The Doobie Brothers Are Back!

First album in a zillion years with Michael McDonald!

Special guests include Mavis Staples. Tom Johnston & Patrick Simmons are there too!

By Matt Friedlander for www.americansongwriter.com

Walk This Road will be released on June 6 and features 10 new original tunes. Two songs from the album, the title track and “Call Me,” have been released in conjunction with the announcement.

The song “Walk This Road” is a gospel- and soul-influenced tune that features guest vocals by Mavis Staples. All of The Doobie Brothers’ core members—Michael McDonald, Tom Johnston, Simmons, and John McFee—also sing on the track, which offers an uplifting message of unity.

“We all sang on ‘Walk This Road,’ that’s a different kind of track for us to do,” Johnston said in a statement. “I think it’s good to try to do things you haven’t done before, that’s the way it should be.”

“Call Me,” meanwhile, is a melodic roots-rock tune sung by Johnston.

McDonald, Johnston, and Simmons all lent their songwriting talents to Walk This Road’s various songs, with each co-writing material with the album’s producer, John Shanks.

Walk This Road also includes the song “Lahaina,” which The Doobie Brothers first released in November 2023. Some proceeds from that track are being donated help those affected by the devastating fires that struck the Hawaiian island of Maui in August 2023. “Lahaina” also features guest appearances by Fleetwood Mac drummer Mick Fleetwood, ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro, and singer/songwriter Henry Kapono.

Walk This Road is the first collection of new Doobie Brothers songs to feature McDonald since the One Step Closer album in 1980. McDonald rejoined The Doobie Brothers’ lineup in 2021, when the band launched its 50th anniversary tour.

“Getting back in with the guys and playing again is great,” Michael said in a statement. “In my heart I’ve always been a Doobie Brother. We’ve all remained friends over the years. We’ve all been enjoying it tremendously, even more than we thought we would.”

It’s worth noting that McDonald did appear on many of the tracks on The Doobie Brothers’ 2014 album, Southbound. That record showcased updated versions of classic songs by the band featuring guest appearances by various country artists.

The news about The Doobie Brothers’ new album coincides with the announcement that three of the band’s members—McDonald, Johnston, and Simmons—will be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame this year. The 2025 induction ceremony will take place on June 12 at the Marriott Marquis hotel in New York City.

Meanwhile, The Doobie Brothers are planning a 2025 tour to support Walk This Road, although no dates have been announced yet.

The Doobie Brothers, clockwise from top left, John McFee, Patrick Simmons, Michael McDonald and Tom Johnston. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)