Beck Releases Surprising New Country Ballad, “Ride Lonesome”

After teasing new music last week, singer-songwriter Beck has released a new track, the mellow country-tinged ballad “Ride Lonesome.”

“Ride Lonesome” is his first new, original music in several years. Beck produced the track himself, with a sound in line with 2002’s Sea Change and its 2014 spiritual successor Morning Phase, which earned him a Grammy win for Album of the Year. The song was mixed by Nigel Godrich and features instrumentation from Jason Falkner and Smokey Hormel, who also worked with Beck on Sea Change and Morning Phase.

“I assembled the whole troupe of musicians who did those records with me,” Beck said in an interview with NPR about the track.

Beck Reaches for Timeless Tunes

He also discussed the timeless feel of guitar-driven songs, saying, “There’s a certain comfort with an acoustic guitar or piano, and that’s what I always go to. And I think if a song can just live with you singing and a single guitar on it, then it’s a real song. I mean, there’s all kinds of songs, but those kinds of songs just can stand the test of time.”

Although no additional details have been released, Beck also shared a video for the track, featuring shots of the singer walking through a desert landscape, in line with the song’s country vibe, complete with a pedal steel guitar. Beck has said the song was written during “a bit of a lonely time,” and the lyrics express a sense of loneliness and a desire to find solace somewhere: “You got to ride lonesome/You got to try to find your home.”

Back in January, Beck released the EP Everybody’s Gotta Learn Sometime, named for a cover he contributed to the soundtrack for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. The EP featured other cover songs, deep cuts, and rarities from the singer. His last full-length album, Hyperspace, was released in 2019. He has released a few one-off songs in the years since, including “Odyssey,” a collaboration with Phoenix.

“Ride Lonesome” is currently available on streaming services.

Beck is also set to announce tour dates on Tuesday, April 21. Fans can sign up now for pre-sale access. He already has dates set for Australia, where he’ll perform with an orchestra, as well as a show on Halloween night in Nashville.