Louris explores "Dark Country"

Inspired by and dedicated to his wife Stephanie, this is the most intimate and romantic album from The Jayhawks' front man. The first single released today, "Getting Older" is an acoustic ode to the courage it takes to move out of the gray area and pursue true happiness.

"'Getting Older' is a song about that gray area of a relationship...it's neither awful nor transcendent, neither loving nor abusive," said Louris. "It's about the courage it may take to extricate oneself from that relationship to pursue true happiness, knowing life is too short to settle for anything less."

After meeting his wife, Stephanie, and moving with her to a small town outside of Montreal, he found the inspiration for his third solo album, "Dark Country."

Dark Country is a love letter to my wife Steph, plain and simple," he said. "It was written and recorded in my little studio in our home in the mountains of Quebec. Just my guitar and my voice, occasionally piano, and on two songs a bit of magic from my friends. It is the most intimate and straightforward record I have ever made. Just me in a room with my songs and you the listener. I am not typically an autobiographical lyricist, but these songs are as literal as can be....all directed to my love."

"Dark Country" is built around Louris' own guitar and piano, with assistance pedal steel and guitar from occasional Jayhawk Stephen McCarthy (The Long Ryders) and a string arrangement by Eleanor Whitmore of The Mastersons, as well as mixing by Paul Kolderie (Hole, The Pixies, Uncle Tupelo). The album follows his two previous solo records, 2008's "Vagabonds" and the more recent 2021 release, "Jump For Joy."

The track list is:
1. Getting Older
2. Couldn't Live a Day Without You
3. Dead Porcupine
4. By Your Side
5. Living On My Phone
6. Blow 'Em Away
7. Redefining Love
8. Better To Walk Than To Run
9. Listening to Bobby Charles
10. Two Birds
11. Helping Hand
12. Perfect Day