While soulful songsmith Ali McGuirk loves to dip into a multitude of genres and sub-genres, her upcoming album Til It’s Gone never gets too far away from from its rhythm and blues essence; a well that many artists have drawn from over the years, but few deliver with such a spellbinding conviction as McGuirk. Acting as co-producer along with celebrated folk-blues songwriter Jonah Tolchin, McGuirk let the songs of Til It’s Gone wander from shadowy emotional spaces to big, bad guitar workouts to delicate little confessions. But her bold and buttery voice carries each song to the next until the album’s end.

Today, McGuirk released the first single from Til It’s Gone—out September 16th via Signature Sounds—the easy-grooving “All Back.” “When this hook first came to mind for me, the theme was really open and I wasn't sure what the song would be about. As it developed, it became clear to me that I was writing a song for the end of the pandemic,” remembers McGuirk. Complemented by sultry background vocals and tasty Hammond organ interjections (that’s Larry Goldings on the B3!), “All Back” feels all at once vintage and current; like following the footsteps of R&B greats right into the challenges of current day.

“Surviving the pandemic as an artist required some faith and this song felt like a little prayer of hope and resilience,” says McGuirk. “We are faced with pandemics, climate chaos, ever-deepening inequality, and so much ignorance, but we learned a lot in March 2020 about our ability to adapt and I need to believe that it’s going to be alright, but we've got to do something right now.”

Fans can watch the music video for “All Back” now at this link and pre-order or pre-save Til It’s Gone ahead of its September release right here. Ali’s tour continues on July 26th in Salt Lake City, Utah. A full list of dates can be found below or at alimcguirk.com.

More About Til It’s Gone: On the recommendation of producer Jonah Tolchin (a star singer-songwriter in his own right), McGuirk traveled from her adopted home of Burlington, Vermont, to the Los Angeles neighborhood of Silver Lake to track much of Til It’s Gone. A sublime set of songs that pairs McGuirk’s trademark soul sound with rootsy turns and raw rock ‘n’ roll detours, the album began to bloom at the L.A. sessions. McGuirk remembers describing to Tolchin the vibe she envisioned for the record. She mentioned something about it being akin to the cool fusion of styles that Little Feat achieved in the ’70s—that funky, twangy, jazzy and thoroughly-authentic feel. Tolchin suggested they just call up legendary Little Feat guitarist/mandolinist Fred Tackett and get him to lay down a few parts.

“Fred Tackett came in and was casually telling stories about sessions he did with Ringo and Harry Nilsson like it’s not a big deal,” McGuirk says with a laugh. “It took me a minute to acclimate, but once the music started, everyone was so supportive and into the tunes.”

Tolchin and engineer/studio owner Sheldon Gomberg recruited an A-list of session players including Tackett, organist Larry Goldings (James Taylor, Norah Jones), singer Valerie Pinkston (Ray Charles, Luther Vandross), percussionist Lenny Castro (Stevie Nicks, Stevie Wonder), and more. They provided the astounding chops, but the true magic of Til It’s Gone comes from McGuirk’s singular voice as both singer and songwriter. The nine tracks—songs that run from intimate introspection to wider meditations on oppression and justice—succeed because McGuirk has composed dynamic, hypnotic frames for her vocals.

Catch Ali McGuirk On Tour:

Sept. 16 - Nashville, TN - Five Spot (AMERICANAFEST)

Sept. 17 - Easthampton, MA - Arcadia Music Festival

Oct. 1 - Albany, NY - The Linda

Oct. 2 - Portsmouth, NH - The Press Room

Oct. 5 - Lancaster, PA - Tellus360

Oct. 6 - Brooklyn, NY - The Bell House

Oct. 7 - Somerville, MA - The Crystal Ballroom at the Somerville

Oct. 8 - New Haven, CT - Cafe Nine

Oct. 14 - Burlington, VT - Higher Ground Lounge

Oct. 19 - Syracuse, NY - 443 Listening Room

Oct. 22 - Rochester, NY - The Abilene

Oct. 23 - Buffalo, NY - Sportsmen’s Tavern

Oct. 29 - Portland, ME - One Longfellow Square

All tour dates and ticket information can be found at alimcguirk.com.