A newly-announced tribute album LA local hero and Largo regular Don Heffington will feature interpretations of his songs by a cast of the late singer/songwriter's friends and admirers, including Fiona Apple, Jackson Browne, Sara and Sean Watkins, Buddy Miller, Inara George, and actor John C. Reilly.

When Heffington died from complications of leukemia in 2021, he left behind a vast legacy of recordings, including a handful of solo albums. In the '70s and early '80s, he played drums in Emmylou Harris's country-rock Hot Band, before co-founding LA 'cowpunk' group Lone Justice alongside Maria McKee, Ryan Hedgecock, and Marvin Etzioni, who appears on the upcoming record.

A photo of a young Heffington with McKee's arm around him appears on the cover of the recently announced Lone Justice record, Viva Lone Justice, their first in 38 years.

Heffington later toured with U2 and, more recently, was a member of The Watkins Family Hour. His long list of credits also includes Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow, Bob Dylan, Bonnie Raitt, Lucinda Williams, Dwight Yoakam, and many more.

Co-produced by Sheldon Gomberg and longtime Fiona Apple collaborator Sebastian Steinberg, Tonight I'll Go Down Swingin': A Tribute to Don Heffington will be released on 18 October via Nine Mile Records and Clover Music Group. The album features versions of Heffington co-writes with Tom Waits ("Seeds on Hard Ground", covered here by Tony Gilkyson) and Allen Ginsberg (“Put a Kiss and a Tear in Yr. Letter”, covered by The Bird & The Bee's Inara George), while the title track is a version of a Porter Wagoner song by Heffington himself. 

The first track to be shared from the album is "Everywhere I Look" by Jackson Browne, based on a demo given to him by Heffington. Listen below:

Fiona Apple takes on "Lately", from Heffington's 2016 album Contemporary Abstractions in Folk Song & Dance. Earlier this year, Apple provided guest vocals to Iron & Wine's "All in Good Time" and wordless singing to a solo album by her drummer Amy Aileen Wood. In April, Apple's friend and spokesperson Zelda Hallman appeared to confirm that Apple is working on new music to follow 2020's Fetch the Bolt Cutters.

Tonight I'll Go Down Swingin' full tracklist:

1. Kiss The Moon Goodbye (Watkins Family Hour)
2. Fired Again (Buddy Miller)
3. Avenue C (Dave Alvin)
4. Crablice & Quaaludes (The Boltcutters)
5. Generator (Eleni Mandell)
6. Seeds On Hard Ground (Tony Gilkyson)
7. Everywhere I Look (Jackson Browne)
8. The Heffington Appreciation Society (MOMO feat. Jim Keltner)
9. Heffington Abstract (Sarah Kramer with Jorge Calderón & Van Dyke Parks)
10. Live Slow Die Old (John C. Reilly)
11. Lately (Fiona Apple)
12. Tonight I’ll Go Down Swingin’ (Don Heffington)
13. Although the Lord (Victoria Williams)
14. Flying Over Flagstaff (Marvin Etzioni)
15. Sorry About the Matter (Tom Brousseau)
16. Time to Drink Whiskey (Willie Watson)
17. New Rising Sun (Peter Case)
18. That’s Hollywood (Ramsay Midwood)
19. Put a Kiss and a Tear in Yr. Letter (Inara George)
20. Irish Heartbeat (Laura and Don Heffington)