Grey DeLisle is joined by Dave Alvin & Deke Dickerson on new album out in October

Singer/songwriter Grey DeLisle is previewing her Don't Turn Around album with the honky-tonk whumper "The Lights Are Off But Somebody's Home." 

Here's the scoop...

Deke Dickerson & Grey

Singer/songwriter Grey DeLisle has announced her forthcoming album, Don't Turn Around – out October 23 via Hummin'bird Records – with the release of its lead single, "The Lights Are Off But Somebody's Home." A darkly funny, rockabilly-flavored take on the Bakersfield Sound, the track transforms the classic country tale of a two-timing lover into a sharp-witted honky-tonk anthem packed with twang, swagger, and DeLisle's signature blend of heartbreak and humor.

Produced by the late Andy Paley (Brian Wilson, Jerry Lee Lewis, Madonna) and completed by longtime collaborator Marvin Etzioni following Paley's passing, Don't Turn Around brings together an extraordinary cast of musicians including Deke Dickerson, Murry Hammond, Stephen McCarthy, Greg Leisz, Chris Scruggs, Tammy Rogers, Bernie Dresel, Mandy Barnett, Mickey Raphael, engineer Jake Gideon, and special guest Dave Alvin, who joins DeLisle for the duet "You're Driving Me Away." Drawing from classic country, California roots music, and rockabilly traditions, the album remains unmistakably Grey DeLisLe, pairing unforgettable storytelling with hard-earned humor and remarkable resilience.

Across its 11 songs, Don't Turn Around explores the many ways people leave one another and the roads they travel afterward. Lovers drive away. Doors close. Empty houses become haunted by memory. Yet for all its heartbreak, the album is filled with warmth, wit, and resilience, affirming once again that few modern songwriters capture the spirit of classic country quite like DeLisle.

The story behind Don't Turn Around is every bit as remarkable as the songs themselves, beginning between takes on the set of SpongeBob SquarePants. While voicing members of Sandy Cheeks' family on the long-running animated series, DeLisle struck up an unlikely friendship with Paley, an acclaimed composer, songwriter, and producer whose credits included Brian Wilson, Jerry Lee Lewis, Patti Smith, NRBQ, and The Ramones. After discovering that DeLisle was also a songwriter, Paley encouraged her to play him one of her songs. The song was "Don't Turn Around," and it marked the beginning of one of the most rewarding creative partnerships of DeLisle's recording career.

Together, DeLIsle and Paley began crafting Don't Turn Around before Paley's unexpected passing in 2024. Rather than leave the project unfinished, longtime friend and collaborator Marvin Etzioni completed the album, honoring Paley's vision while helping bring it to life.

Though millions know DeLisle as the voice of Daphne Blake in Scooby-Doo, Azula in Avatar: The Last Airbender, and beloved characters across The Fairly OddParents, The Simpsons, SpongeBob SquarePants, and more, songwriting has remained the throughline of her creative life. A Grammy-winning artist whose recordings have earned widespread critical acclaim, she continues to draw from the traditions of classic country while bringing her own unmistakable wit, warmth, and perspective to every song.

You can pre-order a copy of Grey DeLisle's forthcoming album Don't Turn Around via Bandcamp right here. 

Check out the kick-ass first track "The Lights Are Off But Somebody's Home" below. Also, Grey's home was recently featured in the New York Times, have a look right here.

Happy Birthday Mandy Barnett!

Celebrating the birthday of brilliant interpretive stylist Mandy Barnett with her version of Cindy Walker's "Dream Baby" and more

Mandy Barnett's cut a new version of "Dream Baby" for the Cindy Walker tribute album It's All Her Fault – check it out here.

Grey DeLisle and pals salute legendary Western Swing songwriter Cindy Walker

Singer/songwriter Grey DeLisle and her friends recorded their fave Cindy Walker tunes for It's All Her Fault.

Grammy winning singer/songwriter and voice actor Grey DeLisle gathered a few friends together to record a tribute to legendary country songwriter Cindy Walker ("You Don't Know Me, Dream Baby, Bubbles In My Beer, Blue Canadian Rockies, etc). The resulting 13-track collection, It's All Her Fault: A Tribute To Cindy Walker – due October 10th via Hummin'bird Records – involves contributions from Rosie Flores, Kelly Willis, Mandy Barnett, Jolie Holland, Gail Davies and of course Grey DeLisle who doubled as executive producer of the project. 

If DeLisle had the time and financial resources, it could've easily been 20 volume set considering how  prolific Cindy Walker was over the course of her five decade plus career as a tunesmith in which she wrote more than 500 songs with numerous top-10 hits recorded by Bob Wills & The Texas Playboys, Elvis Presley, Ernest Tubb, Bing Crosby, Webb Pierce, Jim Reeves, Gene Autry, Eddy Arnold, Al Dexter, Roy Orbison and Willie Nelson who put out a tribute album of his own,  You Don't Know Me: The Songs of Cindy Walker, released on March 16, 2006 just seven days before she died near her home of Mexia, Texas at the age of 88. Streaming proceeds will be directed to the Cindy Walker Foundation to help with the renovation of her home. 

Listen to Kelly Willis singing "I Don't Care" which Walker co-wrote with Webb Pierce in 1955 following the track listing for It's All Her Fault. Pierce's original recording spent 12 weeks on top of the C&W Best Sellers chart and Ricky Skaggs hit big  with it again in 1982. 

Also, watch three "Soundie" clips of Cindy Walker performing "Bearcat Mountain Gal" from 1942, "Ti-Yi-Yippie-Aye" and "Election Day" both from 1944 below. And check out Grey DeLisle's latest solo release, The Grey Album released earlier this year on her own Hummin'bird Records label which you can get via her site listed in the links section along with a couple of recent articles about the release of It's All Her Fault. 

 

It's All Her Fault – A Tribute To Cindy Walker

1. Katie Shore - You're From Texas

2. Summer Dean - Don't Talk To Me About Men 

3. Kimmi Bitter - Hey, Mr. Bluebird 

4. Amythist Kiah - Goin' Away Party 

5. Mozzy Dee - It's All Your Fault 

6. Rosie Flores - You Don't Know Me 

7. Kelly Willis - I Don't Care 

8. Brennen Leigh, Grey DeLisle - You've Got My Heart Doing a Tap Dance 

9. Melissa Carper - Take Me In Your Arms 

10. Mandy Barnett - Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream) 

11. Gail Davies - The Warm Red Wine 

12. Jolie Holland - Don't Be Ashamed Of Your Age 

13. Ginny Mac - The Day You Left Me 

LINKS

Grey DeLisle site

femmemusic.com Grey DeLisle & Friends: It's All Her Fault – A Tribute To Cindy Walker

Buddy Magazine Grey DeLisle leads tribute album to Cindy Walker