Sheryl Crow will release her new album Pick You Up on October 9, 2026, introducing the seven-song project with Freedom Bus, a collaboration with Jesse Welles that addresses freedom, political division and the need for meaningful dialogue.
by Paul Cashmere
Sheryl Crow has announced Pick You Up, her new studio album scheduled for October 9, 2026, with the first single, Freedom Bus, featuring singer-songwriter Jesse Welles, released alongside the announcement. The seven-song album is being issued through Crow’s Old Green Barn Productions LLC and brings her back to the rock, singer-songwriter and Americana territory associated with her most influential work.
Freedom Bus establishes the central concern of the new record: how people maintain a sense of connection while navigating political disagreement and social division. Crow frames the song around the value of freedom and the historical cost associated with securing equal rights.
“I do not take freedom lightly because our freedom has been paid for in the lives of others throughout history and that is something I wish we could all remember when we are interacting with each other,” Crow said.
She added that disagreement should remain part of democratic dialogue, with people mindful of the sacrifices that established the rights they now exercise. The presence of Welles gives the track an additional singer-songwriter dimension, although the album remains centred on Crow’s writing and voice.
All seven songs on Pick You Up were co-written by Crow and her longtime collaborator Jeff Trott. Crow describes the material as being concerned with “being human and wanting connection”, placing personal reflection alongside observations about the current social climate.
“There is a lot of chaos all around us and I definitely find myself feeling alone,” she said. “My wish is that whoever hears these songs feels the hope I feel when I sing them!”
The album artwork has also been personally selected by Crow. It features The Elephant Who Forgot The Ocean by artist Tyson Grumm. Crow, who has collected Grumm’s work for many years, encountered the painting at auction and subsequently purchased the original. It now hangs in her home.
Pick You Up follows Evolution, Crow’s previous studio album, which was released in March 2024. That record was announced in November 2023, shortly before Crow was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The new project represents another chapter in a recording career that began with Tuesday Night Music Club in 1993. That album established Crow internationally after All I Wanna Do became a major hit in 1994 and earned her three Grammy Awards at the 1995 ceremony. Her self-titled second album followed in 1996 and produced If It Makes You Happy and Everyday Is A Winding Road, further establishing the rock-oriented sound that would define much of her 1990s catalogue.
Crow subsequently moved through rock, pop, country, Americana and soul, including the albums The Globe Sessions, C’mon, C’mon, Wildflower, Detours, 100 Miles From Memphis, Feels Like Home, Be Myself and Threads. Her catalogue also includes collaborations with artists including Stevie Nicks, Sting, Keith Richards, Willie Nelson and Joe Walsh.
The new material therefore places Crow in a familiar musical setting while addressing concerns that have increasingly appeared throughout her work. Her 1996 album Sheryl Crow included the protest song Redemption Day, while she publicly opposed the 2003 invasion of Iraq and has previously used her music to address social and political issues.
Crow has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide and has received nine Grammy Awards from 32 nominations. Her 2023 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction formally recognised a career spanning more than three decades.
Pick You Up is a notably concise release, with seven tracks and Freedom Bus serving as its introduction. Physical editions are scheduled to follow the digital release on November 20. Crow will also perform on Good Morning America on August 28 in connection with the album announcement.
Sheryl Crow Pick You Up Tracklisting
“Freight Train”
“Perfect”
“Pick You Up”
“Flat Earth”
“I’ve Got Your Number”
“Heaven Help Us”
“Freedom Bus” (feat. Jesse Welles)
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