Chuck Leah, a Texas-born singer-songwriter who also works as a museum paleontologist, has unveiled “Coyote,” the shadowy, winding first single from his forthcoming eighth studio album, A Necessary Evil.
Co-produced by Leah and Grammy-winning multi-instrumentalist Larry Campbell (Bob Dylan, Levon Helm), this atmospheric piece serves as a chilling preview of an album shaped in the aftermath of a close call with death. Recorded entirely without digital processing, the 53-year-old Leah stands as an unapologetic throwback in an age of algorithm-driven perfection, pairing a raw, sandpaper-edged voice with top-tier instrumental skill.
The story behind “Coyote” began during a late-night journey Leah made to a remote Mississippi crossroads—the legendary spot where Delta blues icon Robert Johnson is said to have struck his infamous deal with the Devil. Sitting beneath the midnight moon with his guitar, Leah entered a strange, hypnotic standoff with a lone coyote that dissolved as quickly as it had materialized.
Years later, that eerie encounter took on a terrifying new meaning when a routine injury suffered in a Hollywood hotel room led to a severe MRSA infection and life-threatening sepsis. Leah spent 57 days hospitalized, enduring four blood transfusions and seven surgeries. During the hazy, morphine-laced fever dreams of his recovery, he was haunted by apparitions of the same ghost-like coyote lurking outside his hospital door.
“I told the LA Times the other day, this is the record I was dying to make,” Leah reflects. “Coming through what I experienced is bound to change you. The whole record is focused on resilience, survival, and thinking about the decisions you’ve made your whole life.”
Creeping forward with a slow, ominous groove, “Coyote” mirrors the stalking pace of the animal itself. Backed by a soaring gospel quartet that underscores the album’s central theme of good versus evil, the song builds toward a thunderous, cathartic peak as a Hammond B3 organ swells—marking the exact, terrifying edge of near-death before bursting into a spiritual release.
Listen to "Coyote" HERE. Watch the video HERE!
"Coyote," like every track on A Necessary Evil, was cut live with no digital processing, click tracks, digital edits, or auto-tune. Alongside Leah and Campbell is an elite crew of session musicians, including drummer Aaron Sterling (John Mayer, Taylor Swift), keyboardist Eric Finland, and longtime guitarist Scott Eric Olivier.
Tracks were laid down in iconic acoustic spaces such as Power Station New England in Connecticut and Blackbird Studio 1 in Nashville. Leah also recorded at Les Paul’s historic Hollywood studio using the world’s first recording console—engineered by Grammy winner Tom Camuso and featuring guest appearances by Grammy winners Shawn Camp and Greg Leisz.
“Coyote” is available now across all major streaming platforms. A Necessary Evil is scheduled for release later this year.
For more information, visit:
https://www.chuckleah.com/
Dominique Silva
Jensen Communications
dominique@jensencom.com
