New York, NY (Top40 Charts) John Mellencamp's forthcoming new album Orpheus Descending is set for release June 2 via Republic Records/Universal Music. In anticipation of upcoming record, Mellencamp is sharing the album track "Hey God."
His twenty fifth album produced by Mellencamp and recorded as his own Belmont Mall Studio. One of his most personal records to date, standout tracks "Hey God" and "The Eyes of Portland" focus on social issues Mellencamp continues to passionately advocate for.
Mellencamp is currently in the midst of his massive Live and In Person 2023 North American tour, with dates running through June 27 including stops in New York City, Nashville, Philadelphia,
Boston and more. A complete list of remaining dates is below and tickets where available for purchase now.
He's currently performing songs from the new LP during his live set. The
Chicago Tribune says "Awash in death, "Hey God" functioned as a plea for deliverance from senseless gun violence. Preceded by a story about his encounter with a 20-something homeless woman, the solo acoustic "The Eyes of Portland" took aim at the empty "thoughts and prayers" condolences offered as a solution to major tragedies and dilemmas." LA Weekly describes the performances as "authentic, grounded and painfully honest."
His critically acclaimed studio LP, Strictly A One-Eyed Jack, was released early last year to praise from The New York Times, NPR Music, Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes and more.
Praise for Mellencamp and Strictly A One-Eyed Jack:
"Mellencamp is a poet of ennui, making him an apt mouthpiece for our moment." - The New Yorker
"Mellencamp is absolutely uncompromising and unyielding as an artist." - The Top40-Charts
"Longtime fans of Mellencamp will find much to like on this new offering from the artist. Time spent listening will certainly not be wasted time." - Associated Press
"It's a vintage-style blues stop with slide guitar and fiddle flanking his voice, and though he proclaims his bitter solitude, he has a crowd shouting alongside him by the end." - The New York Times
"a collection of songs steeped in folk and blues, told from the perspective of a man looking back over his life" - The Wall Street Journal
"Mellencamp has made an urgent-feeling, musically rich record, one of his most memorable in a while. Whether life has much left to give him is his call to make, but he still has plenty to offer us." - Rolling Stone
Mellencamp also recently released a deluxe edition reissue of his beloved seminal album, Scarecrow, which features a massive collection of bonus tracks, rarities and more never previously shared before.
Mellencamp is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a Grammy winner, a recipient of the John Steinbeck Award, ASCAP Foundation's
Champion Award, The Woody Guthrie Award and Americana
Music Association's Lifetime Achievement Award and more recently, the Founders Award, the top honor assigned by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers and a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Mellencamp has continued to focus on another facet of his artistic expression: painting. Last year, he released a self-curated book of his work, John Mellencamp: Paintings and Assemblages, which is out now on Rizzoli New York.
TRACK LIST - ORPHEUS DESCENDING:
1. Hey God
2. The Eyes Of Portland
3. Land Of The So Called Free
4. The Kindness Of Lovers
5. Amen
6. Orpheus Descending
7. Understated Reverence
8. One More Trick
9. Lightning And Luck
10. Perfect World
11. Backbone
TOUR DATES:
April 21—Stifel Theatre—St. Louis, MO
April 22—Stifel Theatre—St. Louis, MO
April 24—Orpheum Theatre—Memphis, TN
April 25—Orpheum Theatre—Memphis, TN
May 5—Old
National Events Plaza—Evansville, IN
May 6—Old
National Events Plaza—Evansville, IN
May 8—Ryman Auditorium—Nashville, TN
May 9—Ryman Auditorium—Nashville, TN
May 10—Ryman Auditorium—Nashville, TN
May 12—Aronoff Center—Cincinnati, OH
May 13—Aronoff Center—Cincinnati, OH
May 15—Embassy Theatre—Ft. Wayne, IN
May 16—Embassy Theatre—Ft. Wayne, IN
May 17—Palace Theatre—Columbus, OH
May 19—Peace Center—Greenville, SC
May 20—DPAC—Durham, NC
May 22—Benedum Center—Pittsburgh, PA
May 23—Benedum Center—Pittsburgh, PA
May 25—Playhouse Square—Cleveland, OH
May 26—Playhouse Square—Cleveland, OH
June 2—The Lyric—Baltimore, MD
June 3—Kimmel Cultural Center—Philadelphia, PA
June 5—Beacon Theatre—New York, NY
June 6—Beacon Theatre—New York, NY
June 7—Beacon Theatre—New York, NY
June 9—Beacon Theatre—New York, NY
June 10—Boch Center-Wang Theatre—Boston, MA
June 11—Providence Performing Arts Center—Providence, RI
June 13—Palace Theatre—Albany, NY
June 14—Landmark Theatre—Syracuse, NY
June 16—Shea's Performing Arts Center—Buffalo, NY
June 17—Masonic Temple Theatre—Detroit, MI
June 19—Massey Hall—Toronto, ON
June 21—Devos Performance Hall—Grand Rapids, MI
June 23—Morris Performing Arts Center—South Bend, IN
June 24—Morris Performing Arts Center—South Bend, IN
June 26—The Riverside Theater—Milwaukee, WI
June 27—The Riverside Theater—Milwaukee, WI
