Josh Abbott Band‘s new song “Settle Me Down” is for that person who’s always got your back. Press play below to get an early first listen to the track, premiering exclusively on The Boot and our partner site, Taste of Country.
JAB namesake and leader Josh Abbott co-wrote “Settle Me Down” with fellow Texas-bred artists Ryan Beaver and Josh Jenkins, the latter of Green River Ordinance. It’s one of the strongest songs on the band’s forthcoming new album, according to Abbott, who also praises it as the best song that the Josh Abbott Band have recorded since “Amnesia,” from 2015’s Front Row Seat.
“You settle me down when I go too far, when I burn too fast, when I lose my way / Hold onto me, whisper to my soul, put my heart at ease when I’m ’bout to break,” Abbott sings in the chorus, words of appreciation to the special person who knows just what he needs when he needs it. “Always got the wind at my back, but you still love me when I look like that / Open my eyes, keep me around / Pull me back in, settle me down / Settle me down.”
“Settle Me Down” is a tender love song, accented by pedal steel and whispery background vocals. Abbott and his wife Taylor, who have been married for just over two years, recently welcomed their second child together, a baby boy.
“Your partner’s ability to calm your soul and lift you up when you’re down is so important in a relationship. My wife is that and more for me when I come home tired from the road or stressed,” Abbott shares. “It’s our best song to date. Seriously. Everyone that’s heard it has said the same.”
“Settle Me Down,” due out widely on Friday (Oct. 9), is one of 10 songs on The Highway Kind, the Josh Abbott Band’s sixth studio album. It’s their first project since 2017’s Until My Voice Goes Out and is, per Abbott, “the album I wish we had put out seven years ago.”
“The lyrics, the melodies, the subtle touches; this album is the very best effort from our group. These songs were brought to life and curated to reflect where my life is now: happy, fulfilled, blessed,” the musician reflects. “From love songs to songs about friendship, from ballads to bangers, this album has it all. They’re true-life songs. I hope people listen to this record and go, ‘Man, Josh is in a great place.'”
The Highway Kind, which the Josh Abbott Band cut at Sonic Ranch near El Paso, Texas, is available to pre-order now. The album is due out in full on Nov. 13.
Listen to the Josh Abbott Band’s “Settle Me Down”