Bonnie “Prince” Billy aka Will Oldham has announced the release his new studio album “The Purple Bird” on January 31st 2025. Made in Nashville with producer David “Ferg” Ferguson and an ensemble of A-list session musicians, it could possibly be called “a proper Nashville record”, made up of a collection of songs primarily written around Ferg’s kitchen table. The single ‘Our Home’ is out now and features Grammy-winning mandolinist Tim O’Brien, who also co-wrote the track. The album finds ‘Billy’ working with a producer for only the second time in his career and his relationship with Ferg dates back more than two decades to the sessions for the Johnny Cash album “American III” with Rick Rubin, where Ferg served as engineer and where Cash performed a cover of the BPB track ‘I See A Darkness’. The pair have worked together on numerous projects over the years but none as deeply this one. He is credited as a co-writer on 7 of the 12 tracks. Oldham says of the relationship:
“I’ve made records with friends, collaborative records like The Brave and the Bold with Tortoise; the two Superwolf records with Matt Sweeney; The Wonder Show of the World with Emmett Kelly; Get on Jolly with Mick Turner. These collaborators get top billing because that’s how this business works. This record, “The Purple Bird”, is similarly a collaborative effort but the collaborator is the producer, David Ferguson. He’s a giant of a man, an epic musical force, a dear friend. Our work together on this record was the result of years of sharing hard times and great joys, songs and stories, of making music together and apart. There’s a lot of trust in this record on Ferg’s part and on mine, and the trust was hard- and well-earned. When I listen to the record, oftentimes I can’t help but laugh in wonder that life allowed me to participate in such a thing.”
In addition to Ferg and Tim O’Brien, the country-singer John Anderson, Ronnie Bowman, Pat McLaughlin, Tommy Prine and Roger Cook also contribute to the songwriting. Anderson sings on the track ‘Downstream’ The sessions featured: Stuart Duncan (fiddle), Russ Pahl (electric guitar), Pat McLaughlin (mandolin), Steve Mackey (bass) and Fred Eltringham (drums/percussion) Brit Taylor and Adam Chaffin contributed backing vocals.
At the start of the sessions Ferg had apparently told Oldham: “I don’t wanna do a country record, just do your shit, Will.” Sounds good to us Ferg!
Tracklisting:
1. Turned to Dust (Rolling On)
2. London May
3. Tonight With the Dogs I’m Sleeping
4. Boise, Idaho
5. The Water’s Fine
6. Sometimes It’s Hard to Breathe
7. New Water
8. Guns Are For Cowards
9. Downstream
10. One of These Days (I’m Gonna Spend the Whole Night With You)
11. Is My Living In Vain?
12. Our Home
Here’s that final track and first single:
