Eric Krasno, the GRAMMY-winning guitarist/songwriter/producer best known as a co-founder of Soulive and Lettuce, will release his second solo album, 'Blood From A Stone,' on July 8 via his own label, Feel Music/Round Hill. The record, which features appearances by Derek Trucks, as well as members of Soulive, Lettuce and The London Souls, reveals a previously unknown and utterly compelling side of Krasno's artistry, as he both literally and metaphorically finds his voice. Hear Krasno's warm, inviting vocals for the very first time with the Wall Street Journal's premiere of "Waiting On Your Love" here. Find it tomorrow (Fri. Apr. 22) at all digital music outlets, including Spotify, iTunes and Amazon.
"I've been writing songs with vocals for other people for a while," explains Krasno. "With these songs, we initially wrote them thinking others would sing them, so when I was in the studio with different artists, sometimes I'd introduce one of the tracks and they'd record it, but it wouldn't necessarily work out. Eventually, I realized it was because I'd written these songs for myself."
It might sound strange hearing Krasno discuss the idea of "finding his voice" so deep into a career already chock full of remarkable songwriting (he's written and produced for everyone from Norah Jones, Tedeschi Trucks and 50 Cent to Talib Kweli, Aaron Neville and Allen Stone), but as he sees it, there's something new, something intimately personal about this album that urged him to step up to the microphone for the first time.
Krasno relocated from his home in New York City to Maine to join Dave Gutter from Rustic Overtones for the album's initial writing session, which turned out to be so productive that the two had penned most of the album in just a few days. In a shift from the looser, jam/funk spirit that has marked Krasno's previous work, the songs for 'Blood From A Stone' took shape as tight, infectious, highly structured rock, blues and R&B-based tracks, specifically drawing inspiration from the likes of Bobby "Blue" Bland's 'Dreamer' and Muddy Waters' 'Electric Mud.' Deciding to strike while the iron was hot, the duo headed into Gutter's barn along with Ryan Zoidis (Lettuce) to lay down what they envisioned to be demos, but in fact turned out to be the backbone of the album.
It's apparent from the first moments of "Waiting On Your Love" that Krasno's voice has been an ace up his sleeve this whole time. Rich and full-bodied, his tone blends sincerity with casual swagger and, much like his guitar playing, taps into a deep vein of emotion. On "Torture" and "Jezebel," he sings as a bruised survivor of love-gone-bad, while the slow-jam of "Please Ya" channels Otis Redding soul, and "On The Rise" builds off a bass-and-percussion groove with psychedelic samples and gorgeous harmonies. Later still, Krasno is joined by his old friend Derek Trucks on "Curse Lifter"—a hypnotic instrumental that lands somewhere between Santana and the Allman Brothers. It's an eclectic collection, to be sure, but it's all tied beautifully together through Krasno's understated vocals and skillful song-craft.
Krasno will celebrate the release of 'Blood From A Stone' on July 7 at Brooklyn Bowl, a fitting kick-off seeing as it's also the venue’s 7th anniversary party and nobody in its history has graced the stage more. Complete tour dates in support of ‘Blood From A Stone’ will be announced shortly.
