Article Contributed by Big Hassle Media
Published on December 15, 2025
Veteran troubadour Steve Poltz has announced his eagerly awaited new album, JoyRide, arriving via Red House Records on Friday, January 30, 2026. Pre-orders for vinyl, CD, and an exclusive new merch line are available now. Produced, engineered, and mixed by Dex Green (known for his GRAMMY® Award-nominated work with such artists as Shemekia Copeland, Elvis Costello, Margo Price, and Nicole Atkins), JoyRide includes the typically topical first single, “If It Bleeds It Leads,” premiering today at all streaming services.
“‘If It Bleeds, It Leads’ was so much fun to record because it was challenging — and I love a good challenge,” says Steve Poltz. “I used Emmylou Harris’s rhythm section: Bryan Owings on drums and Christopher Donohue on bass. Dex Green played this weird-sounding keyboard that added to the whole vibe, along with my acoustic guitar. I wrote the song after watching the news with some people who were yelling at the TV screen. I had to leave the room and immediately write this song.”
LISTEN TO “IF IT BLEEDS IT LEADS”
PRE-SAVE JOYRIDE STREAMING
PRE-ORDER JOYRIDE PHYSICAL
Poltz’s 14th solo album and first new LP in close to four years, JoyRide sees the acclaimed tunesmith teaming with producer/multi-instrumentalist Dex Green at 3Sirens, a historic home studio in East Nashville, TN, for an high-spirited, sharp-witted collection of 10 brand new songs that includes such sure-to-be fan favorites as “Fixin’ Up” (a three-way co-write with Americana legend Jim Lauderdale and 2018 CCMA Songwriter of the Year, Skip Black) and the rowdy “Love a Little Bigger,” co-written with longtime pal Vince Herman of Leftover Salmon.
“Capturing me in a studio is like convincing a whirling dervish to stop spinning long enough to sign a bill into law,” says Poltz. “It’s chaos, caffeine, and accidental poetry — art colliding with microphones and commerce in a glorious mess. That’s how JoyRide happened. No seatbelts, no helmets. Just unsaturated, unadulterated art. Real humans making real noise in real time.”
Tracklist:
If It Bleeds It Leads
Petrichor
At It Again
JoyRide
The Son of God
Love A Little Bigger
Fixin’ Up
New Tattoo
Brand New Liver
Hairlift
Hailed by American Songwriter for “his unhinged live performances, incredible way with a comedic lyric, and ability to spin a ripping tale,” Poltz will celebrate JoyRide with a truly epic tour schedule that will see him traveling the US, his native Canada, Mexico and Australia/New Zealand for headline dates, festival appearances, shows with his good friend and fellow singer-songwriter Bob Schneider, and more. Highlights include his 17th Annual 50th Birthday Bash, a two-night stand set for February 21-22, 2026, at Solana Beach, CA’s famed Belly Up, featuring Poltz joined by The Rugburns and other special guests. For complete details and ticket information, please see poltz.com/concerts.
STEVE POLTZ – LIVE 2025-2026
DECEMBER
12 – Alexandria, VA – The Birchmere †
13 – Rocky Mount, VA – Harvester Performance Center †
21 – Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse ^
JANUARY 2026
22-24 – New Orleans, LA – Folk Alliance International Conference
28 – Seattle, WA – Tractor Tavern
29 – Portland, OR – McMenamins Mission Theater
30 – Eugene, OR – Unity of the Valley
31 – Sisters, OR – The Belfry
FEBRUARY 2026
1 – Ashland, OR – Carpenter Hall
4 – Trinidad, CA – Trinidad City Hall
5 – Chico, CA – Chico Women’s Club
6 – Mill Valley, CA – Sweetwater Music Hall
7 – Felton, CA – Felton Music Hall
11 – Morro Bay, CA – The Siren
12 – Santa Barbara, CA – SOhO Restaurant & Music Club
13 – Thousand Oaks, CA – Scherr Forum Theatre
14 – Santa Monica, CA – McCabe’s Guitar Shop
21 – Solana Beach, CA – Belly Up #
22 – Solana Beach, CA – Belly Up ##
26 – Denmark, WA – The Dam
27-28 – Nannup, AU – Nannup Music Festival ‡
MARCH 2026
1 – Perth, AU –Lyric Underground
5 – Adelaide, AU – Trinity Sessions
6-9 – Port Fairy, AU – Port Fairy Folk Festival ‡
6 – Goolwa, AU – Murray Delta Juke Joint
11 – Ararat, AU – Ararat Town Hall
12 – Melbourne, AU – Brunswick Ballroom
13 – Melbourne, AU – Memo Music Hall
14-15 – Katoomba, AU – Blue Mountains Music Festival ‡
18 & 19 – Sydney, AU – Camelot Lounge
20 – Avoca Beach, AU – Avoca Beach Theatre
21 – Buttai Valley, AU – Full Throttle Ranch
22 – Old Bar, AU – Flow Bar
25 – 27 – Hawkes Bay, NZ – Small Hall Sessions
28 – Wellington, NZ – Meow
29 – Auckland, NZ – The Tuning Fork
APRIL 2026
2 – Cairns, AU – Tanks Art Centre
3-4 – Tyagarah, AU – Byron Bay Bluesfest ‡
5-6 – Canberra, AU – National Folk Festival ‡
MAY 2026
14 – 17 – Joshua Tree, CA – Joshua Tree Music Festival ‡
29 -31 – Ogden, UT – Ogden Music Festival ‡
* Sunday Supper Club: Courtney Patton & Steve Poltz
† w/ Bob Schneider
^ Holiday Hootenanny 14 w/ Oliver Wood, Lim Lauderdale, Yes Ma’am Family Band, Jason Carter and more
# 17th Annual 50th Birthday Bash w/ The Rugburns
## Steve Poltz & Friends – 17th Annual 50th Birthday Bash (seated show)
‡ Festival Performance
