Southern Avenue Collaborate With Jason Mraz for New Song 'Move Into The Light'

Today, The Memphis-based soul powerhouse Southern Avenue are thrilled to share "Move Into The Light," a high-energy, horn-filled song co-written with multi-GRAMMY® winning pop-sensation Jason Mraz and Platinum-selling producer Michael Goldwasser (Easy Star All-Stars). "Move Into The Light" is the second song to be released from the band's forthcoming album BE THE LOVE YOU WANT. The song premiered earlier this week exclusively via American Songwriter who called the song "earth-shifting" and an "infectious toe-tapper."

Tierinii Jackson spoke with American Songwriter about the song saying, "It's just such a unique collaboration. Jason understands that the vibe of Southern Avenue is very positive, so his approach lyrically perfectly matched the direction for the album. When he turned up with the song, I was so grateful. We reworked it with the band and made it all churchy and soulful and as Memphis-y as we could. It turned out really, really great. It's kind of a wild card because it's more of a dance song, but it's still got that church vibe, it still has the soul."

Preceding the release of "Move Into The Light," Southern Avenue shared "Push Now," along with the official music video - a light-hearted happy-go-lucky visual that showcases the band's personality and incorporates family members from the entire Southern Avenue team.

"We wanted the video to be fun, colorful, and alive. What better way to do that than to make it a raging party filled with super-cute kids," says Southern Avenue frontwoman, the song's co-writer and mom of two of the video's young stars, Tierinii Jackson. "The energy of the track was definitely matched by our adorable friends. It's LIT!"

The third studio album from Southern Avenue, BE THE LOVE YOU WANT, was produced by multi-GRAMMY® winner, Steve Berlin (Los Lobos, Deer Tick, Susan Tedeschi, Jackie Greene), and co-produced by Ori Naftaly, and arrives on August 27, 2021 via Renew Records/BMG.

BE THE LOVE YOU WANT sees Southern Avenue pushing themselves towards bold new ideas of what it means to be a blues band in the modern world, bending and reshaping their musical heritage with electrifying performance, vivid production, and a remarkably clear vision. Operating from their distinctively international vantage point, Southern Avenue has produced a wide-ranging collection of original music - predominantly co-written by Israeli-born guitarist Ori Naftaly and powerhouse lead vocalist Tierinii Jackson - that links them to their home city's glorious past while at the same time, demonstrates their ambitious intent to evolve Memphis music to contemporary effect. With BE THE LOVE YOU WANT, Southern Avenue continue driving the Southern soul legacy into the 21st century, preserving its glory and tradition while striving towards something diverse, universal, and altogether their own.

Ahead of the release and into the fall, the band will set out on an extensive tour that includes over a dozen previously announced dates supporting Jason Mraz.

The band brilliantly bridges the power of Memphis soul with jamband liberation, gospel blues, and R&B to craft their own timeless brand of American music. The ambitious sonic approach expertly complements BE THE LOVE YOU WANT's rich themes of self-love, self-empowerment, personal accountability and the desire to push through towards something greater in life.

Southern Avenue is: Tierinii Jackson - Lead Vocals, Background Vocals * Ori Naftaly - Guitars *

Tikyra Jackson - Drums, Background Vocals * Jeremy Powell - Keys * Evan Sarver - Bass

SOUTHERN AVENUE ON TOUR

7/17 @ Renaissance at Colony Park |Ridgeland, MS w/ Big Head Todd & The Monsters

7/21 @ Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park | Rochester, MN

7/22 @ Music at the Meridian | Yankton, SD

7/23 @ Levitt at the Falls | Sioux Falls, SD

7/24 @ Holland Center | Omaha, NE

7/30 @ Stubb's Waller Creek Amphitheater | Austin, TX*

7/31 @ The Lawn at White Oak Music Hall | Houston, TX*

8/1 @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory | Dallas, TX*

8/3 @ Starlight Theatre | Kansas City, MO*

8/4 @ Saint Louis Music Park | St. Louis, MO*

8/6 @ Andrew J. Brady ICON Music Center | Cincinnati, OH*

8/7 @ TCU Amphitheatre at White River State Park | Indianapolis, IN*

8/8 @ Meadow Brook Amphitheatre | Detroit, MI*

8/10 @ Rose Music Center | Huber Heights, OH*

8/11 @ Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island | Chicago, IL*

8/13 @ Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica | Cleveland, OH*

8/14 @ Stone Pony Summerstage | Asbury Park, NJ*

8/15 @ The Anthem | Washington, DC*

8/19 @ Brooklyn Bowl | Nashville, TN w/ Maggie Rose

8/20 - 21 @ Summer Camp Music Festival | Chillicothe, IL

8/27 @ Performance Pavilion at Sweetwater | Fort Wayne, IN w/ Samantha Fish

8/28 @ Levitt Pavilion | Dayton, OH

8/29 @ Railbird Music Festival | Lexington, KY

9/10 & 11 @ Big Blues Bender | Las Vegas, NV

9/18 @ Shipyard Festival | Cape Girardeau, MO

9/26 @ Roots N Blues Festival | Columbia, MO

10/1 @ Mempho Festival | Memphis, TN

10/8 @ Clay Center for the Arts | Charleston, WV

1/22 - 26 @ Panic en la Playa | Riviera Maya, Mexico

1/29 - 2/5 @ Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise | Eastern Caribbean

*w/Jason Mraz

All tour dates and up to date news available at southernavenuemusic.com

Photo Credit: Michael Weintrob

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