Bruce Springsteen Embraces Country Roots and Pedal Steel on Unreleased Album ‘Somewhere North of Nashville’

Bruce Springsteen is set to release 'Somewhere North of Nashville' in its entirety on 'Tracks II: The Lost Albums', arriving June 27 via Sony Music. The previously unreleased album draws inspiration from honky tonk, rockabilly, and uptempo country sounds. It was recorded during the summer of 1995 alongside The Ghost of Tom Joad, featuring key members of that era’s studio lineup, including Danny Federici, Garry Tallent, and Gary Mallaber.

Springsteen approached the sessions with a live, full-band setup—reminiscent of his Born in the U.S.A. recording process—capturing spontaneous takes in the studio. The album is enriched with contributions from pedal steel guitarist Marty Rifkin, who would later join The Sessions Band, and violinist Soozie Tyrell. Among the highlights are “Stand On It” and “Janey Don’t You Lose Heart,” two tracks originally intended for inclusion on Born in the U.S.A.

Reflecting on the project, Springsteen said: “I wrote all these country songs at the same time I wrote The Ghost of Tom Joad. Those sessions completely overlapped. I’d be singing ‘Repo Man’ in the afternoon and ‘The Line’ at night. Streets of Philadelphia reconnected me with my socially conscious songwriting, which led to The Ghost of Tom Joad. But at the same time, I had this strong country streak running through me, and I ended up making a country record on the side.”

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Listen to “Repo Man”

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"Repo Man" is about a type of debt collector in the U.S. who comes to reclaim your possessions with a lot of spectacle when you're behind on your payments. Americans live on credit, and that’s a dangerous game! And what a fantastic song it turned out to be. This is top-tier rockabilly—tens of thousands of bands would give an arm and a leg for a song like this. We completely get those Americans who, wearing a Stetson, pick out a lovely lady to swing around the dance floor with. "Repo Man" is the perfect soundtrack for that: a fast-paced country tune with gritty guitars and a pounding piano riff where the keys are hit with full force.​