Willie Nelson Dream Chaser: Release Date, Tracklist & Bob Dylan Collab

Willie Nelson’s 79th solo studio album, Dream Chaser, releases May 29, 2026, via Legacy Recordings. The album is available for pre-order now on CD, vinyl, and digitally, including in Dolby Atmos. Track four carries a Bob Dylan co-writing credit their first shared songwriting credit since Across the Borderline in 1993.

What Is Willie Nelson’s Dream Chaser Album?

Dream Chaser is Willie Nelson’s 79th solo studio album and his 156th album overall, per Texas Monthly’s interactive All Willie Nelson Albums Ranked. The project brings together a collection of reflective, story-driven tracks focused on relationships, personal growth, and life on the road rooted in classic songwriting traditions with a modern perspective, balancing intimate narratives with universal themes of perseverance, timing, and clarity. Legacy Recordings confirmed the album streams in Dolby Atmos on all compatible platforms from release day.

Dream Chaser Release Date and Where to Pre-Order

Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, releases Dream Chaser on Friday, May 29, 2026. Pre-orders for the CD, vinyl, and digital editions are live now at willienelson.com, with all physical formats shipping on or around May 29. Nelson announced the album on March 18, 2026 the day before he headlined his annual Luck Reunion at his ranch in Spicewood, Texas, during SXSW week releasing the title track the same day.

Dream Chaser Full Tracklist and Songwriting Credits

Dream Chaser runs ten tracks, with Nelson and Buddy Cannon co-writing six of them. Here is the complete tracklist as verified by Legacy Recordings and Rolling Stone:

1. Dream Chaser — Buddy Cannon, Bobby Tomberlin & Willie Nelson
2. Fly Away — Buddy Cannon & Bobby Whitlock
3. We’d Make a Good Movie — Willie Nelson, Buddy Cannon & Bobby Tomberlin
4. I Can’t Read Your Mind — Willie Nelson, Buddy Cannon & Bob Dylan
5. Whiskey Wants Me To — Buddy Cannon & Bobby Tomberlin
6. Wonder What I’m Gonna Do — Willie Nelson & Buddy Cannon
7. After All — Willie Nelson & Buddy Cannon
8. Love Overdue — Mickey Raphael, Donald W. Poythress & Anna Lisa Graham
9. I Don’t Think I’ve Cried Today — Buddy Cannon, Bobby Tomberlin & Willie Nelson
10. Developing My Pictures — Earl Montgome

Nelson and Cannon co-wrote six of the ten tracks, with Bobby Tomberlin joining three of those collaborations. Longtime Willie Nelson Family Band harmonica player Mickey Raphael co-wrote “Love Overdue” with Donald W. Poythress and Anna Lisa Graham and plays on the album as well. The closing track, “Developing My Pictures,” stands alone as the album’s sole outside composition, written entirely by Earl Montgomery.

The Bob Dylan Co-Write

Nelson and Dylan previously wrote “Heartland” together for Nelson’s 1993 album Across the Borderline making “I Can’t Read Your Mind” their first shared writing credit in 33 years. Willie explained exactly how it came together in his December 2025 GQ interview: “Bob Dylan and I were talking a while back about writing a song together. He had an idea of ‘I can’t read your mind.’ We started with ‘I can’t read your mind. The letters are too small.’ I handed that over to Buddy, and he took it and turned it into a good song. That’s pretty rare with Bob.”

Nelson and Dylan shared the Outlaw Music Festival Tour headline slot in both 2024 and 2025 the tours where this idea took shape between the two. Buddy Cannon developed the fragment into a finished song and holds a co-writing credit alongside Nelson and Dylan on the final recording. The collaboration carries extra weight because Dylan has rarely co-written with other artists throughout his career Nelson acknowledged as much in the GQ interview himself.

What Does Dream Chaser Sound Like?

The title track opens with Nelson looking in the mirror and catching himself by surprise “Wasn’t I just a kid moving to Tennessee?” he sings. “With an old guitar and eyes full of stars, chasing a crazy dream?” That image of the young man who left for Nashville decades ago anchors the whole album’s emotional territory. Rolling Stone described the song as a meditation on life and aging Nelson reflecting on the rapid passage of time with the plainspoken directness that has defined his writing since the 1960s.

Across all ten tracks, the album balances intimate personal narratives with wider themes of perseverance, timing, and clarity. The Cannon partnership nearly 20 albums across 13 years gives the record a consistent sonic identity built on clean production and room for Nelson’s voice to carry the songs. Dream Chaser follows Workin’ Man: Willie Sings Merle, Nelson’s November 2025 Merle Haggard tribute album, which was his 78th solo LP.

Grammy Context

Nelson’s A Beautiful Time won Best Country Album at the 2023 Grammy Awards. Oh What a Beautiful World then earned a Best Traditional Country Album nomination at the 2026 Grammys. Dream Chaser drops into that same late-career surge three major studio releases in roughly three years, each drawing serious critical and industry recognition.

No artist in country music has maintained this release pace at this stage of a career. The Grammy nominations confirm the output carries genuine artistic weight, not just catalog volume. Dream Chaser arrives one month after Nelson turns 93 on April 29, 2026.

Willie Nelson 2026 Spring Tour

Nelson announced a six-date spring 2026 tour on the same day as the album, March 18, pairing new music with live performances across the Southeast and Texas. Here are all six confirmed dates:

• April 22 — Birmingham, AL @ Avondale Brewing Company
• April 23 — Atlanta, GA @ Synovus Bank Amphitheater at Chastain Park
• April 25 — Asheville, NC @ Asheville Yards Amphitheater
• April 27 — Cary, NC @ Koka Booth Amphitheatre
• April 28 — Wilmington, NC @ Live Oak Bank Pavilion
• May 2 — New Braunfels, TX @ Whitewater Amphitheater

Club Luck member presale ran first, with a Live Nation presale for select dates opening March 19 at 10:00 AM local time. General tickets went on sale via Ticketmaster on March 20. The New Braunfels finale at Whitewater Amphitheater carries no opening act Nelson and the Family band close the run alone.

Frequently Asked Questions About Dream Chaser

When does Willie Nelson’s Dream Chaser come out? May 29, 2026, via Legacy Recordings on CD, vinyl, and all major digital platforms including Dolby Atmos.

What number album is Dream Chaser for Willie Nelson? Dream Chaser is his 79th solo studio album and 156th album overall, per Texas Monthly’s complete Willie Nelson discography ranking.

Does Bob Dylan appear on Dream Chaser? Dylan holds a co-writing credit on “I Can’t Read Your Mind” alongside Nelson and producer Buddy Cannon. No vocal appearance by Dylan on the album has been confirmed by Legacy Recordings.

What is the first single from Dream Chaser? The title track “Dream Chaser,” released March 18, 2026 — streaming now on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music.

Who produced Dream Chaser? Buddy Cannon produced the album, continuing a 13-year partnership with Nelson that has produced nearly 20 albums together.

Where can I pre-order Dream Chaser? CD, vinyl, and digital pre-orders are live now at willienelson.com. All physical formats ship on or around May 29, 2026.

How many songs are on Dream Chaser? Ten tracks. Nelson and Cannon co-wrote six of them, with Bobby Tomberlin joining three of those collaborations.

Is Dream Chaser connected to Willie Nelson’s 2026 tour? Yes — Nelson announced a six-date spring tour the same day as the album, running April 22 through May 2 across Birmingham, Atlanta, Asheville, Cary, Wilmington, and New Braunfels.

What is “I Can’t Read Your Mind” about? The song originated from a lyric idea Bob Dylan brought to Nelson — “I can’t read your mind, the letters are too small.” Nelson passed it to producer Buddy Cannon, who developed it into a finished track. It marks their first co-write in 33 years.

Did Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan write together before Dream Chaser? Yes. Nelson and Dylan co-wrote “Heartland” for Nelson’s 1993 album Across the Borderline — the only previous shared songwriting credit between the two before “I Can’t Read Your Mind.”