LEVI FOSTER TO RELEASE SECOND ALBUM APPALACHIAN FUNK TREE PRODUCED BY SHOOTER JENNINGS OUT OCTOBER 9, 2026

First Single "Fat Elvis" Out April 17

NASHVILLE, TN, UNITED STATES, March 24, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- When Nashville artist Levi Foster flew to Los Angeles carrying a 1966 Martin guitar and a stack of restless songs that didn’t quite fit Nashville’s modern mold, he wasn’t chasing polish, he was chasing freedom. The result is Foster’s second full-length album Appalachian Funk Tree, produced by outlaw-country torchbearer Shooter Jennings at the legendary Sunset Sound in Hollywood. Born from a collision of Appalachian storytelling, psychedelic grit, and country swagger, the track signals a new chapter for an artist determined to push beyond genre lines without abandoning his roots.

"I listened to the music he already had out there and I liked him, and I liked his voice a lot,” says Jennings on his first impressions of Foster. “Then when I spoke to him on the phone I really liked where he was going with everything…then when I heard the songs he put together, I thought this was going to be really great…The minute we started on the songs I was really excited right out of the gate because it was already sounding like Tony Joe Wright swampy kinda Bobbie Gentry stuff, it was really exciting…I love the songs he wrote and the stories he wove really leant themselves for a really exciting and country soundtrack.”

Working with Jennings left a lasting impression on Foster and an experience for which he’ll always be thankful. “Shooter Jennings was generous enough to take a chance on me,” says Foster. “Those two weeks recording in the heart of Hollywood are memories I’ll carry for the rest of my life. I’m deeply grateful to everyone who helped bring these songs to life.”

Foster is set to release the first track off the album, “Fat Elvis,” on April 17 (pre-save here), a rowdy, cinematic introduction to Foster’s evolved sound. What began as a late-night joke among friends sparked by the line in the song “sweatin’ like fat Elvis on a postcard down in Memphis, Tennessee” quickly evolved into something larger. Set against the chaos of Mardi Gras in New Orleans, “Fat Elvis” unfolds like a hazy fever dream of American excess and hard-earned lessons, blending humor with a darker reflection on fading icons, bad decisions, and the strange mythology we build around ourselves. The track features Foster on vocals and lead guitar, two-time Grammy-Award winner Ted Russell Kamp (Shooter Jennings, Tanya Tucker, Robert Randolph) on bass, Brian Whelan (Chris Shiflett, Dwight Yoakam, Jim Lauderdale) on lead guitar, Jamie Douglass (Shooter Jennings, Jaime Wyatt) on drums, Evan Hull (Lee Greenwood, Ty Herndon, Vince Gill) on electric guitar, and Greg Leisz (Joni Mitchell, Beck, Eric Clapton) on steel guitar.

At a moment when mainstream country continues to lean sleek and radio-ready, Foster’s music digs into something stranger and more unpredictable, blending mountain gospel spirit, Red Dirt attitude, and Americana storytelling that feels lived-in rather than manufactured. Jennings, known for championing artists who exist outside traditional boundaries, approached the project less as a producer chasing perfection and more as a collaborator helping Foster build a sonic world where humor, chaos, and hard-won truths could coexist.

A natural progression from his acclaimed 2025 release We Made Fire, with “Fat Elvis,” Foster steps further into a lane that feels defiantly his own, one where humor meets heartbreak and tradition collides with risk. As the Americana landscape continues to evolve, Appalachian Funk Tree positions Foster among a new wave of artists willing to challenge genre expectations while staying rooted in the storytelling spirit that defines country music at its core.

Catch Levi Foster on tour throughout the year. Current tour dates are listed below. More will be announced soon.

Tour Dates:
March 28 at The Mint Franklin, KY
April 17 at El Club w/ Colby Acuff, Detroit, MI
April 18 at The Intersection, Grand Rapids, MI w/ Colby Acuff
April 24 at Willies Saloon, Stillwater, OK w/ Colby Acuff
April 25 at Magnolia Motor Lounge, Fort Worth, TX w/ Colby Acuff
May 7 at Open Chord Music, Knoxville, TN
May 8 at The Hi-Tone Cafe, Memphis, TN
May 9 at The East Room, Nashville, TN
May 21 at Eddie's Attic, Decatur, GA
May 23 at The Loft, Columbus, GA
June 11 at Manor Mill, Monkton, MD
June 12 at The Heist, Bowling Green, VA
June 13 at The Listening Booth, Lewes, DE
June 14 at Pearl Street Warehouse, Washington, DC

Jennifer Lyneis
Ue3promotions
jen@ue3promotions.com
Visit us on social media:
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
TikTok

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.