Joshua Ray Walker 'Chasing Sunsets' With New Single
(MPG) Joshua Ray Walker announces an extensive European and UK tour, new Fall dates to his 2026 U.S. tour, and releases a new song from his upcoming album Ain't Dead Yet (out May 29th via East Dallas Records/Thirty Tigers). Walker will hit Scandinavia, England, Scotland and Ireland this Summer on the Europe/UK run, followed by shows in the U.S. on the second half of his 2026 U.S. tour this Fall. New song "Chasing Sunsets," out today, marries the mournful and the hopeful, a skill Walker has mastered.
"I wrote the hook for 'Chasing Sunsets' while driving cross-country alone, through the desert, on my birthday," says Walker. "I was trying to get to some meetings and co-writes I had scheduled in Los Angeles, and I like to come to the table with an idea. I'd been driving towards the sunset for what seemed like forever. When you're headed West, the sunsets last longer because you can drive through the desert so fast that it actually takes the Sun longer to set. That's what sparked the idea, then the song ended up being about LA and it's seen multiple iterations over the last few years as I changed it a bit to better fit the narrative of this record and what's been going on in my life. Although parts of the songs pre-chorus and chorus were oddly prophetic, it still needed some tweaking to reflect the growth I've had while going through my cancer journey."
At only 33-years-old, Walker was diagnosed with Stage III colon cancer. Thank You For Listening, a documentary about Walker's cancer journey, will premiere at the Dallas International Film Festival in April. The film looks at Walker as he faces the fragility of life and confronts the life-altering cancer diagnosis. As he prepares to return to the Grand Ole Opry, the film captures an intimate portrait of an artist grappling with mortality while confronting the legacy he will leave behind.
Blending lyrical visuals, performance, and moments of quiet reflection, the film explores how music sustains, redeems, and endures. It is a meditation on resilience, legacy, and the human drive to create meaning even in the face of life's limits. Directed by Emmy and Peabody Award-winner Gene Gallerano and Bob Ray, and produced with Texas Monthly, Thank You For Listening is a deeply personal yet universal exploration of survival, artistic courage, and what it truly means to leave a lasting imprint.
Like an audio companion to Thank You For Listening, Ain't Dead Yet is Walker's time capsule of the past three years. Standing on the other side, it's also a dedication to the future. "I'm really grateful to have a second chance, and I'm also grateful to have lived through thinking I was going to die. It gives you perspective in a way you really can't fake until you've actually done it; in a way, it was kind of a gift," Walker says.
Joshua Ray Walker - 2026 Tour Dates
Apr 1 - Saxon Pub - Austin, TX
Apr 18 - Gruene Hall - New Braunfels, TX
May 14 - Birthplace of Country Music - Bristol, VA
May 15 - The Grove - Glasgow, KY
May 22 - Kerrville Folk Festival - Kerrville, TX
May 26 - Knuckleheads - Kansas City, MO
May 27 - Off Broadway - St. Louis, MO
May 28 - Schubas - Chicago, IL
May 29 - Turf Club - St. Paul, MN
May 30 - Appleton Beer Factory - Appleton, WI
Jun 3 - Mercury Lounge - New York, NY
Jun 4 - Iron Horse Music Hall - Northampton, MA
Jun 5 - Middle East Upstairs - Boston, MA
Jun 6 - Milkboy - Philadelphia, PA
Jun 7 - Pearl Street Warehouse - Washington DC
Jul 3 - Byscenen - Trondheim, NO
Jul 5 - Blårock Cafe - Tromso, NO
Jul 8 - Wiese - Lillehammer - NO
Jul 10 - Norsk Country-Treff - Breim, NO
Jul 12 - Ole Bull Scene - Bergen, NO
Jul 14 - Tou Scene - Stavanger, NO
Jul 17 - John Dee - Oslo, NO
Jul 21 - Debaser - Stockholm, SE
Jul 22 - Garage Bar - Hoganas, SE
Jul 28 - The Lower Third - London, ENG
Jul 29 - The Deaf Institute - Manchester, ENG
Jul 30 - The Hug and Pint - Glasgow, SCO
Aug 1 - Whelan's - Dublin, IE
Sept 9 - Bluebird Theater - Denver, CO
Sept 10 - The Rialto Casper - Casper, WY
Sept 11 - Live From the Divide - Livingston, MT
Sept 12 - Live From the Divide - Livingston, MT
Sept 13 - Pub Station Taproom - Billings, MT
Sept 15 - The State Room - Salt Lake City, UT
Sept 16 - Neurolux - Boise, ID
Sept 17 - The District - Spokane, WA
Sept 18 - Tractor Tavern - Seattle, WA
Sept 19 - Mississippi Studios - Portland, OR
Sept 22 - Folsom Saloon, Folsom, CA
Sept 24 - Troubadour - Los Angeles, CA
Sept 25 - The Rebel Lounge - Phoenix, AZ
Sept 26 - Meow Wolf - Santa Fe, NM
Oct 8 - Chickie Wah Wah - New Orleans, LA
Oct 9 - Standard Deluxe - Waverly, AL
Oct 10 - Vinyl - Atlanta, GA
Oct 11 - Charleston Pour House - Charleston, SC
Oct 13 - Radio Room - Greenville, SC
Oct 14 - The Pour House - Raleigh, NC
Oct 15 - The Ramkat - Winston-Salem, NC
Oct 16 - The Grey Eagle - Asheville, NC
Oct 17 - Open Chord - Knoxville, TN
Oct 18 - Songbirds - Chattanooga, TN
Oct 22 - Skinny Dennis - Nashville, TN
Oct 24 - Hernando's Hideaway - Memphis, TN
Oct 25 - White Water Tavern - Little Rock, AR
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
[an error occurred while processing this directive]