NASHVILLE |FROM: TODD BRODGINSKI/LATHUM NELSON
RUSTED ROOT
RELEASE NEW SINGLE ‘BLUE DIAMONDS’
THIS WEEK AS VOLKSWAGEN TOUR IS CONFIRMED;
TOUR WITH SANTANA NOW UNDERWAY
RUSTED ROOT released the new single “Blue Diamonds” to radio this week, in the midst of their summer tour with Santana. The track is the second single from their latest album WELCOME TO MY PARTY (Island Records).
“Blue Diamonds” showcases the original RUSTED ROOT lineup–frontman/singer/songwriter MICHAEL GLABICKI, singer/multi-instrumentalist JENN WERTZ, singer/multi-instrumentalist LIZ BERLIN, guitarist/percussionist/flutist JOHN BUYNAK, drummer/percussionist/background vocalist JIM DONOVAN and bassist/percussionist/singer PATRICK NORMAN–in an emotional, acoustic pairing of GLABICKI and WERTZ. GLABICKI wrote the song about a life-changing incident from his childhood and the guardian angel he’s had looking over his shoulder ever since. “When I was two years old I was hit by a car and in my unconsciousness, I met this sort of being and she’s been by me ever since. We sort of have that kind of a deal where she’s gonna stick around. It’s a love song about that–it’s a love song about an angel,” says GLABICKI, who on this album was described by Performing Songwriter as “charismatic as ever, channeling Jim Morrison and Jeff Buckley simultaneously.”
For her part, JENN WERTZ said “Blue Diamonds” was the toughest song she’s ever had to record. “I feel very emotionally connected to the song–it was a journey for me to sing that, because I kept crying in the studio trying to sing it. This song was an emotional release for me, because it’s a song that reminds me of my friendship with Michael and how happy I am to be working with him and the group again. When I first heard it, I envisioned it as a sort of an Everly Brothers kind of song. We played it for the producer (Bill Bottrell) and he immediately got it. We talked about the Everly Brothers idea, a duet where two people sing lead and their harmonies weave in and out of the lead. We had to sing that song so many times–it seems like 200–trying to just get it where it felt natural and where we could experiment around each other’s notes without stepping on each other.”
On the touring front, RUSTED ROOT have confirmed that they will stay out on the road after the Santana trek ends August 25 with a 20-city tour sponsored by Volkswagen. The Volkswagen Music Education Tour kicks off September 12 in the northeast and will wrap up in Southern California October 13. Former Soul Coughing frontman Mike Doughty will open the shows. Tour dates will be confirmed soon.
Of a recent headlining show in their hometown, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said, “Rusted Root pounded away at the crowdÉwith rockers like ‘Rain’ and ‘Cat Turned Blue’ and seduced with shimmering ballads like ‘Blue Diamonds’ and ‘Beautiful People.’ They added variety and new life to the set with a heavy dose of songs from Welcome to My Party. The smoky-voiced Jenn Wertz did a soul-funk turn a la Macy Gray on ‘Weave.’ Liz Berlin added just enough light reggae on ‘Too Much.’ And they turned the place into a rave tent on the techno track ‘People Of My Village.'”
RUSTED ROOT‘s tour with Santana kicked off last week (7/31) in Virginia Beach, VA and will hit 19 cities, wrapping August 25 in St. Paul, MN.
Stay tuned for the forthcoming Volkswagen tour dates.
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