Atlanta blues titan Tinsley Ellis returns with a powerful new chapter. His new album Labor Of Love arrives on Friday 30 January 2026 via Alligator Records, marking his second acoustic release and the first to feature an entire set of original material. It will be available on CD, Georgia peach coloured vinyl, and all major digital platforms. Pre orders are open now.
Alongside the announcement, Ellis has released the album’s first single Hoodoo Woman, complete with a striking new video directed by filmmaker Troy Bieser. The track draws directly from the Mississippi Hill Country sound, an influence Ellis has carried for decades. “It is inspired by R. L. Burnside,” he explains. “I did shows with him here and in Europe, and his music became ingrained in my soul.”
Labor Of Love is a raw, intimate collection of thirteen songs infused with the grit, tension and emotional honesty that have shaped Ellis’ forty year career. These new songs explore flooding waters, rising flames, personal struggles and spiritual release. From the feral punch of Hoodoo Woman to the rolling John Lee Hooker groove of Long Time, from the Skip James shaded To A Hammer to the stomping power of Sunnyland, Ellis approaches each track with fearless conviction.
The heart of the album is tied closely to the American South. During the recording sessions, Ellis travelled to Bentonia, Mississippi, home of Skip James and blues legend Jimmy Duck Holmes. Time spent at the Blue Front Café and long conversations with Holmes fed directly into the atmosphere of the record. “Once I got home, I went right back to the studio and incorporated everything I had just experienced into my music,” Ellis says.
Labor Of Love showcases Ellis’ mastery of open tunings and acoustic tone. He recorded with a 1969 Martin D-35, a Martin D-12-20 twelve string, and a 1937 National Steel, exploring six different tunings across the album. For the first time, he also introduces mandolin on three tracks. The result is a sound world that feels both traditional and newly discovered.
Since the release of Naked Truth in 2024, Ellis has toured the United States alone on his jokingly titled Two Guitars And A Car tour. Performing solo has sharpened his instincts and reconnected him with the essential core of blues storytelling. “No matter what I play, I like to have an edge,” he says. “Playing this music has always been a labor of love. I sat at the feet of Muddy Waters, B. B. King, Howlin Wolf. If I could make a living playing the blues, I always told myself I would be successful.”
Premier Guitar recently summed up his standing in the genre: “Ellis is a legend of American blues music. He is an American music treasure.”
Labor Of Love is set to stand as one of the most personal and revealing works in the Tinsley Ellis catalogue. It captures a musician who continues to push his craft forward while remaining deeply rooted in the tradition he honours.
