Blues Traveler to Release New Album 'Traveler's Soul' In October
The album will be released on Friday, October 20.
By: Michael Major Oct. 19, 2023
On Friday, October 20th Blues Traveler will release Traveler’s Soul, their fifteenth full-length studio album, on Round Hill Records/Black Hill Records.
The quintet, comprised of John Popper (vocals, harmonica), Chan Kinchla (guitar), Tad Kinchla (bass), Ben Wilson (keyboards) and Brendan Hill (drums), channel the same magic as always, but this time the group put their spin on R&B and soul staples straight out of the American Songbook, and it’s nothing short of spellbinding…
“The first thing to consider about the majority of tunes we chose to cut for Traveler’s Soul is that they were originally produced as pop singles- they cut the fat! Blues Traveler is not a low-fat band, so at times it was difficult to lay into these tunes and let them be. But that was the challenge for us– how to cover these classic hit songs and make them feel like our own,” said Ben Wilson.
Along with the album, the band has released the single “I Can’t Stand The Rain” featuring soulful songstress Valerie June. A hypnotic groove and thumping bass line power up Blues Traveler’s swaggering take on the Ann Peebles epic. “It’s got a very traditional R&B form in terms of the chord progression, but it eventually flips with this incredible feel,” Chan said.
“The beginning of ‘I Can’t Stand the Rain’ has that super unusual semi-arpeggiating sound. Chan, being a guitar player, was convinced it was a guitar, but after deep study and a close listen, and then ultimately a google search, we found out it was an electric timpani. Who knew?! Anyway, what is doubly interesting is that when you listen closely to the intro on that track you can hear the bleed of the full band playing the groove. So, they added that timpani after and muted the other channels until the groove kicked in. It gives the tune another little hook, as well as adding some depth to the arrangement. Valerie June sat in with us on this one, and she is KILLER….love how she sings it. She definitely has that Ann Peebles attitude.” - Blues Traveler keyboard player, Ben Wilson
Blues Traveler always treat this magic with the utmost care. It’s why they continue to resonate as loudly as ever among audiences nearly four decades since their emergence. It’s why their catalog endures, comprising three gold-selling records, one platinum LP, and the 6x-platinum opus Four, highlighted by the GRAMMY® Award-winning “Run-Around.”
It’s why they can still roll through any town on tour and pack a shed or amphitheater. It’s why they even notched their most recent GRAMMY® nod in 2022. It’s also why they tally tens of millions of streams to this day.
“Music is the old magic,” smiles Chan. “You can’t recreate a live performance anywhere. It happens once– in the studio or on stage –and it brings everyone together. The songs we chose for Traveler’s Soul move people so much because there are great pockets you can really sink into. You just don’t want to leave.”
These anthems also fit like a glove for Blues Traveler. In 2021, they tackled a batch of blues covers with Traveler’s Blues and wound up with a GRAMMY® Award nomination in the category of “Best traditional Blues Album.” Maintaining this momentum, the musicians made the decision to dive headfirst into another lane altogether.
“We had so much fun with Traveler’s Blues that we were like, ‘We should try this again with a different style’,” recalls Chan. “We have so many influences, going from hip-hop and blues to pop, rock, and R&B. We wanted to honor Soul and R&B and challenge ourselves by trying our own take on some of our favorites from those genres.”
Recording with GRAMMY® Award-winning producer and Traveler’s Blues cohort Matt Rollings, the boys cut 12 tunes in Nashville, TN, spanning fifties and sixties standards, New Orleans nuggets, and nineties bangers.
The guys introduce this chapter with “Fool For You” written by Curtis Mayfeild and popularized by The Impressions (the group that he was a member of) back in 1968. A wailing harmonica gives way to an understated guitar riff and a heavenly piano melody. This ebb-and-flow underlines a smoldering vocal performance from John backed by a rapturous choir.
“It’s actually got a unique time signature,” Chan says. “The instrumentation we use is different from what’s on the original recording, but it has a modern vibe. It was strangely tricky and definitely a great challenge. We just love the way it turned out.”
Horns swoon across a funky guitar strut on their reimagining of King Floyd’s 1970 hit “Groove Me.” An urgent and undeniable performance thrives on the signature chemistry and unspoken sonic shorthand between the bandmates.
Elsewhere on the album, the band strolls through The Big Easy with a rollicking rendition of Dr. John’s “Qualified” punctuated by ragtime piano, upbeat horns, and slick fretwork. Chan adds, “We knew we needed to do a Dr. John song, because our keyboardist Ben is such a huge fan. We wanted to pick a deeper cut, and ‘Qualified’ fit the bill perfectly.”
A dynamic cast of collaborators adds multiple dimensions to Traveler’s Soul. Modern genre stalwart Ryan Shaw lends his vocals to the soaring “When A Man Loves A Woman,” while Clyde Lawrence rolls through for the wah guitar-driven “Just Kissed My Baby.”
Perhaps most surprisingly, they ride a wave of inspiration on TLC’s “Waterfalls,” which unites Blues Traveler with Pat Monahan of Train and up-and-coming hip-hop artist Daisha McBride. Beyond the vocal fireworks and intimate acoustic guitar, Daisha lights up the track with an homage to Lisa Left Eye’s iconic rap.
“She crushed it,” Chan grins. “It was so fun to hear a real rapper on a Blues Traveler song. We brought in the acoustic as opposed to all of the layered production in the original. We opened the door for the Blues Traveler sound. We had just toured with Train, so it was cool to have Pat on there. It brings things full circle.
When ‘Run Around’ was big, ‘Waterfalls’ was on MTV back-to-back. The nineties were so weird and great, because you could have TLC followed by Blues Traveler. We’d do radio shows, and our trailer would be next to theirs. When you’ve been doing this as long as we have, you’re actually around for some of the classics!”
Inspired and invigorated by this season, Blues Traveler will continue cooking up their own classics as well.
“All of these songs have a life of their own,” Chan leaves off. “It’s magical to see what music can turn into if you’re open and creative. We learned so much by taking these songs apart and seeing how these great musicians write. It was a masterclass in songwriting, and it will definitely influence where we go next. We’ve grown, and 36 years on, that’s a great thing.”
About Blues Traveler:
35 years ago, the four original members of Blues Traveler—John Popper, Chandler Kinchla, Brendan Hill, and the late Bobby Sheehan—gathered in their drummer’s parents' basement in Princeton, NJ to jam. From these high school sessions emerged a band that would go on to release a total of 14 studio albums, four of which have gone gold, three platinum, and one six-times platinum- selling more than 10 million combined units worldwide.
Over an illustrious career, Blues Traveler has played over 2,000 live shows in front of more than 30 million people, and, in “Run-Around,” had the longest-charting radio single in Billboard history, which earned them a Grammy® for “Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.”
Their latest album Traveler's Blues (Round Hill Records) was released in 2021 and featured reimagined and recharged classics from the American blues songbook and a few surprises. The group’s first official blues album, it was nominated for a Grammy® for “Best Traditional Blues' Album” in 2022.
BLUES TRAVELER 2023 FALL TOUR DATES
10.20.23 - Sweetland Amphitheatre – LaGrange, GA
10.21.23 - Deep Roots Festival – Milledgeville, GA
10.23.23 - Contemporary Arts Center – Morgantown, WV
10.25.23 - Santander Performing Arts Center – Reading, PA
10.26.23 - The Capitol Theatre – Port Chester, NY
10.27.23 - Grunin Center for the Arts – Toms River, NJ
11.03.23 - Crystal Grand Music Theatre – Wisconsin Dells, WI
11.08.23 - Rialto Square Theatre – Joliet, IL
11.09.23 - Manchester Music Hall – Lexington, KY
11.11.23 - Brown County Event Center – Nashville, IN
11.12.23 - SKyPAC – Bowling Green, KY
11.14.23 - Tannahill’s Tavern – Fort Worth, TX
11.16.23 - Downstream Casino Resort – Quapaw, OK
11.17.23 - Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort – Hot Springs, AR
11.18.23 - IP Casino Resort & Spa – Biloxi, MS
11.20.23 - Montgomery Performing Arts Center – Montgomery, AL
11.21.23 - Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, TN
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