Drummer John Densmore of The Doors has teamed up with Chuck D of Public Enemy to form doPE, a new collaborative project from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame duo. Their debut album, ‘no country for old men’, was recorded specifically for Record Store Day 2026 and will be released April 18 as part of the annual vinyl-focused event.
According to a news release, the album blends spoken word, rhythm, and social commentary, connecting different generations of cultural resistance. The lead track, “every tick tick tick,” has been named the 2026 Record Store Day Song of the Year. The project traces its origins back to a meeting between Densmore and Chuck D on a Record Store Day panel in 2014, followed by a creative exchange that gradually evolved into a full-length collaboration.
“It’s been an honor working with Chuck D. on this project,” Densmore said. “He’s got the rhymes & I’ve got the beats… & we made doPE!” Chuck D added, “John Densmore’s beat isn’t just rhythm, it’s history talking. He’s been scoring moments of our culture for decades, and that wisdom hits different when it meets the now.” Together, their work frames music as both documentation and dialogue.
The album title emerged from an exchange between the two artists, with Densmore offering the line, “Everybody gets older, but not everybody gets elder,” which became a thematic anchor for the project. Musically, ‘no country for old men’ operates with restraint and intention, letting rhythm and language carry weight rather than excess, and allowing each voice space to resonate within the collaboration.
‘no country for old men’ Track Listing:
every tick tick tick
no country for old men
doomsay
the bones of my father
i love that i don’t know
people are strangers
breakthru
ops3ssion
dajali ii
everybody dies
no country for old men (dub)
saydoom (dub)