Randy Travis Announces Same Old Way, His First Album of Original Music in More Than 18 Years
Randy Travis is opening the vault.
The country legend has officially announced Same Old Way, a 12-song collection of previously unreleased recordings that will arrive November 13, marking his first album of original material in more than 18 years.
The songs stretch across Travis’ recording career from 1986 through 2013. They were recorded during his years as an active artist but, for various reasons, were never formally released as an album. Now, longtime producer Kyle Lehning has brought those recordings back into the spotlight, assembling, remixing and remastering them with Travis’ input.
Music From the Vault
For Travis and his wife, Mary, the significance of Same Old Way goes well beyond simply finding unreleased recordings.
These are performances from Travis’ earlier career, preserving his original voice from a period when he was still recording regularly. The project is therefore very different from the AI-assisted music Travis has explored in recent years.
Travis reflected on that connection to his music after sharing songs from the album with children and families at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis. He said the experience reminded him why he has continued to make music and expressed hope that these previously unheard recordings would connect with listeners in the same familiar way his music always has.
That sense of history is central to the project. The recordings were made between 1986 and 2013, covering a remarkable stretch of Travis’ career and offering fans 12 more original performances that had remained unheard or unreleased for years.
A Remarkable Project After Travis’ 2013 Stroke
The album carries particular weight because of what happened to Travis in 2013.
After suffering a stroke that year, Travis was left with severe language impairments and is no longer able to sing as he once did. That made the possibility of a new album of original Travis performances seem unlikely.
Instead, Lehning went back through the recordings that had been sitting in the vault and found material that could be shaped into a complete album. Travis was involved in the process and gave his blessing to the project, helping make Same Old Way possible without requiring him to record new vocals.
Lehning’s role has been especially important. After decades of working with Travis, he knew the recordings and the artist behind them, allowing him to revisit the material, refine the sound and prepare the songs for release while incorporating Travis’ current input.
The timing is also significant. 2026 marks 40 years since Travis released his landmark debut album, Storms of Life, making the arrival of Same Old Way an unexpected addition to a career that began in 1986.
Randy Travis and Kyle Lehning Finally Wrote a Song Together
The album’s title track has another piece of history attached to it.
Travis wrote “Same Old Way” with Lehning, his longtime producer and friend. Despite their many years of working together, it is the only song the two have written together.
The track also marks a major songwriting credit for Lehning.
Travis described the album as a blessing and compared the project to a baseball game, saying that when life throws a curveball, he wants to keep swinging the same old way and hope for a home run. He also thanked the fans who have continued to support him.
That sentiment captures much of what makes the album unusual. The songs may have been recorded years ago, but their release represents a new chapter for an artist whose career was dramatically altered by his stroke.
Three Songs Are Already Available
The title track arrived alongside the album announcement on September 4, 2026.
It follows two songs that were previously released from the project: “Fish On,” which came out in July, and “I Don’t Care,” released in August. All three songs are part of the upcoming 12-track album.
For longtime Travis fans, hearing these recordings is an opportunity to reconnect with the voice that defined so much of modern country music. Because the performances come from earlier periods of his recording career, the album allows that familiar voice to be heard again without attempting to recreate it through new studio recordings.
Same Old Way Tracklist
The 12-song album will feature:
- “I Know Where I’d Be Without You”
- “Fish On”
- “I Don’t Care”
- “Just Read The Signs”
- “Mission Of Love”
- “I Catch ’Em”
- “There’s No Getting Over You”
- “They Called It A Church”
- “One Tear At A Time”
- “Same Old Way”
- “My Greatest Fear”
- “Set The Blues Back”
With Same Old Way, Travis is able to share music that had been waiting in the vault for years. The project gives listeners a chance to hear more of his original recordings while allowing Travis himself to remain involved in the music and its presentation.
For an artist whose voice has been one of country music’s most recognizable, the return of these recordings is a meaningful reminder of what was captured during those earlier years.
Same Old Way will be released November 13, 2026, through Warner Records Nashville.
“Same Old Way”
“Fish On”
“I Don’t Care”