Joshua Ray Walker said that he wrote three albums while successfully undergoing chemotherapy, and he just announced the third one, Ain’t Dead Yet, due May 29 via East Dallas/Thirty Tigers (pre-order). This one he actually started writing before he was diagnosed, and he says:
That whole year I just felt awful and like I was dying. I didn’t feel right, and mentally I was off, like there really was something wrong the whole time. So I think the reason some of these songs feel the way they do is because I felt that way, even though I didn’t know something was wrong yet.
The last song on this album is “Thank You For Listening,” the bittersweet song that Joshua released in 2023 when he revealed his diagnosis to the world, and today he shared another song from the album, “Capital Letters.” It’s a powerful country rock song that veers a little closer to Joshua’s earlier material compared to the beach country of Tropicana and the indie-inspired Stuff, and it’s another great one from a songwriter who rarely misses. Check it out below.
Joshua is gearing up to play at least five SXSW shows this month, and he’s got several other tour dates after that, including a show at NYC’s Mercury Lounge on June 3. All dates are listed below.
Joshua Ray Walker – SXSW 2026 Schedule
March 13 – BMI Showcase – YETI Store – 3:30PM set time
March 13 – Western AF x Gar Hole Records – The White Horse – 12:30AM set time
March 14 – Paste Mag – High Noon – 2:30PM set time
March 18 – Official SXSW – Saxon Pub – 9:30PM set time
March 19 – Luck Reunion – Spicewood, TX
Joshua Ray Walker – 2026 Tour Dates
March 20-25 – Outlaw Country Cruise – Miami, FL
March 29 – The Post – Fort Worth, TX
March 30 – Dan’s SilverLeaf – Denton, TX
March 31 – McGonigel’s Mucky Duck – Houston, TX
April 1 – Saxon Pub – Austin, TX
April 18 – Gruene Hall – New Braunfels, TX
May 14 – Birthplace of Country Music – Bristol, VA
May 15 – The Grove – Glasgow, KY
May 22 – Kerrville Folk Festival – Kerrville, TX
May 26 – Knuckleheads – Kansas City, MO
May 27 – Off Broadway – St. Louis, MO
May 28 – Schubas – Chicago, IL
May 29 – Turf Club – St. Paul, MN
May 30 – Appleton Beer Factory – Appleton, WI
June 3 – Mercury Lounge – New York, NY
June 4 – Iron Horse Music Hall – Northampton, MA
June 5 – Middle East Upstairs – Boston, MA
June 6 – Milkboy – Philadelphia, PA
June 7 – Pearl Street Warehouse – Washington DC
July 10 – Norsk Country-Treff – Breim, NO