Sheryl Crow Announces New Album 'Pick You Up' and Releases Lead Single 'Freedom Bus' With Jesse Welles

Sheryl Crow will release a new album, Pick You Up, on 9 October via her label Old Green Barn, with the lead single "Freedom Bus" — a collaboration with Arkansas singer-songwriter Jesse Welles — already out. Crow confirmed the news on her official Facebook page on 14 August, the same day the single arrived (Pitchfork).

The record is a tight seven-track LP, co-written by Crow and Jeff Trott, her longtime writing partner. Trott's credits with Crow stretch back across multiple albums and tours, making him one of the most consistent collaborators in her catalogue. The full tracklist runs: Freight Train, Perfect, Pick You Up, Flat Earth, I've Got Your Number, Heaven Help Us, and Freedom Bus (feat. Jesse Welles), which closes the album (Classic Rock 96.1).

In a press release accompanying the single, Crow said she does not take freedom lightly, noting that freedom "has been paid for in the lives of others throughout history." She described the album as a commentary on being human and wanting connection, and said she hopes the songs feel like "a soothing moisturizer on our chapped hearts" (Pitchfork).

Crow announced Pick You Up in a Facebook post that also served as the single's launch, writing to followers that "Freedom Bus" was available and the album was coming 9 October (Sheryl Crow on Facebook). Old Green Barn is the imprint Crow has used for her recent recordings, giving her direct ownership of her masters — the original sound recordings — rather than licensing them to a third-party label.

For listeners, "Freedom Bus" offers a first taste of where Crow and Trott have landed after years of writing together. Welles, who features on the closing track, is a folk-tinged songwriter from Arkansas whose work has gained traction through independent release and online platforms. The pairing places his voice alongside Crow's on a record that, at seven tracks, is a shorter format than a standard full-length — closer to the concise LP tradition where every song carries the weight of a closing argument.

The October release slots into a busy fourth-quarter schedule, when labels and artists typically push major releases ahead of the holiday sales window. Crow's last full-length studio project drew attention for her reflections on the music industry and her decision to step back from making full albums; Pick You Up marks a return to the format with a focused, collaborative approach.

No tour dates tied to the album have been announced.