ILLINOIS country-folk singer and songwriter John Prine will release his first new material in 13 years on the album The Tree Of Forgiveness on April 13 on his own independent label, Oh Boy Records.

Produced by Grammy Award-winning Dave Cobb, the recordings were made at Nashville’s RCA Studio A, with ten new songs written by Prine along with co-writers Pat McLaughlin, Roger Cook, Dan Auerbach, Keith Sykes and Phil Spector.

In addition to 71-year-old Prine on lead vocals and acoustic guitar and Cobb on acoustic guitar, mellotron, claps and kazoo, the album features special guests Brandi Carlile on harmony vocals, Jason Isbell on electric guitar, slide guitar and background vocals and Amanda Shires on fiddle and background vocals.

Last year saw the publication of Prine’s debut book, John Prine Beyond Words, featuring a selection of favourite songs, photographs and stories from Prine’s back catalogue. His songs down the years have been recorded by Johnny Cash, Carly Simon, Bette Midler, Bonnie Raitt, Norah Jones, George Strait, Miranda Lambert and the Zac Brown Band.

The track listing for The Tree Of Forgiveness will be Knockin’ On Your Screen Door; I Have Met My Love Today; Egg & Daughter Nite, Lincoln Nebraska, 1967 (Crazy Bone); Summer’s End; Caravan Of Fools; The Lonesome Friends Of Science; No Ordinary Blue; Boundless Love; God Only Knows (the one written by Prine and Spector) and When I Get To Heaven.

Prine will play three British dates this summer, including the Cambridge Folk Festival on August 5.