New Justin Townes Earle ‘Nothing’s Gonna Change..’ 3/27

(download title track now at justintownesearle.com)

Bloodshot Records has just announced that Justin Townes Earle will be releasing his 4th LP Album on March, 27th, 2012, and it is a mouthful, called Nothing’s Gonna Change The Way You Feel About Me Now.

Produced by Earle alongside longtime collaborator Skylar Wilson, the 10-track album was recorded completely live with no overdubs over a four-day period at an old converted church recording studio in Asheville, NC. Of the new record, Earle says, “I think that it’s the job of the artist to be in transition and constantly learn more. The new record is completely different than my last one, Harlem River Blues. This time I’ve gone in a Memphis-soul direction.”

Indeed, NGCTWYFAMN is uncompromised, 60’s-era Muscle Shoals sound, accompanied by lots of brass, and we’ll think you’ll find this album a natural progression of JTE’s musical catalog.

Back in February, Earle told Billboard he wanted his next album to have a Memphis vibe, and intended to record it in London for a “change of pace”. Obviously the latter did not happen, but the idea of reviving the Memphis sound did.

I’m going to approach different forms of music that have come out of Memphis over the years, based around everything from Sun to Stax. I think it will be fun. I approached that a little bit by having ‘Move Over Mama’ and ‘Slippin’ and Slidin’ ‘ (on Harlem River Blues). I’m of the opinion rock ‘n’ roll and soul music are virtually the same thing, just with a difference in the beat. They’re the same chords. The songs are about the same things. One of things I like doing is finding those connections and running them all together.”

The other notable change between Nothing’s Gonna Change and his last album Harlem River Blues is this album will hypothetically be one Justin Townes Earle recorded while sober. Earle openly admits his last album was recorded during an extended relapse that ended with him being arrested in Indianapolis, and that his lack of sobriety can hurt his creative process as he told Blurt:

The abuse I put my body through never once helped me write a song. Luckily, I haven’t done any permanent damage to my brain. Often, drugs destroy your creative process.

After winning Saving Country Music’s 2009 Album of the Year with his second full-length release Midnight At The Movies, Saving Country Music openly questioned Justin’s sobriety when giving Harlem River Blues a mixed review. However the album was critically-acclaimed by most, and the title track won the 2011 Americana Music Awards Song of the Year. JTE also SCM’s Top Live Performance for 2011, and certainly Nothing’s Gonna Change is one of our most-anticipated releases for 2012.

Track List:

1. Am I That Lonely Tonight?
2. Look the Other Way
3. Nothing’s Gonna Change the Way You Feel About Me Now
4. Baby’s Got a Bad Idea
5. Maria
6. Down on the Lower East Side
7. Won’t Be the Last Time
8. Memphis in the Rain
9. Unfortunately, Anna
10. Movin’ On

“It Won’t Be The Last Time” was the first song Justin Townes Earle wrote after getting sober.

Short film from Joshua Black Wilkins made during recording of the album.

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