Written during his treatment for stage 3b colon cancer, the album's beach-country songs were born from fantasies of ocean breezes and sandy beaches, dreamt up while the longtime road warrior was confined to his home while undergoing chemotherapy. Tropicana trades honky-tonks for hammocks, offering a rallying cry of resilience wrapped in tropical twang. "I was at home for a year, without the ability to play shows or even take a vacation," Walker explains. "Since I couldn't leave town and go see a palm tree in real life, I started writing about them." Inspired by Jimmy Buffet's early records, George Strait's vacation-minded hits, and the glory days of '90s country music, Walker's new songs all shared a common location: a mythical beachside hotel called The Tropicana. "It's the sort of place where you can order a piña colada at the pool bar and go wander down a nondescript beach," Walker says. "I couldn't go to the beach, so I decided to bring the beach to me."
Tuesday: Joshua Ray Walker – Tropicana
