Reflecting on the song, Ferrell shares, “I grew up listening to John Anderson on country music radio, so I was honored…almost like a pinch yourself moment, when I was asked to contribute to this album. ‘Years’ is such a great song, and it spoke to me from the first time I heard it. The lyrics and John’s unmistakably haunting voice immediately flooded my brain with that universal truth…that life is so precious and so brief. I felt called to that song, and I’ve always thought that if you feel a song in your bones, you can bring it to life. From that point, everything becomes almost effortless.”

“Years”—the title track of Anderson’s acclaimed 2020 album—is the third song unveiled from Something Borrowed, Something New: A Tribute to John Anderson, the anticipated tribute record celebrating Anderson’s songs and career, set for release August 5 via Easy Eye Sound (pre-order here).

Produced by Dan Auerbach and David Ferguson, the record features new versions of some of Anderson’s most beloved songs, performed by Ferrell, Brothers Osborne, Tyler Childers, Eric Church, Brent Cobb, Luke Combs, Sierra Hull, Jamey Johnson, Ashley McBryde, Del McCoury, John Prine, Nathaniel Rateliff, Sturgill Simpson and Gillian Welch & David Rawlings. Ahead of the release, two additional album tracks recently debuted: “I Just Came Home to Count the Memories,” performed by Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, and “Wild and Blue,” performed by Brent Cobb. Of Cobb’s rendition, Brooklyn Vegan praises, “He makes it his own without losing the charm of the original, and it’s a genuinely lovely rendition.”

Of the record, Anderson shares, “Listening to everybody do their own takes on the songs shows how the songs really come through. And I thought to myself, ‘You might have been young and foolish back then, but you sure did pick some good songs.’ It’s very gratifying to know that some things really do not change, and a great country song remains a great country song. Any one person on the record would be a real tribute, but all of them together? It’s a pretty big deal for me personally.”

Additionally, Auerbach shares, “We weren’t trying to piddle around and make the normal tribute record. It had to be the best singers with the best songs and the best arrangements, and they had to come into the studio. This wasn’t like, ‘Mail me the song, and we’ll put it together.’ I think it makes this record unique. I don’t think most tribute records are done like this. I think that’s why it sounds like a cohesive album. It feels like an amazing mix tape.”

Photo: Alysse Gafkjen