Nashville-based guitarist, singer, songwriter JD Simo today releases the first single “Mortgage On My Soul” from his upcoming LP Songs From The House of Grease, due out January 13, 2023. Pre-orders and pre-saves are available today here.
The new single is JD’s creative and incendiary take on the classic from hill country blues pioneer Mississippi Fred McDowell. “Mortgage On My Soul”, and the other songs on the upcoming LP, were produced and recorded over just two days.
JD says, “Mortgage on my soul is an old Mississippi Fred McDowell song that I just really dug the words too. I also love the hypnotic vibe of his style. So over the course of a few months we started doing this during sound checks. Adam Abrashoff came up with this killer Afrobeat style groove and that’s how it really came together. It’s also a really good showcase for my slide playing. It’s just such a blast to play. I could play it for an hour”
JD’s expert playing is on full display on the song, a version that pays homage to the original while adding a modern take. JD’s powerful, soulful vocals along with the passionate guitarwork have been a staple of his signature sound. As fans have come to expect, JD’s guitar solo kicks the intensity up to the next gear, especially with the backing of longtime collaborator and drummer Adam Abrashoff and bassist Todd Bolden.
JD’s love and respect for the roots of blues and rock n roll led him to be hand selected by music supervisor David Cobb to record all of the guitars for the blockbuster Elvis biopic. In an in depth interview with Guitar World about his role creating the soundtrack in the Elvis film JD said, "I’m such a fan of Elvis’ music, but also the music of that period and the other stuff we recorded for the film. Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Arthur ‘Big Boy’ Crudup, Muddy Waters, B.B. King – all of that is a big part of my musical DNA."
JD released his LP Mind Control in November 2021. The album received critical praise from American Songwriter, American Blues Scene, among other outlets with Paste Magazine lauding “Simo has a history of working with a diverse range of sounds. On Mind Control, his reach is as thrilling and inviting as one expects.”
JD will be touring alongside Patrick Sweany this Fall on a 9-date run through the middle of the United States. More tour dates will be announced in the coming months.
Full tour schedule here: https://simo.fm/tour
