Cody Canada may be from Oklahoma, but the former Cross Canadian Ragweed frontman has called New Braunfels home for many years, and his new band, Cody Canada and the Departed, is a Texas proposition.

The Departed will release its first album of original material, Adventus (the Latin word for “arrival”), on November 13.

The first single from the new set, “Worth the Fight,” is already out, but listen to an exclusive debut of “250,000 Things” here. 

Canada also checked in with a few notes from the band’s recent tour, which culminated in a set at ZZ Top’s LaGrange Festival outside of Austin this past Saturday:

We’ve been out on the road, away from home for almost 3 weeks now. The run has been amazing, and since the word of the new record has hit the streets our crowds have doubled. We got to squeeze in one practice day in Tulsa followed by beers and music with friends. A couple of my band mates and most of our crew got to sit side stage at the Chili Peppers concert at the BOK. Billy, our bus driver, got to meet Flea. Seth and I scored a last minute opening spot for Todd Snider and Jason Isbell at the Cains ballroom. Then Tom Skinner showed up to finish out an already amazing day with more Okie brother love. Ended Tulsa the way we always do–under the stage on the actual stage that Bob Wills built. Thanks to Brad for letting us stay late and have that honor. The next day we hit Norman, Oklahoma, for an outdoor show. A cold front decided to join us and it was COLD! The Sooner crowd stayed and rocked. I honestly saw a baby lemur in a Wizard of Oz flying monkey costume spill a jack and coke and then ride a shoulder mounted stuffed possum. So how does The Departed end a badass run like that? At the Backyard in Austin with our old friends ZZ Top.

It’s cold for the Hill Country today, but its gonna be a barn burner. Nothing like playing with a band you’ve looked up to your entire life. Set list is done, and 99 percent of it is material from the new record. But we have faith in our crowd. We have all of our gals and some California folks coming out and, of course, our New Braunfels crew. [Bassist Jeremy] Plato and I did 25 shows with ZZ in the Ragweed days so this feels like a very old, comfortable pair of shoes. 

Our set was electric man! The smiles on my brothers’ faces of accomplishment will forever be tattooed in my mind. I love this rock and roll, man. People grooved and shook to music that they’d never heard. One lady screamed, “Who are you?” I very proudly said, “The Departed, darlin’.”

It was so packed backstage for Jimmie Vaughan, I barely got a chance to hear or see anything. But he is royalty. 

ZZ took the stage with class. They had a movie rolling behind them that looked like a Robert Rodriguez joint. The show was everything that it should be–straight up TEXAS MUSIC! With a fantastic ending to a fantastic tour, I’m headed home to squeeze my family tight. 

Thanks for reading. Real music is alive and well in Texas!

Peace, Cody.

Next up the band plays in Mission at the Las Palmas Race Park (11/1), the John T. Floore Country Store (11/2), and the Lumberyard, in Roscoe, (11/3).