The Wallflowers Return with a New Label, New Album and New Tour

Photo Credit: James Minchin

Grammy winning 90s/00s rock band, The Wallflowers have ended their hiatus and are coming back with a brand new music! What a surprise! Earlier this month, 90s rock band The Wallflowers announced that they are in fact BACK in the studio and putting the finishing touches on a new studio album, due out this Fall on Columbia Records. Back on board we have frontman Jakob Dylan, alongside original band members Greg Richling (bass) and Rami Jaffee (keyboards). Joining those original three will be longtime Wallflowers guitarist Stuart Mathis and drummer Jack Irons (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam).

The as-yet-untitled fifth album is being produced by Jay Joyce (Emmylou Harris, Cage the Elephant), mixed by Rich Costey (Bruce Springsteen, The Shins) and recorded in Nashville at Dan Auerbach‘s (The Black Keys) Easy Eye Sound studio. This album will be their first since 2005’s Rebel, Sweetheart and their first signed with Columbia. The Wallflowers released their self-titled debut album back in 1992 on Virgin Records, before breaking through with 1996’s 4x Platinum-selling Bringing Down The Horse, marking the beginning of the band’s time with Interscope Records, a relationship that lasted through 2005. Bringing Down The Horse, the band’s most popular and well known album, featured four top charting singles including “6th Avenue Heartache,” “One Headlight“, “The Difference” and “Three Marlenas.” For a trip down memory lane, check out the “One Headlight” video BELOW.

1996 was a good year. Actually, I can’t say that with any amount of certainty because, frankly, I don’t remember that year in particular. What I can say with certainty is that 1996 was the release year of one of my all time favorite albums, Bringing Down The Horse. Something about frontman Jakob Dylan, was just so alluring. Sure, he’s the son of rock royalty, and sure he’s handsome as ever, but my connection was with his music. There was always a hint of sadness in his voice which connected with me in a deep and meaningful way, uncommon for sure. For me, high school wasn’t the happiest time and I think it’s safe to say that Bringing Down The Horse helped me through a lot of it. Another example of the true gift of music.
If you worry about what the quintessential 90s pop/rock is going to sound like in 2012, don’t. Sure, it’s been a few years but The Wallflowers have no intentions of abandoning their longstanding fanbase. At the same time, it’s been seven years. They have to evolve with the times. According to Dylan,

“It’s been a while since we’ve felt this energized and creative. We haven’t changed our stripes so much as we’re continuing to redefine the animal.”

It sounds like Jakob Dylan (now 42) has a good sense of what’s going on in music. After all, he’s been doing the acoustic singer/songwriter thing now for a while now, releasing his last solo album as recently as 2010. It’s not as if the band dispersed into reclusive hiding. From the sounds of it, The Wallflowers have their collective finger on the pulse of today’s music scene and should have no problem churning out another hit record.
In addition to this new album news, the band also announced an upcoming tour kicking off in July. The Wallflowers will preview new material, “which finds them rediscovering their sound while reflecting the varied influences they have accumulated over the years.” Check out a list of tour dates BELOW.
Tour Dates:
6/2 The Black & White Ball, San Francisco, CA

7/13 Common Ground Fest, Lansing, MI

7/20 Firefly Music Festival, Dover, DE

7/21 Nationals Park, Washington, DC

7/22 West Hampton Beach Pac, West Hampton, NY
7/24 Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY
7/25 The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ
7/27 Schubas, Chicago, IL
9/23 De Luna Fest, Pensacola, FL
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