Jonny Lang
“Fight For My Soul”
PRD 7419 2
Fame does not seem to have impacted Jonny Lang. The country farm boy from Fargo, ND, who got his start sixteen years
ago in the local clubs of Minneapolis and found incredible success with his major label debut album, Lie To Me, actually
has managed to survive the treacherous music business labyrinth quite well. The renowned guitarist, vocalist and
songwriter withstood the early, hot spotlight, fell in love and began a family. Along the way he learned what could only be
taught by experience, by struggle and by love. That well-earned clarity of purpose permeates his first album of brand new
music in seven years, Fight For My Soul.
"The inspiration for the songs on this record varies widely,” states Lang. “Some are about personal struggles; some are
focused on injustices I have seen. Some are random, fictional stories that hopefully people can relate to in some way. I’ve
wanted to make this album for a long time. Creatively, I think there is a lot more going on inside of me than I’ve been
sharing on record. Much of what I've experienced through music and life in general is in these songs "
Lang’s full touring schedule combined with his first priority, his young family, is the primary cause for the length of time
between new albums. "Between family time and being out on the road, I really had to pick my spots to fit in recording the
new album,” he says. “Sometimes, the last thing you want to do when you’ve been away from home for a long time is to
go into the studio. In the last year, we've been able to work on it more consistently and finally finish it.”
Textured arrangements, gorgeous vocal melodies, and expressive guitar playing are all found in generous abundance on
Fight For My Soul however; the album defies categorization by a single genre. For the last three years, Lang, along with
producer Tommy Sims (who co-wrote Eric Clapton’s GRAMMY-winning “Change the World”) collaborated on the project
from the ground up. The first step was fine-tuning the soulful numbers Lang demo’d at home. “Sometimes I write music
that I could never imagine putting on a record,” Lang admits. “Tommy has the ability to see the consistencies in the songs
where I might not.” Sims also contributed the soul-rocker “Blew Up (The House),” and played several instruments as well
including resonator guitar and world-class bass on certain tunes.
As an artist Lang has evolved since the writing process began. For example, the track “What You’re Looking For” carefully
layers banjo, guitars, spacey keyboards and a percussion sample to create a sonic dreamscape that beautifully underpins
its story of the search for the essentials of life — faith, love, hope. Similar growth and artistic courage can be found on
“We Are the Same” which evokes the freewheeling spirit of Motown’s Psychedelic Shack era, some of Lang’s favorite
music and a side to his musicality he was eager to expose.
Lang’s four earlier studio albums were written and crafted under the careful watch of his previous record labels. This one
was different and it was a welcome change. After the release of the GRAMMY-winning Turn Around in 2007, he made the
decision to forego the major label route and become an independent artist. Lang’s first indie effort was 2009’s Live At the
Ryman, but Fight For My Soul is his first on Provogue Records (a division of Mascot Label Group) and features his own
long-time touring band: drummer Barry Alexander, bassist James Anton, rhythm guitarist Akil Thompson, keyboardist
Dwan Hill and background vocalist Missi Hale. “Recording with the band for the first time was really gratifying,” says Lang.
“They’re all amazing musicians and we’ve grown together musically and personally by playing hundreds of live shows. This
served us well in the making of Fight For My Soul. Because of them, I have grown musically in ways I never thought I
could, and it really is an honor to have them on this record."
For further information and/or interview requests, please contact Wouter Wiegeraad at Mascot Label Group:
Tel +31-10-5120384
Fax +31-10-5121170
wouter@mascotlabelgroup.com
Jonny Lang
“Fight For My Soul”
PRD 7419 2
Jonny Lang’s path has afforded him the opportunity to interact with some of the most respected legends in music. On the
way up, he shared the stage with the Rolling Stones, B.B. King, Aerosmith, Sting, and Buddy Guy, with whom he continues
to tour. As a 12-year-old, he began a long, exhilarating journey that has brought him to points across the globe, and he
remains very excited about continuing the rather amazing trip.
"With this album, I really look forward to bringing our music to people in places I've never been before,” enthused Lang.
“Music is a great conveyer of ideas and emotions and in a sense, that doesn’t have much to do with the individual
performing as much as the power of the connection.” He adds finally, “Music can be a blessing. And if Fight For My Soul
can help somebody by making them feel better or make them realize they’re not alone, that’s my idea of success.”
Fight For My Soul
Track List
01 Blew Up
02 Breakin' In
03 We Are The Same
04 What You’re Looking For
05 Not Right
06 The Truth
07 River
08 Fight For My Soul
09 All Of A Sudden
10 Seasons
11 I'll Always Be
Extra information
http://mascotlabelgroup.com
Release Date: 02-09-2013
Catalogue nr: PRD 7419
For further information and/or interview requests, please contact Wouter Wiegeraad at Mascot Label Group:
Tel +31-10-5120384
Fax +31-10-5121170
wouter@mascotlabelgroup.com