Jim Lauderdale’s New Album ‘The Birds Know’ Showcases Bluegrass Collaboration with The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys

Jim Lauderdale reunites with The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys for a brand new bluegrass album The Birds Know. The set includes all new songs that demonstrate their mutual affection for traditional string-band music. And in support of the release Lauderdale is hitting the road with dates in the U.S. and Europe.

A press release from Jim Lauderdale’s management revealed that his tour kicks off this weekend, April 24-26, in Wilkesboro, NC at the MerleFest.

Back to the new album, from the very first notes of The Birds Know, it’s obvious that Jim Lauderdale takes crossing over into the bluegrass world very seriously. So much so that he, for a second time, has teamed up with The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys, one of the genre’s best and brightest modern ensembles, to make sure his take on the beloved artform is as grassy as can be. But don’t think that means the iconic Nashville songwriter and recording artist is a stranger to fiddles and banjos. A large portion of his now-39-album catalog is string-band centric, two of which won GRAMMY Awards for Best Bluegrass Album in 2003 and 2008. 

Listen to The Birds Know:

With The Birds Know, Lauderdale wanted to once again pair up with the Po’ Ramblin’ Boys, as the band did for 2023’s The Long and Lonesome Letting Go. “Since I first saw them at MerleFest several years ago, and after we did our first album together, I really wanted us to do a follow-up,” says Lauderdale of his The Birds Know album-mates. “These songs were all written just for this album. The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys keep the sound of traditional bluegrass alive, but they really bring it into the present day. I’m so happy with the way this record turned out, and I’m looking forward to performing with them in the coming years. I love working with them so much.”

And speaking of MerleFest, Lauderdale will take the stage today at the long-beloved North Carolina Festival. In May, Lauderdale is embarking on a European tour supporting Emmylou Harris. A full list of tour dates can be found below. For tickets, more information, and to stay up to date with all things Jim Lauderdale, please visit jimlauderdalemusic.com.

In true Jim Lauderdale fashion, he has also recently released another full-length album, this one a full-band, honky tonk heavy collection titled Country Super Hits Volume 2, an obvious successor to his 2006 album of a slightly different name. Make sure to check out CSH Vol. 2 right here. 

Jim Lauderdale Tour Dates 2026

April 24 – 26 – Wilkesboro, NC – MerleFest

May 2 – Pinewood, SC – Wildlife Education Center

May 4 – Nashville, TN – Skinny Dennis

May 11 – Liverpool, ENG – Royal Liverpool Philharmonic*

May 13 – Birmingham, ENG – Symphony Hall*

May 15 – Bristol, ENG – Bristol Beacon*

May 17 – London, ENG – Royal Albert Hall*

May 18 – Sunderland, ENG – Sunderland Empire*

May 20 – Rotterdam, NL – De Doelen*

May 21 – Eindhoven, NL – Muziekgebouw*

May 23 – Groningen, NL – De Oosterpoort*

May 24 – Amsterdam, NL – Het Concertgebouw*

June 1 – Nashville, TN – Skinny Dennis

June 13 – Broken Bow, OK – Beavers Bend State Park

July 6 – Nashville, TN – Skinny Dennis

August 3 – Nashville, TN – Skinny Dennis

August 21 – Oslo, NO – Oslo Konserthus*

August 22 – Oslo, NO – Oslo Konserthus*

August 24 – Helsinki, FI – Allas Live*

August 26 – Stockholm, SE – Avicii Arena*

September 3 – Bruxelles, BE – BOZAR*

September 4 – Antwerpen, BE – Stadsschouwburg Antwerp*

September 6 – Monheim Am Rhein, DE – Kulturraffinerie K714*

September 7 – Nashville, TN – Skinny Dennis

September 11 – Bristol, TN – Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion

October 5 – Nashville, TN – Skinny Dennis

November 2 – Nashville, TN – Skinny Dennis

December 7 – Nashville, TN – Skinny Dennis

* with Emmylou Harris

More tour dates to be announced soon. For tickets, more information, and to stay up to date, please visit jimlauderdalemusic.com.

About Jim Lauderdale: 

Jim Lauderdale embodies the sound of American roots music for listeners around the world. A 2025 inductee into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, Lauderdale will release his 38th and 39th albums in 2026: Country Super Hits Volume 2 and a bluegrass collection, The Birds Know. His major label debut, 1991’s Planet of Love, opened the door to international touring and established him as an A-list songwriter on Music Row. His songs have been recorded by George Strait, Patty Loveless, George Jones, the Chicks, Old Crow Medicine Show, Lucinda Williams, Charley Crockett, Dave Edmunds, Solomon Burke, and many others. Between 2004 and 2013, Lauderdale wrote and recorded six albums with Grateful Dead songwriter Robert Hunter. His many other collaborators include Buddy Miller, Elvis Costello, Donna the Buffalo, North Mississippi Allstars, Po’ Ramblin’ Boys, and Ralph Stanley. In 2016, Lauderdale received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Americana Music Association; he’s also won two Grammys in the Best Bluegrass Album category.

About The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys: 

In 10 years as a band, the Po’ Ramblin’ Boys have covered a lot of miles sharing their love of bluegrass with audiences drawn to their hard-charging, true-blue sound. They’re hitting the highway just as hard as they embark on their second decade, with songs inspired by all they’ve seen and a renewed energy along for the ride.

Indeed, hard work and deep feeling are baked into their songs, which have been celebrated with a Grammy nomination and International Bluegrass Music Association recognition ranging from the Emerging Artist of the Year award to a nomination for Entertainer of the Year.