For a man about to put out his 37th album, Jim Lauderdale still has the glimmer in his eye of the young man who first made his way to Nashville back in 1979. Actively writing and recording music for the past four-plus decades, Mr. Americana—as Lauderdale has grown to be known around town—has fine-tuned his brand of country music, taking influences from his upbringing in the Carolinas, the bluegrass and string music of surrounding Appalachia, the folk and Grateful Dead catalog of the 60s and beyond, and the twanging, honky tonk of the town he’s long called home and distilling them into a sound distinctively his own. The second you hear it, you know it’s Jim.

Today, Lauderdale announced his upcoming LP, My Favorite Place—out June 21st. Continuing a string of stellar releases with his touring band, The Game Changers—Craig Smith (Guitar), Frank Rische (Guitar), Jay Weaver (Bass), Dave Racine (Drums), and the extraordinary Lille Mae Rische (Vocals)—along with some of Music City’s favorite ringers, My Favorite Place is pure Jim Lauderdale country; his legendary voice carrying a new batch of stories, all framed by pure pedal steel, fiddle, and the tightest rhythm section this side of the Grand Ole Opry.