Leftover Salmon will release 'Something Higher' May 4. (Image credit: John-Ryan Lockman/ShowLove Media)
Today, Guitar World has teamed up with Americana mainstays Leftover Salmon to premiere a new song, "Places." The track is from the band's upcoming album, Something Higher, which is due out May 4 via LoS Records.
To create Something Higher, Leftover Salmon returned to long-time producer Steve Berlin (Los Lobos) with a new mission: to record at Wavelab Studio in Tucson, Arizona—and to go all analog. “[Steve] is always looking for that thing in a song or a groove he hasn’t heard before,” says bassist Greg Garrison, “which is tricky because he’s heard a lot of stuff already!"
"The first thing we worked on when we arrived in Tucson was 'Places'," says keyboardist Erik Deutsch. "Drew [Emmitt] had written a stellar hook and some great verses about his travels; all it needed was a little extra 'something.' So with Steve Berlin's guidance, I came up with the cascading intro melody and then the chords for the bridge and solo section. We plugged in those chords again for the song's outtro, and voila—'Places' was ready to go."
For the past quarter-century, Leftover Salmon have established themselves as key figures in Americana, digging deep into the well that supplies its many influences—rock ‘n’ roll, folk, bluegrass, Cajun, soul, zydeco, jazz and blues. They're the direct descendants of Little Feat, New Grass Revival, the Grateful Dead and the Band, born of the heart and soul of America and playing music that reflects sounds emanating from the Appalachian hills, the streets of New Orleans, the clubs of Chicago, the plains of Texas and the mountains of Colorado.
For more about Leftover Salmon and Something Higher, visit leftoversalmon.com. For a bonus taste of the new album, check out the video below.
Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.
