The Oak Ridge Boys Plot New Album With Producer Dave Cobb

Country Music Hall of Fame members the Oak Ridge Boys are planning a new album, and the group has one of Americana and country music’s most in demand producers on their short list to oversee the project: Dave Cobb.

Cobb, who has produced albums by Chris Stapleton and Jason Isbell, worked with the group on their 2009 release The Boys Are Back and Oaks singer Joe Bonsall says the band hopes to reunite with the Grammy winner for a new project.

“It may be our last, who knows, but we need to do one more fresh album of great ideas,” Bonsall tells Rolling Stone Country. “We are so turned on about wanting to do this, and we’ve talked to David and he says he’s onboard and he’s trying to earmark a time for next year.”

Cobb confirms he’s been trying to schedule a session with the Oaks, but says they’ve yet to align schedules.

Bonsall and his fellow Oak Ridge Boys Duane Allen, Richard Sterban and William Lee Golden first met Cobb while singing backing vocals for a track on Shooter Jennings’ 2007 LP The Wolf.

“The idea came up during the Shooter sessions to do an album on us,” says Bonsall, recalling the producer’s unconventional suggestion that the group cover a White Stripes anthem. “He said, ‘You may think I’m crazy, but I hear the Oaks doing ‘Seven Nation Army.” I said, ‘I think you’re crazy as a bat, but let’s go.'”

Assuming they can lock in a session, Bonsall is eager to see what Cobb comes up with next. “He proved it to us before he can do it,” says Bonsall.

In the meantime, the Oak Ridge Boys, who just released their – wait for it – own line of jalapeno peppers, are set to embark on their annual Christmas tour in support of their new holiday album Celebrate Christmas.