Dave and Joey Landreth grew up tucked under bar tables while their father played gigs, lulled to sleep by the rumble of bass and the buzz of guitars. Those early nights planted a bond with music that still runs deep. Decades later, the brothers are carrying that sound forward with their new album “Dog Ear,” a record that doubles as a love letter to family, stability and the kind of refuge a song can provide.

Out Nov. 14 through Birthday Cake Records, “Dog Ear” is the band’s fourth full-length release. It arrives anchored by the lead single “I’ll Drive,” co-written with Grammy-nominated songwriter Jonathan Singleton during a trip to Nashville earlier this year. For the duo, the song is about simplicity, freedom and the open road.

“We wrote this with our pal Jonathan Singleton, who we’ve co-written some of our favorite songs with,” the band said. “We spent a few days with him back in January 2025 and brought this one home just in time to cut it in the final session for the record. At its heart, it’s a simple song about throwing your cares out the window and hitting the road with someone you love.”

The record takes its name from one of its tracks, but the metaphor of a folded corner on a page carries across the album. For the Landreths, the image symbolizes stability and presence.

“The title comes from one of the songs, but it also reflects a recurring theme of the record: trying to be a stable, constant force in the lives of the people around us – especially our families,” they said. “Throughout the album, we explore what it means to be present, to be strong for the people we love and to act as a waypoint when they get lost in their own lives. The ‘dog ear’ or bookmark felt like the perfect metaphor for that idea.”

“Dog Ear” is defined by collaboration. Among its guests are alt-pop artist Begonia and blues legend Bonnie Raitt, two artists who represent very different but equally meaningful connections for the band.

“Working with Bonnie was an unbelievable gift,” the Landreths said. “Knowing she believed in the music enough to lend her voice was a huge honor, and recording with her was some of the most fun we’ve ever had. She’s a legend for a reason.”

Begonia, or Alexa Dirks, has been part of the Landreths’ orbit for years.

“Begonia is a dear old friend of ours – we’ve been collaborating for years. Joey and Alexa were in their first band together. She wrote two songs on our first album, contributed to ‘’87’ and now she’s singing on this record. Having her voice on the album feels like coming full circle.”

The brothers often describe their music as prayer-like, small offerings meant to carry weight beyond melody.

“For me, those moments usually happen in the writing room,” Dave Landreth said. “I can feel it physically – like a thump in my chest – when a lyric or line starts getting close to the heart of the matter. That doesn’t always mean it’s going to be a great song, but it means we’re getting to something honest, and that’s the most important thing.”

Honesty has been a hallmark of the band’s career, from their debut “Let It Lie” through the Grammy recognition they earned when Raitt covered “Made Up Mind.” Her version won the Grammy for Best Americana Performance in 2023.

“That was a surreal, pinch-yourself experience,” they said. “It was incredible watching that song go on its own journey, seeing Bonnie champion it, share it with her fans and sing our praises the whole time. She’s one of the most sincerely generous humans I’ve ever known. The biggest takeaway for us was inspiration – to try to channel some of that generosity and lift up other artists the way she does.”

The Landreths are fathers now, and that shift has reshaped not just their lives but also their work.

“Becoming parents has changed everything,” they said. “Practically speaking, we have to be much more intentional about balance – consulting our partners on decisions, making sure our kids’ needs come first and saying ‘no’ when we need to. It can be hard when everyone wants you all over the world all the time, but putting up boundaries is crucial. Communicating with our partners keeps us sane.”

The brothers say the reward is worth it.

“The reward for fighting for that balance is that we get to be better people – better dads, better husbands – and that makes us better artists too.”

“Dog Ear” also reflects the energy of their touring band, which includes drummer Roman Clarke, producer Murray Pulver, keyboardist Glenn Patscha and engineer Ian Phillips. The sessions captured the spontaneity of live performance.

“We wanted people to hear what this band can do,” they said. “The energy, the ideas, the love and care that these musicians bring to the songs are all over this record.”

The band is often praised for “blood harmony,” a term that nods to their familial blend of voices. Their influences are well documented – Little Feat, Ry Cooder and Bonnie Raitt among them – but their focus now is on carving their own path.

“When you’re young, you imitate your heroes,” they said. “That mimicry puts their sounds and vocabulary deep into your bones. As you grow, you start building on what you’ve learned and telling your own stories. That’s when you truly find your own voice.”

With “Dog Ear” due in November, the Landreths are preparing for shows in North America and Europe. Stops include the Guitar Summit Festival in Mannheim, Germany and a string of U.S. dates that stretch from Texas to California, followed by February appearances in Denmark.

For all the touring and recording, the band remains focused on what they hope listeners carry away.

“I hope they leave feeling hopeful, thinking about who the ‘lighthouse keepers’ are in their lives, or maybe who they can be a ‘dog ear’ for,” they said. “And I hope they walk away thinking, damn, those dudes can play.”

“Dog Ear” arrives more than two decades after the brothers first began chasing music under the glow of bar lights in Winnipeg. It carries the weight of their experiences as sons, fathers and songwriters, offering what they call “tiny prayers” for connection and strength. The Landreths may have started under the tables at their father’s shows, but with this record, they stand firmly in the spotlight, charting their own place in the lineage of roots and soul.