Asleep At The Wheel continue their golden anniversary celebration with the release of the title track from their latest album Riding High In Texas, out now via Bismeaux Records and Signature Sounds Recordings. Written by bluegrass legend Peter Rowan, the tune gets a lively Western swing makeover featuring Ian Stewart on lead vocals and a show-stopping guitar turn from the incomparable Billy Strings.
“Love everything about this song,” says frontman Ray Benson. “It also made for a great title for the record. Ian can yodel and has Billy Strings play guitar on it… took it to a whole new level.” Stewart’s jubilant refrain — “Let’s go riding high in Texas in my mind / Said sometimes I feel I gotta leave this crazy world behind” — captures the spirit of the Lone Star State in classic Wheel fashion, blending pedal steel, fiddle, and pure country joy. Strings’ bluegrass flatpicking adds a burst of energy that ties together generations of Americana brilliance.
The new music video for “Riding High In Texas” perfectly embodies that Lone Star energy, featuring Stewart performing on horseback through Austin’s streets, intercut with slow-motion rodeo footage and full-band performances at Dallas’s legendary Longhorn Ballroom and Benson’s own studio in Austin. It’s a vibrant visual love letter to Texas music, history, and the band’s enduring roots.
“Riding High In Texas” follows the earlier singles “Texas In My Soul” and “Texas,” further cementing the band’s half-century-long devotion to the state that shaped their sound. Their mix of Western swing, country, and bluegrass has made Asleep At The Wheel an institution across generations — a bridge between Texas tradition and modern Americana.
This summer marks another milestone: the band’s induction into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame, a fitting honor for their 50 years of musical storytelling. With Riding High In Texas, Ray Benson and company prove that five decades in, they’re still riding tall — and swinging higher than ever.