No Depression recently shared an excerpt from the Summer 2021 "Voices" issue featuring half a dozen roots musicians, including Steve Earle, Will Johnson, John Darnielle (of The Mountain Goats), and more, who have also written books. The piece, written by Jason Heller, goes on to explore the similarities and differences between writing for song and writing for the page, as well as how music itself impacts that process.
We noticed that a number of artists with new records today are also published authors, so we're highlighting them in today's Bonus Tracks:
Jens Lekman
The Swedish singer-songwriter seventh album, Songs from Other People's Weddings, is a concept record released on Secretly Canadian as a companion piece to his novel of the same name. The book, co-written with award-winning, American author David Levithan, came out in August via ABRAMS and included 10 songs sung from the perspective of the protagonist. This LP, however, features four fully orchestrated versions of those songs, as well as 13 new tracks.
Jens Lekman's Songs from Other People's Weddings — the novel and the LP — are available for sale individually and as a bundle on Bandcamp
Josh Ritter
I Believe in You, My Honeydew, out now via Thirty Tigers, marks singer-songwriter Josh Ritter's 13th full-length album. Regularly heralded for his story-centric lyricism, Ritter has also written two novels — 2011's Bright's Passage and 2022's The Great Glorious Goddamn of It All. Additionally, Ritter maintains an active, thoughtful Substack with writings and musings about music, literature, inspirations, and more.
I Believe In You, My Honeydew, Josh Ritter's new LP, as well as his two novels
Dar Williams
After 35 years in the music industry, Hummingbird Highway marks singer-songwriter Dar Williams' 13th album and debut for Righteous Babe Records (the independent record label founded by Ani DiFranco). A beloved storyteller and teacher, Williams is also known for her songwriting workshops. Her first book, What I Found in a Thousand Towns: A Traveling Musicians Guide to Rebuilding America's Communities – One Coffee Shop, Dog Run, & Open-Mike Night at a Time was published in 2017 and her next book, How To Write A Song That Matters, came out in 2022.
Hummingbird Highway, Dar Williams' new LP, as well as her two works of nonfiction
WHAT WE'RE LISTENING TO
Johnny Flynn - "Brown Trout Blues" (live)
Meredith Moon - "The Cuckoo" (live)
Haiver - "Better" f/ Devin Casson
NEW RELEASES – 9/12/25
Brothers Comatose - Golden Grass
Shawn Camp - The Ghost of Sis Draper
John Carter Cash - Pineapple John
Fruit Bats - Baby Man
Margaret Glaspy - The Golden Heart Protector
Hazlett - last night you said you missed me
Michael Hurley - Broken Homes and Gardens
Nicholas Jamerson - The Narrow Way
Ruston Kelly - Pale, Through The Window
Jens Lekman - Songs from Other People's Weddings
Ali McGuirk - Watertop
Carson McHone - Perimento
Meredith Moon - From Here To The Sea.
Josh Ritter - I Believe in You, My Honeydew
Emma Swift - The Resurrection Game
West Texas Exiles - 8000 Days
Dar Williams - Hummingbird Highway
COMING SOON - 9/19/25
Doe Paoro - Living Through Collapse
Dylan Earl - Level-Headed Even Smile
Evan Horner - Everything I Wanted
Los Straitjackets - Somos Los Straitjackets
Lera Lynn - Comic Book Cowboy
Matt Patershuk - Dog, Tiger, Horses
Trapper Schoepp - Osborne
Joan Shelley - Real Warmth
Peter Stampfel - Song Shards
Pink Stones - THANK THE LORD… IT’S THE PINK STONES
Wednesday - Bleeds
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