On May 17th, Virgin Records will release Give Till It's Gone, Ben Harper's 10th studio album.
The two-time GRAMMY winner will headline a trio of festivals this spring: Bluesfest in Australia, GrassRoots, the New Zealand Blues & Roots All Music Festival, and the Wakarusa Festival in Ozark, AR.
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The pre-sale for his upcoming shows in Kansas City, MO and Denver, CO begins Friday, February 25th, at 10:00 AM CT at Ben Harper Ticketing. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Saturday, February 26th. Harper will also be performing at Lollapalooza Chile and headlining several French festivals.
With "Rock N' Roll Is Free," the album's first single, Harper pays tribute to an audacious art form that continually challenges the status quo, demanding that we look at the world in "a brand new way."
The song was inspired by rock legend Neil Young, whom Harper opened for in London last summer. Young's mesmerizing performance of "Rockin' in the Free World" planted the seeds of a new song in Harper's mind, compelling him to go straight back to his room after the show and write "Rock N' Roll Is Free." The incident is emblematic of the kind of urgency with which the new album was forged.
Harper recorded most of Give Till It's Gone - his first solo record since 2006's Both Sides of the Gun - at the Los Angeles studio of Jackson Browne, who harmonizes with him on the wistful "Pray That Our Love Sees The Dawn."
The album also features two tracks co-written with Ringo Starr - the exuberant, psychedelic-tinged "Spilling Faith" and "Get There From Here," an improvisational instrumental.
Ringo Starr, who also plays drums on the songs, tapped Harper for his 2010 album, Y Not.
"I've never made a record that was such a timeline," says Harper. "It's a real extension of the last year and half in my life, and all these sounds are inspired by my experiences. It's as honest a musical statement as I could make."
With Give Till It's Gone, Harper examines the disparity between the man he is today and the man he endeavors to become. Reaching deep within, he discovers there are no easy answers, but implores us to go the distance with him on this journey in the moving album opener, "Don't Give Up On Me Now."
While its songs are highly personal, Give Till It's Gone illuminates the universal struggle to find meaning and fully engage with life and one another. We may pass through a dark night of the soul, but giving up is not a viable option, as Harper reminds us with certainty in the transcendent "I Will Not Be Broken."
Ben Harper made his debut in 1994 with Welcome to the Cruel World, which was subsequently certified Gold. In 2005, he received GRAMMY awards for "Best Pop Instrumental Performance" for his single "11th Commandment" and for "Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album" for There Will Be A Light, featuring the Blind Boys of Alabama.
His three most recent studio albums - Both Sides of the Gun (2006), Lifeline (2007) and White Lies for Dark Times (2009) - debuted in the Top 10 of The Billboard 200. Harper formed Fistful of Mercy with Dhani Harrison and Joseph Arthur and the trio released the album As I Call You Down in 2010.
The track listing for Give Till It's Gone is as follows:
1. Don't Give Up On Me Now
2. I Will Not Be Broken
3. Rock N' Roll Is Free
4. Feel Love
5. Clearly Severely
6. Spilling Faith
7. Get There From Here
8. Pray That Our Love Sees The Dawn
9. Waiting On A Sign
10. Dirty Little Lover
11. Do It For You, Do It For Us
Ben Harper 2011 tour dates:
(Dates and information subject to change.)
April 2011
4/2 Santiago, Chile Lollapalooza Chile
4/21 Byron Bay, NSW Australia Bluesfest
4/22 Byron Bay, NSW Australia Bluesfest
4/23 Manukau, New Zealand GrassRoots
June 2011
6/4 Ozark, AR Wakarusa Festival
6/5 Kansas City, MO Crossroads
6/6 Denver, CO Ogden Theatre
July 2011
7/16 Aix Les Bains, France Musilac Festival
7/22 Nimes, France Les Roman Arenes/Festival de Nimes
7/25 St. Malo Du Bois Poupet Festival
Additional dates will be announced shortly.
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For the latest information, go to:
Ben Harper Official Website
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