The Songwriters Hall of Fame also announced today that the enduring and beloved band’s songwriting would be inducted at its June 2025 ceremony in New York. Michael McDonald, Tom Johnston and Patrick Simmons will all receive the prestigious award in the Performing Songwriters category, recognizing and celebrating the exceptional work and lives of composers and lyricists who make an indelible impact creating music around the world.
WALK THIS ROAD was recorded in the winter of 2024 with producer John Shanks and showcases the band’s unique songwriting process and diverse stylistic perspectives. All three of the songwriting members of the band worked one-on-one with Shanks, bringing their individual vibes to their trusted producer and songwriting partner for what would be melded into one cohesive work, featuring the signature Doobie Brothers sound. The result, as the album credits illuminate, is an album comprised of and reliant on the songwriting contributions and individual musical styles of all three principal songwriters.
Recurring themes on the album include recovery, enlightenment – “waking up to see the important things you’ve been missing,” says Simmons. The title track on the album, “Walk This Road,” featuring Mavis Staples, embodies a sense of hope and togetherness, in terms of searching for the right path forward.”
“We all sang on ‘Walk This Road,’ that’s a different kind of track for us to do,” says Johnston. “I think it’s good to try to do things you haven’t done before, that’s the way it should be.”
The team effort and cooperation so successful and fruitful in Shanks’ studio on WALK THIS ROAD is the same mindset and philosophy that has served The Doobie Brothers so well for over 50 years of songwriting, performing and touring their GRAMMY Award -winning and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame hit songs around the world for decades. The band have remained good friends over decades and are looking forward to embarking on their 2025 tour to perform their new tracks as well as much-loved, fan-favorite hits.
“Getting back in with the guys and playing again is great,” said McDonald. “In my heart I’ve always been a Doobie Brother. We’ve all remained friends over the years. We’ve all been enjoying it tremendously, even more than we thought we would.” Indeed, whereas in many bands having three exceptional songwriters with diverse musical influences and styles might cause internal challenges in the studio, The Doobie Brothers continue to create their signature brand of music together that weaves their individual rhythms into a musical force greater than the sum of its parts.
TRACKLISTING:
- “Walk this Road” Featuring Mavis Staples
- “Angels & Mercy”
- “Call Me”
- “Learn to Let Go”
- “State of Grace”
- “Here to Stay”
- “The Kind That Lasts”
- “New Orleans”
- “Speed of Pain”
- “Lahaina”
https://thedoobiebrothers.com/
For over five decades, The Doobie Brothers have been known for delivering mind-blowing, roots based, harmony-laden, guitar-driven rock and roll – all of which recently culminated in an induction into the 2020 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Boasting one of the most loyal fan bases in music, selling more than 48 million albums, and winning four GRAMMY® Awards, The Doobie Brothers continue to write and record new material and tour the world. Their No. 1 singles “Black Water” and “What a Fool Believes,” both gold, lead a catalog of indelible songs that include: “Listen to the Music,” “China Grove,” “Jesus Is Just All Right,” “Rockin’ Down the Highway,” “Long Train Runnin’,” “Take Me In Your Arms,” “Takin’ it to the Streets,” “Minute by Minute,” “You Belong to Me,” “The Doctor” and more. In all, the Doobies have tallied up five top 10 singles and 16 top 40 hits. Beginning with their multi-million-selling sophomore collection Toulouse Street, the Doobies have 3 multi-platinum, 7 platinum, and 14 Gold albums. Best of the Doobies has sold more than 12 million copies – a rare “diamond record.” In 2021, the band kicked off their 50th anniversary tour which reunited Tom Johnston, Michael McDonald, Pat Simmons, and John McFee for 49 stops before concluding in 2022. The band will release new studio album WALK THIS ROAD in June, 2025 featuring Johnston, McDonald, Simmons and McFee.
