los Angeles in 2022(the two had first met in the 1970s), where Starr asked Burnett to write a song for an EP he was recording. Burnett returned with nine songs, all in a country vein. "Look Up" will be his first full-length album since 2019.

"I've always loved country music. And when I asked T Bone to write me a song, I didn't even think at the time that it would be a country song, but, of course, it was, and it was so beautiful." Starr said. "I had been making EPs at the time, and so I thought we would do a country EP, but when he brought me nine songs I knew we had to make an album. And I am so glad we did. I want to thank, and send Peace & Love, to T Bone and all the great musicians who helped make this record. It was a joy making it and I hope it is a joy to listen to."

"I have loved Ringo Starr and his playing and his singing and his aesthetic for as long as I can (or care to) remember," said Burnett. "He changed the way every drummer after him played, with his inventive approach to the instrument. And he has always sung killer rockabilly, as well as being a heartbreaking ballad singer. To get to make this music with him was something like the realization of a 60-year dream I've been living. None of the work that I have done through a long life in music would have happened if not for him and his band. Among other things, this album is a way I can say thank you for all he has given me and us."

The track list is:
1. Breathless (featuring Billy Strings) (T Bone Burnett)
2. Look Up (featuring Molly Tuttle) (Daniel Tashian, T Bone Burnett)
3. Time On My Hands (Paul Kennerly, Daniel Tashian, T Bone Burnett)
4. Never Let Me Go (featuring Billy Strings) (T Bone Burnett)
5. I Live For Your Love (featuring Molly Tuttle) (Billy Swan, T Bone Burnett)
6. Come Back (featuring Lucius) (T Bone Burnett)
7. Can You Hear Me Call (featuring Molly Tuttle) (T Bone Burnett)
8. Rosetta (featuring Billy Strings and Larkin Poe) (T Bone Burnett)
9. You Want Some (Billy Swan)
10. String Theory (featuring Molly Tuttle) (Daniel Tashian, T Bone Burnett)
11. Thankful (featuring Alison Krauss) (Richard Starkey, Bruce Sugar)*

* "Thankful" Produced by Ringo Starr and Bruce Sugar with T Bone Burnett