Fans of Waylon Jennings received a surprise gift this summer when an unreleased track titled “Songbird” appeared on YouTube — a hauntingly raw ballad that had never seen the light of day, until now.
The leak occurred in early July 2025 and was quickly removed, but not before fans downloaded and shared it across platforms. The song, which reflects Waylon’s classic outlaw style with a stripped-down acoustic arrangement and mournful lyrics, immediately sparked rumors: is there more where this came from?
The answer is yes.
Shooter Jennings, Waylon’s son and a notable musician in his own right, confirmed that three full albums of previously unheard music will be released this fall. These are not remixes or live versions — but studio recordings that Waylon laid down in the late ’70s and early ’80s, many of which were shelved due to label conflicts or personal struggles at the time.
The first album is scheduled for release on October 3, 2025, and will include “Songbird” as its lead track. Shooter promises these records will showcase a side of Waylon that fans rarely got to hear — vulnerable, stripped back, and deeply honest.
This marks a monumental moment for country music, not just for the Jennings family, but for a generation of fans who thought they had heard everything Waylon ever recorded. It’s a resurrection, in every sense of the word.
“My dad recorded a lot of music that the world never got to hear,” Shooter said. “Now it’s time.”