Steve Earles next studio album will be a tribute to his late friend and mentor, the late singer-songwriter, Townes Van Zandt. Simply titled Townes, the 15-song set is comprised of songs written by Van Zandt over the course of his storied career. The album was produced by Earle at his home in Greenwich Village, at Sound Emporium and Room and Board in Nashville, TN and The Nest in Hollywood, CA. Of particular note, the track Lungs was produced and mixed by the Dust Brothers’ John King and features Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello on electric guitar. Earle’s wife Allison Moorer also sings on both ‘Loretta’ and ‘To Live Is To Fly,’ while bluegrass musicians Dennis Crouch, Tim O’Brien, Darrel Scott and Shad Cobb appear on ‘White Freightliner Blues,’ ‘Delta Momma Blues,’ and ‘Don’t Take It To o Bad.’ Townes will hit stores on May 12.