Blues Traveler just seem comfortable in their own skin.
Take the title track from their upcoming release Blow Up The Moon, due out April 7.
It’s ukulele groove and island vibe lead us to a singalong chorus that was simply infectious. Killer harmonies and harmonica add some extra awesome sauce.
With super solid and clever lyrics and spot-on musicianship, this song is a new fave!
Blow Up the Moon is the first collaborative album that Blues Traveler has ever made. Prior to these sessions, it was rare for the band to have someone else perform on their songs and even more rare to have anyone outside the band write with them. This process was a unique and successful experience for each of these artists who each found new depths and energy in their writing and performance. Blow Up The Moon is an exciting collaboration featuring a range of artists across the spectrum, representing country, pop, reggae and hip-hop.
This track, “Blow Up The Moon,” is the result of a collaboration between Blues Traveler and electronic duo Sean Foreman and Nathaniel Motte, better known as 3OH!3. Also included was a contribution from J.C. Chasez (*NSYNC). Keyboardist Ben Wilson says Foreman, “is one of those real grinders who pored over every word all day until he felt we had a real coherent tune. And Sean played an instrument called a guitalele, which looks like a ukulele, but has six strings. When you hear it in this context it has a twangy sound that’s just awesome.”
Let’s listen now!
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After selling millions of records and logging thousands of miles on the road, GRAMMY award-winning band Blues Traveler continue to chart new musical directions evident on their upcoming record Blow Up The Moon. A clever collaboration between various artists, the album sees Blues Traveler keep an open-minded perspective on making music and enlists an eclectic mix of songwriters influenced by the band’s remarkable 25+ year career.
Blow Up the Moon is the first collaborative album that Blues Traveler has ever made. Prior to these sessions, it was rare for the band to have someone else perform on their songs and even more rare to have anyone outside the band write with them. This process was a unique and successful experience for each of these artists who each found new depths and energy in their writing and performance. Blow Up The Moon is an exciting collaboration featuring a range of artists across the spectrum, representing country, pop, reggae and hip-hop.
“We wanted to experiment with co-writing since we usually try to do everything in-house, in this misguided homage to The Beatles,” says singer John Popper. Blow Up The Moon allowed Blues Traveler to expand their musical palette while holding the foundation of their distinct and explosive brand of rock. “We found quality writers to see what they could bring to us as a band, and also people who could see our strengths, something that’s hard to see for yourself.”
Blow Up The Moon features collaborating artists Thompson Square, Plain White T’s, 3OH!3, Dirty Heads and Rome Ramirez (Sublime), Hanson, Jewel, Secondhand Serenade, JC Chasez (*NSYNC), Bowling for Soup, New Hollow and Thomas Ian Nicholas.
Blues Traveler plan to spend all of 2015 on the road and are looking at more collaborative projects in the future since, as Wilson said, “There are a lot of different ways to write songs, and so many different ways to work with other people and arrive at the same place. It was reaffirming, but also instructive in teaching us how to say something simpler. When you listen to what came out of it, it’s something to be proud of.”
Loud & Proud Records will release Blow Up The Moon on both CD and vinyl in North America via RED Distribution (a division of Sony Music Entertainment) and in the rest of the world through earMUSIC. Loud & Proud see Blues Traveler as a relevant artist and the collaborations as exciting partnerships proving the band’s versatility.
Track Listing:
01. Hurricane – Blues Traveler & 3OH!3
02. Blow up the Moon – Blues Traveler, 3OH!3 & JC Chasez (*NSYNC)
03. Castaway – Blues Traveler, Dirty Heads & Rome Ramirez
04. Vagabond Blues – Blues Traveler, Dirty Heads & Rome Ramirez
05. Top of the World – Blues Traveler & Hanson
06. Nikkia’s Prom – Blues Traveler & Plain White T’s
07. Matador – Blues Traveler & Thompson Square
08. I Can Still Feel You – Blues Traveler & Thompson Square
09. The Darkness – We all Need Blues Traveler & Secondhand Serenade
10. Jackie’s Baby – Blues Traveler & New Hollow
11. Hearts Are Still Awake – Blues Traveler & Jewel
12. I Know Right – Blues Traveler & Bowling for Soup
13. Right Here Waiting for You – Blues Traveler & Bowling for Soup
14. All the Way – Blues Traveler & Thomas Ian Nicholas
Acoustic Nation is written by Laura B. Whitmore, a music industry marketing veteran, music journalist and editor, who has contributed to Parade.com, Guitar World, and others. She has interviewed hundreds of musicians and hosts the She Rocks Podcast. As the founder of the Women’s International Music Network, she advocates for women in the music industry and produces the annual She Rocks Awards. She is the Senior Vice President of Marketing for Positive Grid, making the world safe for guitar exploration everywhere! A guitarist and singer/songwriter, Laura is currently co-writing an album of pop songs that empower and energize girls.
