As you’ve recently heard, COLLECTIVE SOUL--Ed Roland (vocals/guitar), Dean Roland (rhythm guitar), Will Turpin (bass/background vocals), Jesse Triplett (lead guitar/background vocals), Johnny Rabb (drums/background vocals)—going to have quite a big year to celebrate the band’s 30th anniversary!
They released a DOUBLE album, HERE TO ETERNITY, on May 17 which was produced by E. Roland and co-produced by Shawn Grove and recorded at Elvis Presley’s estate in Palm Springs! They’re the only other music artist to ever record at the historical landmark where Elvis and Priscilla Presley spent their honeymoon and celebrated their Las Vegas wedding in 1967.
They’re also hitting the road this summer for a massive trek with Hootie & the Blowfish along with Edwin McCain, the “Summer Camp with Trucks Tour” produced by Live Nation. It kicks off May 30 in Dallas and runs through September 28 in West Palm Beach, visiting arenas, amphitheaters and select stadiums such as Boston’s iconic Fenway Park (with special guests Barenaked Ladies) along the way. Tickets are on sale now at Livenation.com and Citientertainment.com
The tour lands in Hershey, PA on Friday, June 28 at Hersheypark Stadium.
COLLECTIVE SOUL’s highly anticipated 12th studio release, HERE TO ETERNITY was released May 17 on their label, Fuzze-Flex Records distributed physically by AMPED Distribution and digitally by Virgin Music Group, and includes not one but two albums’ worth of new music, 20 songs in all. The album will be available everywhere on digital stores and streaming partners (including a Dolby ATMOS version), as a single disc CD, and as a limited-edition double-disc colored vinyl. It's now available on all digital outlets. On April 12, COLLECTIVE SOUL released the first song and lyric video, “Mother’s Love” (created by LyricVids Media) on their official YouTube page. The official music video--directed by Adam Blank and featuring an appearance by Ed and Dean Roland’s mother, Nette Roland--can be seen now on the band’s official YouTube here.
On “Mother’s Love,” Ed Roland sings: “Guess we’re all misunderstood/To what we can and what we should/Still I find above/All my strength from Mother’s Love.” Featuring longtime Paul McCartney guitarist Brian Ray on slide guitar, the track blasts off the turntable with a foot-stompin’, gnarled riff before gliding into a chorus layered by high-flying harmonies. Alongside Ray, who lives in Palm Springs, guests on the album include longtime Sheryl Crow bandleader Peter Stroud and Mickey Thomas of Jefferson Starship fame.
“I happened to be walkin’ down the street and I had met Brian Ray a couple of times,” Ed Roland said. “I saw him and was like, ‘Brian, hey man. Why don’t you come over and break bread? We’re up at Elvis’ house.’” The invite for a bite of grub turned into a session, of course. With a laugh, Ed Roland added, “I’m gettin’ pretty sneaky in my old age.”
Stepping inside the King’s one-time California getaway, his influence seeped into the album-making process. Ed Roland and album co-producer Shawn Grove slept in the home for the duration of the sessions, which overlapped with the death of Presley’s daughter Lisa Marie in early 2023.
“The sticky DNA, with Elvis being there,” bassist Will Turpin said. “You can just tell it was his designs. All pink tiles. It’s straight out of 1977. It was super cool just to be there and in the zone.”
The rave reviews have been pouring in. During a live chat with Steve Harkins at Talkshop Live (where autographed copies of the album are currently available), he called the album “a masterpiece.” While Consequence.net described “Mother’s Love” as, “Centered around a thick blues guitar lick, the song also sports the band’s signature pop hooks and big harmonies — an apt choice for a first single, as it provides a complete cross-section of COLLECTIVE SOUL’s long-established style.”
