Corb Lund’s El Viejo (Deluxe) is available today via New West Records. The deluxe edition includes three previously unreleased tracks from the original sessions: a duet version of “Was Fort Worth Worth It?” featuring Jaida Dreyer, “Police State,” and “My Girlfriend’s a Lawyer.” El Viejo was released early this year to critical acclaim. Uncut Magazine named it their “Americana Album of the Month” while Holler awarded it an 8.5/10 rating, saying “Wise, honest and fun, it’s a collection for the good times and the bad, resonating whether you come out swinging or come up short.” Glide Magazine said “El Viejo is a stunning character study of gamblers and loners moving from card game to card game, perfectly bridging modern Americana with the likes of Jerry Reed, Del McCoury and Marty Robbins with a Springsteen-like sense of storytelling in three-minute bursts” while No Depression said “Listening to El Viejo is like cracking open a dusty, leather-bound book about the Old West, populated by rough-around-the-edges characters at the end of their ropes.”
El Viejo was produced by Lund and recorded entirely in his living room in Lethbridge, AB with his band The Hurtin’ Albertans. It was his first album of original material since 2020’s critically acclaimed Agricultural Tragic. There is a common theme — possibly even a character thread — of the gambler, the outlaw who roams from place-to-place with no direction home. Lund said at the time of its release, “It was just a few of us in my house. No studio. No outside producer. No adults in the room. No stress. This is my favourite album we’ve made in years and I’ve been planning it for a long while. It’s all acoustic instruments; banjos, mandos, acoustic guitars, resonators, not an electric lick on it, and it kinda kicks ass.”
Of the bonus tracks, Lund says, “Here’s a handful of songs that didn’t fit on the original El Viejo release. We recorded them at the same time as the rest of the album in my living room. There’s a cool duet version of ‘Was Fort Worth Worth It’ with my pal Jaida Dreyer, who I wrote the song with. It was her idea actually, and man, she can sing. There’s a tune called ‘Police State’ that’s kind of a nursery rhyme about the systemic militarization of community law enforcement, and a fun blues called ‘My Girlfriend’s a Lawyer.’ God help me boys, if it comes to divorce.”
Lund is currently on tour in Canada for an almost entirely sold out run of acoustic shows throughout November. He has also announced two performances in Las Vegas, NV on December 6 & 12 to close out an incredibly successful 2024 in support of El Viejo. Please see tour dates below.
Much like his music, Lund is decidedly hard to define. The western Canadian singer-songwriter is an elusive artist — onstage, offstage, and in the studio — seamlessly weaving between the outlaw country, Western, and indie-folk realms with an honest curiosity and rowdy devotion to each. He was raised with the tried and true DIY sentiment of “if you want something done, you gotta do it yourself” launching his career recording in his basement, printing his own shirts, booking his own tours, being his own manager and publicist… whatever it took to get it done. He toured for years with the indie-metal band the smalls, and later turned his sights to writing Western songs, creating a unique and quirky hybrid writing style along the way. He has received multiple CCMA, JUNO, and international award nominations and wins. In 2022, Lund won his 14th career Canadian Country Music Award and made his debut at the historic Grand Ole Opry earlier in the year as well. A rural Albertan hailing from the foothills of the Rocky Mountains with a long family lineage of ranchers and rodeo people, Lund is about as authentic as they come.
Corb Lund’s El Viejo (Deluxe) is available NOW via NEW WEST RECORDS
Corb Lund El Viejo (Deluxe) Track Listing:
1. The Cardplayers
2. I Had It All
3. Was Fort Worth Worth It?
4. Out On a Win
5. Redneck Rehab
6. El Viejo (for Ian)
7. When the Game Gets Hot
8. Girl With the Stratocaster
9. It Takes Practice
10. Insha’Allah
11. Old Familiar Drunken Feeling
12. Police State (Bonus Track)
13. My Girlfriend's a Lawyer (Bonus Track)
14. Was Fort Worth Worth It? (ft. Jaida Dreyer) (Bonus Track)
Corb Lund On Tour:
November 1 - Great Falls, MT - The Newberry
November 6 - St. Albert, AB - The Arden Theatre (SOLD OUT)
November 7 - Drayton Valley, AB - Eleanor Pickup Arts Centre (SOLD OUT)
November 8 - Sherwood Park, AB - Festival Place (SOLD OUT)
November 10 - Sherwood Park, AB - Festival Place (SOLD OUT)
November 11 - Red Deer, AB - Memorial Centre
November 12 - Regina, SK - Casino Regina Show Lounge
November 13 - Medicine Hat, AB - Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre (SOLD OUT)
November 14 - Lethbridge, AB - Owl Acoustic Lounge (SOLD OUT)
November 15 - Lethbridge, AB - Owl Acoustic Lounge (SOLD OUT)
November 16 - Lloydminster, BC - Vic Juba Community Theatre
November 21 - Chilliwack, BC - Chilliwack Cultural Centre
November 22 - Courtenay, BC - Native Sons Hall (SOLD OUT)
November 23 - Port Alberni, BC - ADSS Auditorium
November 24 - Campbell River, BC - Tidemark Theatre
November 25 - Victoria, BC - Capital Ballroom - Early Show (SOLD OUT)
November 25 - Victoria, BC - Capital Ballroom - Late SHow (SOLD OUT)
November 27 - Trail, BC - The Bailey Theatre
November 28 - Cranbrook, BC - Key City Theatre (SOLD OUT)
November 29 - Nelson, BC - Spiritbar at The Hume Hotel
December 6 - Las Vegas, NV - The Space
December 12 - Las Vegas, NV - The Space
