Your Friday just got better with this bit of Joshua Ray Walker news. Joshua Ray Walker is on a roll, announcing his next studio project after the release of his June record, Tropicana. Tropicana was my record of the summer as the ’90s-inspired island beats transported me to the land of Jimmy Buffett with a piña colada in my hand. However, the light and airy melodies and lyrics were not created in a tropical environment. In fact, it was crafted in quite the opposite in a sterile environment. 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. Even better, they were unable to find evidence that there was cancer anywhere in his body, which doesn’t mean he’s out of the woods, but beginning the road to remission is literally the best news any of us could have hoped for. After getting that great news, he began treatment for his 3B colon cancer. The project was written while Joshua was stuck inside during chemotherapy and could only daydream of days in the sun, in the sand, at the beach: “I was at home for a year, without the ability to play shows or even take a vacation. Since I couldn’t leave town and go see a palm tree in real life, I started writing about them. It’s the sort of place where you can order a piña colada at the pool bar and go wander down a nondescript beach. I couldn’t go to the beach, so I decided to bring the beach to me. Music has always been an escape for me.” However, Tropicana was not the only record that Walker began writing while undergoing chemotherapy treatment. Today, Joshua Ray Walker announced a brand-new record, titled Stuff. The record, slated for release on October 17 via East Dallas Records/Thirty Tigers, is noted to be Walker’s most ambitious concept album to date, inspired by items sold at an estate sale. For Walker, these two records, Tropicana and Stuff, make up two sides of the proverbial coin. Hospitals are harsh and sterile, leading Walker to need an escape from the fluorescent lights. Stuff, on the ladder, was filled with thoughts of Walker contemplating his own legacy. After his misdiagnosis, Walker wanted to push himself creatively in whatever time he had left. While he thought he had cancer in his lungs, he vowed to release three records in whatever time he had left, with Stuff being the second. During this period of uncertainty about what lay ahead, Walked found himself mourning his creative life and wanting to make the most of what he had left in him.  “Both my grandparents found value in things that had life left in them. At the time of writing these songs, I was really hoping that I had a second shot, some more life left in me, and I think that I projected that on a lot of these characters.”  When it came time to record this record, Walker teamed up with his long-time producer and friend, John Pedigo, and locked themselves in Pedigo’s backyard studio for a week. The two set some ground rules for the writing of the record, like anything they wrote about had to be found in the studio. The two also used instruments they had never used on recordings, such as toy reed organs, synthesizers, banjoleles, melodicas, and other found objects.  While Walker might have penned many lyrics about inanimate objects, he hopes that listeners can bring the lyrics into the living world and relate them to friends, family, or acquaintances in their own personal lives. “It’s probably lofty to think that an album about bowling balls and Barbie dolls is going to make people think about their relationship with their neighbors or community. But maybe subconsciously, if people can connect with these things that aren’t even people, it’ll make them a little better at connecting with people.” In celebration of the album’s announcement, Walker shared the title track of the record, “Stuff.” This single is a stellar preview of what’s in store for this record. The acoustic ballad is thought-provoking and leaves the listeners wanting more. “Stuff” further proves why Joshua Ray Walker is one of the best in the business. Stuff Tracklist: 1) Stuff 2) Brick 3) Barbie 4) Perfume 5) Bowling Ball 6) Suit 7) Shears 8) Telephone 9) Radio (Cuchiarella / Banjo / Magic Set) 10) Home Tour Dates: 8/22 – Nashville, TN – Grand Ole Opry 8/23 – Macon, GA – Grant’s Lounge 8/24 – North Charleston, SC – Marcus King Band Family Reunion 9/11 – Nashville, TN – Brooklyn Bowl (Official Americanafest Showcase) 9/23 – Hopwell, VA – The Beacon Theatre # 9/25 – Wilmington, NC – Greenfield Lake Amphitheatre # 9/26 – Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle # 9/27 – Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel # 9/28 – Knoxville, TN – Tennessee Theatre # 9/30 – Savannah, GA – Victory North # 10/1 – Orlando, FL – The Plaza Live # 10/2 – Clearwater, FL – The Nancy and David Bilheimer Capitol Theatre # 10/4 – Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse # 10/6 – Dallas, TX – State Fair of Texas 10/10 – St. Louis, MO – The Hawthorn # 10/11 – Lawrence, KS – Liberty Hall # 10/12 – Omaha, NE – Slowdown # 10/14 – Bozeman, MT – The ELM # 10/16 – Seattle, WA – The Showbox # 10/17 – Portland, OR – Roseland Theater # 10/18 – Medford, OR – Holly Theatre # 10/19 – Redding, CA – Cascade Theatre # 10/24 – Salt Lake City, UT – The CommonWealth Room # 10/25 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre # 11/12 – Appleton, WI – Poplar Hall # 11/13 – Wausau, WI – Grand Theater # 11/14 – Minneapolis, MN – Varsity Theater # 11/15 – Stoughton, WI – Stoughton Opera House # 11/16 – Iowa City, IA – The Englert Theatre # # – with Molly TuttleThe post Joshua Ray Walker Announces New Estate Sale-Inspired Concept Record, ‘Stuff’ first appeared on Whiskey Riff.