Last month, Joshua Ray Walker announced the final chapter of his record trilogy, Ain’t Dead Yet, out everywhere on May 29th. Ain’t Dead Yet comes after his October 2025 concept album Stuff. This stellar record was the second part of this trilogy, following the light-and-air island-inspired melodies of Tropicana, and while it was an anthem for me last summer, it was penned during a very dark time in his life. The country music world was shaken to its core when Walker announced he was diagnosed with colon cancer back in 2023. Things took a dive for the worse after 6 months of chemotherapy when he was told the cancer had spread to his lungs and moved to stage 4, but, near miraculously, it turns out some of the worries were for nothing. In October of last year, he went in for a biopsy, and doctors discovered that the original diagnosis was incorrect and there was no sign of cancer in his lungs. Ain’t Dead Yet will feature some of Walker’s deepest and most personal storytelling, as he started writing the album before receiving the news that rearranged and threatened his life. While Walker has a clean bill of health now, that year led to the “Voices” singer being filled with challenges mentally, physically, and he was reckoning with the thought that he would not be on Earth much longer. “That whole year I just felt awful and like I was dying. I didn’t feel right, and mentally I was off, like there really was something wrong the whole time. So I think the reason some of these songs feel the way they do is because I felt that way, even though I didn’t know something was wrong yet.” Ain’t Dead Yet offers a more somber tone, capturing the highs and lows of the last three years of Walker’s life. It’s a reflection of his feelings now, standing on the other side, while also a dedication to the future. “I’m really grateful to have a second chance, and I’m also grateful to have lived through thinking I was going to die. It gives you perspective in a way you really can’t fake until you’ve actually done it; in a way, it was kind of a gift. I faced death; I almost lost my house; I got engaged; We lost most of our belongings to flood and mold; I’ve had loved ones die; I almost lost my entire music catalog. It’s been a lot, good and bad. I’m just a much different person. I’m very intentional with my time, and I’m a lot happier, even though things have been hard, I genuinely do think I’m happier. It’s been a pretty wild transformation.” View this post on Instagram At the time of the record’s announcement, Walker shared “Capital Letters,” a tune that pays tribute to some of Walker’s greatest mentors. Written in honor of his grandpa and Trey Johnson, co-founder of Walker’s of the first label, the lyrics honor the roles these long-gone loved ones played. “Capital Letters” was a strong start for what’s in store for this album, and Walker is keeping that momentum going with his latest steel-soaked single, “Chasing Sunsets.” The tune, penned with John Pedigo and Gin Wigmore, AKA Virginia Claire Wigmore, Wallker transforms chasing white lines and sunsets to how life can pass you by. “I wrote the hook for ‘Chasing Sunsets’ while driving cross-country alone, through the desert, on my birthday. I was trying to get to some meetings and co-writes I had scheduled in Los Angeles, and I like to come to the table with an idea. I’d been driving towards the sunset for what seemed like forever. When you’re headed West, the sunsets last longer because you can drive through the desert so fast that it actually takes the Sun longer to set. That’s what sparked the idea, then the song ended up being about LA and it’s seen multiple iterations over the last few years as I changed it a bit to better fit the narrative of this record and what’s been going on in my life. Although parts of the songs’ pre-chorus and chorus were oddly prophetic, it still needed some tweaking to reflect the growth I’ve had while going through my cancer journey.” Walker’s thick twang coats your ears as he pours wisdom into the lyrics. The song seems so simple at first, but as Walker noted, the chorus and pre-chorus prime the pump for how these lyrics are much deeper than sunsets and really paint a picture of how life passes and that you should keep chasing those sunsets and relishing in every moment life presents in front of you because you never know when the light will dip below the horizon. “Chasing sunsets Where the light starts to bend The darkness Is where the end begins Time better start to slow itself way down I’m running out of ones to call my friends Memory lane is a freeway now At least I get to see how this thing ends When it’s my time, I hope that I Won’t feel alone” Joshua Ray Walker is a storyteller unlike any other, making seemingly simple subjects carry deep weight. “Chasing Sunsets” will be on repeat for the foreseeable future for me. Turn it all the way up. Joshua Ray Walker – 2026 Tour Dates Apr 1 – Saxon Pub – Austin, TX Apr 18 – Gruene Hall – New Braunfels, TX May 14 – Birthplace of Country Music – Bristol, VA May 15 – The Grove – Glasgow, KY May 22 – Kerrville Folk Festival – Kerrville, TX May 26 – Knuckleheads – Kansas City, MO May 27 – Off Broadway – St. Louis, MO May 28 – Schubas – Chicago, IL May 29 – Turf Club – St. Paul, MN May 30 – Appleton Beer Factory – Appleton, WI Jun 3 – Mercury Lounge – New York, NY Jun 4 – Iron Horse Music Hall – Northampton, MA Jun 5 – Middle East Upstairs – Boston, MA Jun 6 – Milkboy – Philadelphia, PA Jun 7 – Pearl Street Warehouse – Washington DC Jul 3 – Byscenen – Trondheim, NO Jul 5 – Blårock Cafe – Tromso, NO Jul 8 – Wiese – Lillehammer – NO Jul 10 – Norsk Country-Treff – Breim, NO Jul 12 – Ole Bull Scene – Bergen, NO Jul 14 – Tou Scene – Stavanger, NO Jul 17 – John Dee – Oslo, NO Jul 21 – Debaser – Stockholm, SE Jul 22 – Garage Bar – Hoganas, SE Jul 28 – The Lower Third – London, ENG Jul 29 – The Deaf Institute – Manchester, ENG Jul 30 – The Hug and Pint – Glasgow, SCO Aug 1 – Whelan’s – Dublin, IE Sept 9 – Bluebird Theater – Denver, CO Sept 10 – The Rialto Casper –  Casper, WY Sept 11 – Live From the Divide – Livingston, MT Sept 12 – Live From the Divide – Livingston, MT Sept 13 – Pub Station Taproom –  Billings, MT Sept 15 – The State Room – Salt Lake City, UT Sept 16 – Neurolux – Boise, ID Sept 17 – The District – Spokane, WA Sept 18 – Tractor Tavern – Seattle, WA Sept 19 – Mississippi Studios – Portland, OR Sept 22 – Folsom Saloon, Folsom, CA Sept 24 – Troubadour – Los Angeles, CA Sept 25 – The Rebel Lounge – Phoenix, AZ Sept 26 – Meow Wolf – Santa Fe, NM Oct 8 – Chickie Wah Wah – New Orleans, LA Oct 9 – Standard Deluxe – Waverly, AL Oct 10 – Vinyl – Atlanta, GA Oct 11 – Charleston Pour House – Charleston, SC Oct 13 – Radio Room – Greenville, SC Oct 14 – The Pour House – Raleigh, NC Oct 15 – The Ramkat – Winston-Salem, NC Oct 16 – The Grey Eagle – Asheville, NC Oct 17 – Open Chord – Knoxville, TN Oct 18 – Songbirds – Chattanooga, TN Oct 22 – Skinny Dennis – Nashville, TN Oct 24 – Hernando’s Hideaway – Memphis, TN Oct 25 – White Water Tavern – Little Rock, ARThe post Joshua Ray Walker Releases Steel-Soaked, Introspective New Single, “Chasing Sunsets” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Paying homage to the stages that raised him. Vincent Neil Emerson is taking a stroll down the early days of his career, pursuing a life on stage with his latest single “Dark Horse.” Vincent Neil Emerson is gearing up to drop a brand new record, Blue Stars, on April 17 via La Honda Records. Marking the Texas natives’ 4th studio project, fans are eager to hear what’s in store, as this is Emerson’s first LP since his 2023 release The Golden Crystal Kingdom. Throughout his career thus far, Emerson has solidified himself as a songwriting mastermind rooted in tradition. He keeps the traditional sound of artists like Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark alive, while still carving out his own. “I think I’ve always gravitated towards artists that are honest about what they’re doing. It’s the most important thing because people have a chance to connect to a little more if you’re telling the truth.” The Texas native shared that he penned many of the songs on Blue Stars “on front porches, in hotel rooms, and underneath trees.” After he curated this collection of tunes, he took them to Music City. He recorded the project at Gnome Studios in Nashville, TN, with producer Patrick Lyons and Vincent’s touring band, The Red Horse Band. View this post on Instagram Emerson has given fans a strong preview of what’s in store for the record with the singles he’s released thus far: “Jet Plane,” a Bob Dylan-inspired tune, “Livin’ In the Past,” and most recently “Dark Horse.” On this single, Emerson is returning to his honky tonk roots both sonically and lyrically. The solo write by Emerson is an ode to his mother and his upbringing in East Texas and later in Fort Worth. In Cowtown, Emerson fully immersed himself in the music scene, getting his start as a songwriter and performer in the honky tonks and bars around town. From the opening lyrics, Emerson credits his mother for raising him in nature and for letting him live freely as a child, but then his mother moved them to the city, trying to make it for herself while providing a good life for her children as a single mom. In the chorus, Emerson proves that you should never bet on a “Dark Horse” because just like his mother, he is working his tail off to make a name for himself while having a career that is fulfilling to him. Emerson is one of the most honest songwriters in the game, and I always love knowing that there are personal ties to the lyrics that he sings. Blue Stars is gaining a lot of hype among VNE fans, and I am certain it will deliver come April 17. Crank it up: Blue Stars Tour Dates 4/2 – Nashville, TN 4/3 – St. Louis, MO 4/4 – Little Rock, AR 4/5 – Little Rock, AR 4/24 – Denver, CO 4/25 – Denver, CO 4/27 – Salt Lake City, UT 4/28 – Boise, ID 5/1 – Seattle, WA 5/2 – Seattle, WA 5/3 – Portland, OR 5/5 – San Francisco, CA 5/7 – Los Angeles, CA 5/8 – San Diego, CA 5/9 – Phoenix, AZThe post Vincent Neil Emerson Honors Hard-Working Single Moms With New Single “Dark Horse” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

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