When the Steel Woods‘ co-founder Jason “Rowdy” Cope died unexpectedly at the age of 42 in January, the band had recently been recording new music. On May 14, Cope’s surviving bandmates will move forward with that work, releasing a new album, All of Your Stones.
The Steel Woods’ new record is their third, and a press release calls it Cope’s “magnum opus.” The late musician co-wrote its title track, “All of Your Stones,” with lead singer Wes Bayliss and Jamey Johnson, sharing metaphorically how something positive can come out of a negative experience.
“I built a house with all of your stones / I kept them all, the ones you have thrown / Judgements and insults you didn’t want to own,” goes the song’s chorus. “I built a house with all of your stones … Now me moving in is me moving on.”
Per the press release, All of Your Stones will also include “Out of the Blue,” a “fiery” album opener “about perseverance and not being tethered to the past” that Cope wrote with Aaron Raitiere. “You Never Came Home,” meanwhile, is described as “bluesy,” and “Ole Pal” is a “sentimental track … about longing for a long-lost dear friend.” A cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd‘s “I Need You” features Ashley Monroe.
All of Your Stones is available for pre-order and to pre-save now.
Cope died in his sleep on Jan. 16; the cause of his death has yet to be determined. Born on March 15, 1978, he began playing guitar and writing songs as a pre-teen, and he moved to Nashville in 2007, after nearly a decade working in Los Angeles. Before co-founding the Steel Woods with Bayliss — they met while playing in a cover band — Cope spent another almost-decade in Jamey Johnson’s band; he’s also worked with Lindi Ortega, the Oak Ridge Boys and more.
The Steel Woods’ first and second album were released in 2017 and 2019, respectively. Bayliss, bassist Johnny Stanton and drummer Isaac Senty will move forward as the Steel Woods, with the blessing of Cope’s family.
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