On October 6th, JD McPherson returns with his first new album in three years, Undivided Heart & Soul on New West Records. The 11-song set was produced by McPherson and Dan Molad (Lucius, Tweedy), and was recorded at the Historic RCA Studio B in Nashville, TN. The new album features collaborations with Parker Millsap, Butch Walker, and Aaron Lee Tasjan. In addition to his longtime band members (Doug Corcoran on guitar, Raynier Jacob Jacildo on keys, Jimmy Sutton on bass, and Jason Smay on drums), the album also features guest appearances by Jack Lawrence (Raconteurs, Greenhornes), Jess Wolfe & Holly Laessig of Lucius, and Nicole Atkins. The video for "Lucky Penny" depicts McPherson and his band performing the song at RCA Studio B and was directed by George Salisbury (Flaming Lips, Nathaniel Rateliff) can be seen below. Undivided Heart & Soul will be available digitally, as well as on compact disc and vinyl which you can now pre-order right here.
Prior to writing and recording the new album, McPherson moved his family from their longtime home of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma to the burgeoning artist community of East Nashville, TN. His decision was based on opportunity and one he was reluctant to make, but notes the profound influence the city has had on his new work. “Up to this point, I thought I knew what I was doing with songwriting, that I don’t do this or that,” says McPherson. After collaborating with multiple artists in the scene, he began to experiment, exploring personal themes and injecting more of himself into his work (including a co-write on the album with his wife Mandy). Opening up his process was no easy task. “I was having nightmares every night, thinking, ‘Wow, they’re going to hate this.”
With a group of songs taking shape, McPherson and crew scheduled studio time to begin work on the album. After initial tracking began, it quickly became apparent that the sessions were not going to work, bringing his momentum to a halt. At the invitation of his friend and longtime supporter Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age, who was also recording at the time, McPherson, Homme, and his Queens bandmate Dean Fertita jammed together over a weekend in Los Angeles. They played around with some songs, with Homme pushing McPherson outside of his comfort zone in a no-stakes environment. McPherson calls the getaway “the most fun I’ve had since I was 15 years old” and returned to Nashville with a clear head, internal filters successfully stifled, and ready to move forward with a new co-producer in Dan Molad (also the drummer for the band Lucius). “There’s a pretty broad gap in our tastes, what we do and what we’re into,” McPherson says of Molad. Where McPherson is as likely to lean on The Cramps as he is Irma Thomas for inspiration, Molad’s left-field production suggestions influenced a new perspective on his sound. “We ended up learning a lot from each other, and he did a lot of stuff I’d have never thought to do.”
JD McPherson has also just announced his initial North American tour dates in support of Undivided Heart & Soul, launching in Wichita, Kansas and continuing throughout the fall with a Toronto show at Lee's Palace on November 10th. Check the complete list of dates after the "Lucky Penny" clip.
JD McPHERSON ON TOUR:
AUG 8 • Barleycorn's • WICHITA, KS
AUG 11 • Okoboji Blue Water Festival • ARNOLDS PARK, IA
AUG 19 • Wildwood Revival • ATHENS, GA
AUG 25 • Wolf Trap • VIENNA, VA
AUG 31 • The Back Room at Colectivo Coffee • MILWAUKEE, WI
SEP 1 & 2 • Minnesota State Fair • ST. PAUL, MN
SEP 3 • The Villages at Copper Mountain • COPPER MOUNTAIN, CO
SEP 7 • Central Park Sessions • MADISON, WI
SEP 8 • Bell's Eccentric Cafe • KALAMAZOO, MI
SEP 22 • Medicine Stone • TAHLEQUAH, OK
SEP 23 • John T. Floore Country Store • HELOTES, TX
SEP 28 • Knuckleheads • KANSAS CITY, MO
SEP 30 • Gothic Theatre • ENGLEWOOD, CO
OCT 1 • Mesa Theater • GRAND JUNCTION, CO
OCT 2 • The State Room • SALT LAKE CITY, UT
OCT 4 • Neumos • SEATTLE, WA*
OCT 5 • Crystal Ballroom • PORTLAND, OR*
OCT 7 • The Mountain Winery • SARATOGA, CA
OCT 8 • The Independent • SAN FRANCISCO, CA*
OCT 11 • Belly Up • SOLANA BEACH, CA*
OCT 12 • Pappy & Harriet's • PIONEERTOWN, CA*
OCT 13 • The Observatory • SANTA ANA, CA*
OCT 14 • The Regent • LOS ANGELES, CA*
OCT 15 • Crescent Ballroom • PHOENIX, AZ*
OCT 18 • The Kessler • DALLAS, TX*
OCT 19 • Scoot Inn • AUSTIN, TX*
OCT 20 • Gruene Hall • NEW BRAUNFELS, TX*
OCT 21 • Continental Club • HOUSTON, TX*
OCT 22 • One Eyed Jacks • NEW ORLEANS, LA
NOV 2 • The Grey Eagle • ASHEVILLE, NC
NOV 3 • Cat's Cradle • CARRBORO, NC
NOV 5 • World Cafe Live • PHILADELPHIA, PA
NOV 7 • Music Hall of Williamsburg • BROOKLYN, NY
NOV 8 • The Hangar • TROY, NY
NOV 9 • The Haunt • ITHACA, NY
NOV 10 • Lee's Palace • TORONTO, ONTARIO
NOV 11 • Tralf Music Hall • BUFFALO, NY
NOV 14 • Magic Bag • DETROIT, MI
NOV 15 • Skully's • COLUMBUS, OH
NOV 16 • Thalia Hall • CHICAGO, IL
NOV 17 • Headliner's Music Hall • LOUISVILLE, KY
NOV 18 • The Basement East • NASHVILLE, TN
*with Nikki Lane
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