Joe Ely’s new album, Driven to Drive, will be out on August 2 with a song featuring Bruce Springsteen called “Odds of the Blues.”
Since the early ’90s, Ely and Springsteen have teamed up occasionally; in 1995, they worked together on two tracks from Letter to Laredo: “All Just to Get to You” and “I’m a Thousand Miles From Home.” Ely shared that he got inspired for the new song while hanging out at a late-night spot in east Lubbock known as TV’s. The place had a dice game in the back room, a pool table with a tilt, and an old jukebox playing blues songs. Later on, when he set up his studio in Austin, he wrote the song and asked Springsteen if he’d like to join him on it. Bruce was excited about it. They’ve been friends for ages and even performed together in Dublin once with Jerry Lee Lewis and Shane MacGowan.
I think it’s cool how music can bring people together like that.
Ely produced Driven to Drive himself. This album comes after his 2022 collection Flatland Lullaby and his 2020 album Love in the Midst of Mayhem. Last year saw him reissuing his first three albums from the late ’70s: Joe Ely, Honky Tonk Masquerade, and Down on the Drag.
Here are the tracks for Driven to Drive:
1. Drivin’ Man
2. Odds of the Blues [ft. Bruce Springsteen]
3. For Your Love
4. Watchin’ Them Semis Roll
5. Didn’t We Robbie
6. Nashville Is a Catfish
7. Ride Motorcycle
8. San Antonio Brawl
9. Slave to the Western Wind
10. Gulf Coast Blues
11: Driven to Drive
12: Jackhammer Rock
