Joshua Ray Walker Plays Two New Songs in New York City Basement [Exclusive Videos]

Joshua Ray Walker first performed live in New York City on April 23, 2019. That evening, he took the stage as the opener for American Aquarium at the Mercury Lounge on East Houston Street. With just his acoustic guitar, he captivated the audience with haunting renditions of songs including "Canyon" and the live debut of "Voices."

Since that night, Walker has played countless shows across the country and released his second studio album, Glad You Made It. Like many of his peers, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he's kept busy even though he couldn't be on the road: He released a fantastic cover of Lionel Richie's "Hello," and he wrote and recorded his third LP, See You Next Time, which completed his self-described dive bar trilogy upon its release on Friday (Oct. 8), via State Fair Records.

A few days before celebrating his new album, Walker found himself back in New York City, performing at the Mercury Lounge once again. As in 2019, the show featured Walker and his acoustic guitar, but this time around, he invited The Boot to come to the show a little early and get a sneak peek of some of his new songs.

Past the bar and down the stairs into the basement, Walker had a simple setup: a cup of whiskey, a bottle of water, a fan to keep cool and his acoustic guitar.

"I think this is the first time I've played this one acoustically," Walker said before starting "Sexy After Dark," the lead single from his new record. "I might actually try to play it tonight at the show."

Following that song and a few minutes of chatting, Walker cleared his throat, took a drink and started playing another track from See You Next Time, the gut-wrenching, all-too-relatable "Cowboy." Watch his performance below:

Walker has several shows scheduled well into 2022 throughout his home state of Texas, all over the United States and even across Europe. Fans can can stay up to date with him and his travels at JoshuaRayWalker.com.