Ruston Kelly is set to drop his full-length studio debut album, Dying Star, on Rounder Records early this fall. In advance of its release, the singer-songwriter has shared the lead track, "Jericho," off the upcoming project; readers can press play above to watch the music video for the song.

"Rivers weren't made for drowning / Souls were never made to fail / I build Jericho around me / But these walls were built to scale," Kelly sings in the song's chorus, describing the inevitability of pain before leading into a bridge that explains why the hurt is worth it: "Yeah, you gotta try for something / Bend your knee and fight for something / Learn how to die for something / So you ain't living life for nothing ..."

Kelly says that, as a whole, Dying Star plays on the potentially dark theme of suffering, but shines a light into the dimness to find gratitude.

“A lot of my music is focused on suffering, or trying to understand the human condition through the lens of suffering … which probably sounds totally depressing, but it’s actually the flipside of that," he explains in a press release. "Sometimes you’ve gotta go into that darkness — you need to get lost and then figure out for yourself how to find your way back. That’s the only way we can find pure joy, and really be thankful for the life we’ve been given.”

In addition to co-producing his album with Jarrad K, Kelly wrote or co-wrote all 14 tracks on Dying Star, joined in the process by Natalie Hemby and Lucie Silvas, among others. Kelly's backing band on the album draws from a solid repertoire of talent and family: his father, Tim "TK" Kelly (Kelly's first guitar teacher) on pedal steel guitar, background vocals from Kelly's wife Kacey Musgraves and more.

Dying Star is due out on Sept. 7 but is available for pre-order now. Kelly is launching a headlining tour this fall in support of his new album; for a full tour schedule, check out his website.

Ruston Kelly, Dying Star Track Listing:

1. "Cover My Tracks" (written by Ruston Kelly, Jarrad K)
2. "Mockingbird" (written by Ruston Kelly)
3. "Son of a Highway Daughter" (written by Ruston Kelly)
4. "Paratrooper’s Battle Cry" (written by Ruston Kelly)
5. "Faceplant" (written by Ruston Kelly, Jarrad K, Brendan Benson)
6. "Blackout" (written by Ruston Kelly, Jarrad K, Joy Williams)
7. "Big Brown Bus" (written by Ruston Kelly)
8. "Mercury" (written by Ruston Kelly)
9. "Anchors" (written by Ruston Kelly, Jarrad K)
10. "Just for the Record" (written by Ruston Kelly, Jarrad K, Lucie Silvas)
11. "Trying to Let Her" (written by Ruston Kelly, Joe Leathers, Kyle Jacobs)
12. "Jericho" (written by Ruston Kelly, Joy Williams, Natalie Hemby)
13. "Dying Star" (written by Ruston Kelly)
14. "Brightly Burst Into the Air" (written by Ruston Kelly)

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