Charley Crockett: 2026

The prolific and Grammy-nominated Charley Crockett has released almost 20 records with his latest release, Dollar a Day, arriving as the second installment of what he calls his Sagebrush Trilogy, preceded by Lonesome Drifter which came out earlier in 2025. The final album of the trilogy, Age of the Ram, is released in April 2026.

The idea for the trilogy was inspired by author Cormac McCarthy's three '90s novels that became known as The Border Trilogy. Those books made Crockett think of the Star Wars trilogy and director Sergio Leone's spaghetti western trilogies.

There's a very cinematic quality to Crockett's songs with a visual pull to “Woman in a Bar" or “Tennessee Quick Cash." Not surprising that Crockett has already made a segue into film with multiple documentaries, including last year's "$10 Cowboy."

During our conversation, Crockett talked about "Tennessee Quick Cash" and how it illustrates how tricky the life of a musician can be. He also discussed the cutthroat aspects of the music business and country pioneers like Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings.

Crockett is actually good friends with producer Shooter Jennings, Waylon's son, and made this record with him (as he did with the last one). Shooter not only co-produced Dollar a Day, but also plays on and co-wrote a couple of the tracks, including "Tennessee Quick Cash" one of three songs Crockett performed solo in Studio A with "Ain't That Right" and "El Paso to Denver."

He’s got a real interesting perspective on country music and creativity — with a Southern drawl that's perfect for storytelling.

[Recorded: 10/15/26; Engineered by Jim O'Hara with Erin Merriman. Produced by Meghan Suma. Videographers:Bella Lipayon, Lily Crean and  Therese Burgo]