Stream Grace Potter’s New Track: Ah Mary

Friday’ll be a tough day at the ol’ office. At week’s end I’ll be forced to endure a full day of occupational nonsense and anticipatory anxiety before heading out to Brooklyn for Grace Potter & the Nocturnals at Southpaw for the second show of my own personal Green Apple Music & Arts Festival.

I’ve been a huge fan of Ms. Potter since seeing her in person for the first time almost exactly a year ago at last year’s Jammys, and then again the next day outside Grand Central Station. Here’s my description of her at first sight: “The young Vermont seductress and her animated, talented band played an incredible set, blending funky blues riffs with gospel-inspired rock to make everyone at the show wonder why they’ve never heard of her. She’s got an incredible set of pipes (no innuendo necessary), and her musical chops can never be questioned: Hammond B3, piano, acoustic guitar, it’s all working for her.” I stick by my story.

Potter and her band are working on a new 11-track album to be titled “This Is Somewhere,” which flies in the face of philosopher Neil Young’s assertion that everybody knows this is nowhere. The forthcoming album debuts this summer (August, I believe); the band recorded it at Glenwood Studios in Los Angeles with some pretty accomplished peeps: producer Mike Daly, engineer Joe Chicarelli, and mix-master Michael Brauer.

The track sounds a bit more poppy and contained than I’m used to, having mostly been accustomed to her live material. But about three minutes into the tune they let loose, and the touring, the road, the improvisation we’re used to comes through in a powerful burst of emotion. It’s damn good shit. Stream away…