Jan. 08--Mavis Staples announced Thursday she will release her album "Livin' on a High Note" Feb. 19.
The Chicago native's album features songs written by Nick Cave, Neko Case, Bon Iver's Justin Vernon, Tune-Yards, Benjamin Booker and Aloe Blacc, among others.
"I've been singing my freedom songs and I wanted to stretch out and sing some songs that were new. I told the writers I was looking for some joyful songs," Staples, 76, said in a statement to Rolling Stone magazine. "I want to leave something to lift people up; I'm so busy making people cry, not from sadness, but I'm always telling a part of history that brought us down and I'm trying to bring us back up."
The 12-track album will be produced by M. Ward. Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy produced her last two studio albums.
The album release coincides with the Feb. 29 HBO premiere of her documentary "Mavis!."
