Few artists command the kind of respect Buddy Miller has earned over the last four decades. A Grammy-winning songwriter, guitarist, producer, and singer, Miller has become one of Americana’s defining figures, whether lending his unmistakable touch to records by Willie Nelson, Robert Plant, Linda Ronstadt, Elvis Costello, John Fogerty, Patty Griffin, Richard Thompson, and Steve Earle, or helping shape the sound of countless others behind the mixing console.
On September 11th, Miller returns with “Buddy Miller”, his first solo album in 15 years – out on New West Records . Produced by Miller, recorded by Mike Poole, and mixed alongside Alasdair MacKenzie, the 12-song collection follows 2023’s acclaimed collaborative album “In the Throes” with his wife and longtime creative partner, Julie Miller. While the new record is unmistakably rooted in country soul, it also draws freely from gospel, early rock and roll, and classic rhythm and blues, reflecting the broad musical vocabulary Miller has cultivated throughout his career.
The album brings together an extraordinary cast of collaborators, including Emmylou Harris, The War and Treaty, Lee Ann Womack, Shawn Colvin, Ashley Monroe, Elizabeth Cook, Jim Lauderdale, Larry Campbell, Teresa Williams, and legendary songwriter Dan Penn. Anchoring the sessions is Miller’s seasoned band—Fred Eltringham on drums, Viktor Krauss on bass, Tim Lauer on keyboards, Steve Fishell on pedal steel, and frequent contributions from The McCrary Sisters—whose understated chemistry gives the record its warmth and effortless groove.
While Buddy Miller was conceived as a country soul record, its final shape emerged organically. Miller began with dozens of songs before narrowing the tracklist to a carefully curated mix of originals and inspired reinterpretations, including an early Temptations classic, a Jesse Winchester composition, and “Till the Wheels Come Off,” a heartfelt tribute written for Buddy and Julie Miller by Ashley Monroe, Elizabeth Cook, Angaleena Presley, and Meg McRee.
The result is an album that feels both timeless and deeply personal. Rather than chasing grand statements, Buddy Miller finds its power in subtlety—graceful performances, unhurried arrangements, and songs that speak to love, devotion, and the quiet wisdom that comes with experience. Fifteen years after his last solo effort, Miller sounds exactly where he belongs: making soulful, unpretentious music that values emotional truth over flash, reaffirming why he remains one of Americana’s most trusted and influential voices.
Along with the album announcement, one of the album’s highlights, “Don’t Look Back,” which finds Miller collaborating with the legendary Dan Penn, whose songwriting helped define Southern soul through classics including “The Dark End of the Street,” “I’m Your Puppet,” and “Do Right Woman, Do Right Man.” Their friendship stretches back more than three decades, beginning with an unlikely meeting over a tape machine for sale.
“I met Dan around 1994 when he came over to look at a Studer 24-track tape machine I’d listed in the PennySaver,” Miller recalls. “He passed on the Studer, but I gained a hero as a friend. His songs have been recorded by Aretha, Otis, Janis, Linda Ronstadt, and so many more,” Miller says. “And his singing is as soulful as ever.”
The admiration has only deepened over the years, and you can hear it all over this track with its smooth-as-molasses country soul that is complemented by a touch of horns and background singers to give it a little bit of that Memphis sound. The addition of sharp and bluesy guitar and twangy pedal steel imbues it with the country and Americana sound Miller is mostly known for, and his duet with Penn exudes the kind of warmth and natural chemistry that can only come from years of friendship. Ultimately, “Don’t Look Back” captures Miller in fine form and is guaranteed to get both casual and diehard fans excited for this long-awaited solo effort.
From the new self-titled album out September 11th on New West Records.
The Fat Angel Sings 