Miranda Lambert to unveil 'Palomino' in April

For reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year Miranda Lambert, each of her seven consecutive No. 1 albums has presented a chance to explore a new theme while pushing herself across varying sonic landscapes. With the new album Palomino, due April 29, Lambert has crafted a record that explores the world and the people in it, seeking beauty and adventure all around.

On Palomino, her inner stranger travels lyrically from Fort Worth to the Mojave Desert; Battambang, Cambodia to Maine; the Crystal Palace in Bakersfield to the Rocky Mountains and beyond. In each destination and with every character met along the way, Lambert’s freewheeling trek is a work of unbridled freedom and self-discovery without painful introspection.

“The making of this record has been one of the most fun and creative experiences of my career,” reflects the woman who holds the title of most-awarded artist in ACM history. “Luke Dick, Natalie Hemby, and I went out to my farm in Tennessee in 2020 and started writing songs. We figured while we have time let’s get out to the country and see what happens. The first one we wrote was ‘Tourist’ and that set us on a path to create something with a bit of a theme. Since we couldn’t travel at the time, we decided to go on a journey through songs. I hope y’all are ready to travel with us wandering spirits and meet some cool characters with great stories.”

Her first solo album since 2019’s GRAMMY-winning Wildcard (despite a busy interim that included releasing the GRAMMY-nominated collaborative project The Marfa Tapes as well as Pistol Annies celebration Hell of a Holiday), Palomino opens with “Actin’ Up,” the first in a series of postcards from the road, images, moments and places seen. 

She tapped longtime songwriting collaborators Luke Dick (Eric Church, Kacey Musgraves) and Jon Randall (Emmylou Harris, Dierks Bentley) to co-produce with her. 

“When Natalie, who is such a bad ass singer and the kind of person who raises the cool in every room, started singing ‘Rollin’ on the river...,’ we were all like, ‘What if the B-52s sing on this?’ They loved the song. They Zoomed in with Luke and Jon and sang their part, which gives me so much joy. I missed their Zoom, ‘cause I was on a plane; but to ZOOM the B-52s into your record? Yes, please.”

The core band comprised drummer Fred Eltringham (The Black Crowes), bass/keyboardist Ian Fitchuk (Sam Hunt) and guitarist Rob McNelley (Joe Bonamassa, Beth Hart, Buddy Guy). 

“I love everything about ['The Marfa Tapes' with Jack Ingram, Jack Randall]: some friends around a campfire, no fixes, no protocols, no filters. It was raw and real, and I wanted to take some of that with me,” remarks Lambert. “‘In His Arms,’ ‘Waxahachie’ and ‘Geraldene’ got to go on this journey with us, cutting them with a full band – and usually the public doesn’t get to hear that part, which I’m really excited about.”

The references tucked throughout the album – Little Feat’s “Willin’,” Bruce Hornsby and the Range’s “Mandolin Rain,” Emmylou Harris’ “Roses in the Snow” – create a treasure hunt for music fans of all ages. 

When Dick suggested Mick Jagger’s “Wandering Spirit,” which he felt embodied the project’s manifest destiny, she knew it was a matter of making the song her own. Enlisting Sarah Buxton and The McCrary Sisters, known for their work with Bob Dylan, it became a gospel song and the only outside cut on the project.

Lambert and Little Big Town co-headline this spring’s The Bandwagon Tour featuring The Cadillac Three as support on all dates and visiting 15 cities beginning Friday, May 6 in Houston, Texas.

Track Listing:

1. Actin' Up (Miranda Lambert, Luke Dick, Jon Randall)

2. Scenes (Miranda Lambert, Luke Dick, Natalie Hemby)
3. In His Arms (Miranda Lambert, Jack Ingram, Jon Randall)
4. Geraldene (Miranda Lambert, Jack Ingram, Jon Randall)
5. Tourist (Miranda Lambert, Luke Dick, Natalie Hemby)
6. Music City Queen feat. The B-52’s (Miranda Lambert, Luke Dick, Natalie Hemby)
7. Strange (Miranda Lambert, Luke Dick, Natalie Hemby)
8. Wandering Spirit (Mick Jagger, James Rippeto)
9. I'll Be Lovin’ You (Miranda Lambert, Luke Dick, Jon Randall)
10. That's What Makes the Jukebox Play (Miranda Lambert, Luke Dick, Natalie Hemby)
11. Country Money (Miranda Lambert, Aaron Raitiere, Mikey Reaves)
12. If I Was a Cowboy (Miranda Lambert, Jesse Frasure)
13. Waxahachie (Miranda Lambert, Jack Ingram, Jon Randall)
14. Pursuit of Happiness (Miranda Lambert, Luke Dick, Natalie Hemby)
15. Carousel (Miranda Lambert, Luke Dick, Natalie Hemby)