After a long period of stardom from the mid 1980s through the late 1990s, Dwight Yoakam took the usual path a veteran artist takes in releasing albums and recordings on his own or smaller ("indie") labels. Now four years removed from his last album for New West Records, Dwight Yoakam has returned to his label roots by signing to Warner Music Nashville.

The 54-year-old Kentucky musician-turned-actor is slated to release a new album for Warner Bros. Nashville early next year, the company has announced. It will be produced by Yoakam and Joe Chiccarelli, who has worked with such alt-rock acts as My Morning Jacket, the Shins and the Strokes. Yoakam also has been recording some tracks with Beck.

 “When I heard his current music, I was blown away,” Warner Music Nashville’s President and  Chief Executive John Esposito said in a statement. “I think that it is some of the best music he has ever done,  and I’m incredibly proud to have him back at Warner Bros. Records.”

It's been a quarter century since Yoakam's acclaimed major-label debut, "Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.," came out.