Morgan James Announces Soul Remains The Same Out August 8
Concept album by powerhouse vocalist deconstructs anthems of hard rock and metal and gives them new life in a feminine soul revival
Pre-save Soul Remains The Same HERE.
Hear “Thunderstruck” HERE.
Press materials and hi res images available here.
Aptly called “a phenomenal talent whose feel for classic soul music is bone deep” by The New York Times, Morgan James – powerhouse soul singer, former Broadway actress and alumna of The Juilliard School – has lured the least expected collection of songs into her web of deep-rooted soul: iconic hard rock and metal tracks by artists including Ozzy Osbourne, AC/DC, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Metallica.
Soul Remains The Same, due for release August 8th, follows in the pattern of James’ ever growing list of concept albums: re-creating iconic music made primarily by men, transforming it into something profound, beautiful and completely new, in a way only a woman could.
Today James revealed her first single from the album: a take on AC/DC’s classic “Thunderstruck,” a Motown-inspired funk fest filled with popping horns, a Hammond organ, and of course, James’ unmistakable voice. Think 1960s Aretha in the studio with Angus Young. A video for the track is HERE.
“In making this album, I fell in love with these songs all over again,” said James. “Even iconic songs you’ve known your whole life take on a completely new meaning when seen and heard through the eyes and voice of a woman. This may not be a musical space people would envision me entering into—but I hope fans will listen with fresh ears and find new meaning and power in this music, just as I have.”
In addition to her five albums of original music, Soul Remains The Same follows James’s reinterpretations of Jeff Buckley’s Grace, D’Angelo’s Black Messiah, and The Beatles’ White Album. Two years ago, James released possibly her biggest endeavor to date when she released Jesus Christ Superstar performed by an all-female cast including Cynthia Erivo, Shoshana Bean, Ledisi and Bridget Everett. An all female crew of producers and engineers and a female symphony orchestra brought the profound production to life.
James, who is currently on a robust tour combining symphony shows, club dates and everything in between, sees her career as a boundary-less opportunity to create endless music, breathing soul and a fierce, intentioned voice into everything she does.
For more information on Morgan James
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* Indicates two sets
June
6/28 - Aspen, CO - Aspen Art Museum
July
7/4 - San Diego, CA - The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park
7/12 - Park City, UT - Snow Park Outdoor Amphitheater
7/22 - Detroit, MI - Orchestra Hall
7/24 - East Lansing, MI - MSU Federal Credit Union Headquarters
7/29 - Lancaster, OH - Lancaster Festival at Wendel Concert Stage
August
8/8 - Charlotte, NC - Middle C Jazz Club*
8/10 - Steamboat Springs, CO - Strings Music Pavilion
8/14 - New York, NY - Dizzy’s Club*
8/15 - New York, NY - Dizzy’s Club*
8/24 - Reno, NV - Nightingale Concert Hall
8/25 - Incline Village, NV - Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival at Nevada State Park
8/31 - Budapest, Hungary - Béla Bartók National Concert Hall
September
9/5 - New Albany, OH - Hinson Amphitheater
9/7 - Brampton, ON - The Rose Brampton
9/9 - Toronto, ON - The Great Hall
9/10 - Montréal, QC - Théâtre Fairmount
October
10/3 - Knoxville, TN - Tennessee Theatre
November
11/15 - Buffalo, NY - Kleinhans Music Hall
December
12/18 - Newport News, VA - Ferguson Center for the Arts