JD MCPHERSON MAKES ROUNDER RECORDS DEBUT WITH THE RELEASE OF SIGNS AND SIGNIFIERS APRIL 17

“NORTH SIDE GAL” VIDEO GARNERS OVER 400,000 YOUTUBE VIEWS

WEST COAST TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED

“Engineered to restore your faith in rock & roll.”- NPR

“The roots-throwback rock of McPherson capped the evening off with style... the face melting kind of style.” – Boston Phoenix

Named as an “artist you should know” in 2011 by NPR, singer-songwriter JD McPherson makes his Rounder Records debut April 17 with the release of Signs and Signifiers, “a rockin’, bluesy, forward-thinking album that subtly breaks the conventions of most vintage rock projects.” (All Music Guide). Known for energetic live shows, JD and his band will kick off his U.S. tour in support of Signs and Signifiers in New York City with two shows (April 18 and 19) at the Mercury Lounge. Other stops along the tour are planned for Boston, Chicago, and a west coast run beginning June 1 (Full list of tour dates below).

With over 400,000 YouTube views, McPherson’s self-directed video for the first single “North Side Gal,” was shot by the band in the Hi-Style studio and features the classic gear used for the recording of the album. View/share/embed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZGn4LncY0g

Hailing from Broken Arrow, OK, the former art teacher traveled to Chicago to record Signs and Signifiers at Hi-Style studio, which is housed in the attic of producer/bassist/studio owner Jimmy Sutton’s home and is 100% analog. “I have recorded this style of music in the digital realm, and it just doesn’t quite “sing” as much. Slamming that ¼” tape really hard produced the most beautiful distortion I’ve ever heard,” says McPherson.

Featuring JD McPherson (lead and backing vocals, guitar), Jimmy Sutton (bass), and Alex Hall (drums, piano, organ), the album was recorded through a collection of vintage microphones into an old 1960’s Berlant 1Ž4 inch tape machine. The 12-track album kicks off with the fervent pulse of the first single, “North Side Gal,” and segues into one of the albums two covers, McPherson’s take on “Country Boy,” an old R&B number originally written and recorded by Tiny Kennedy.

Preferring not to be painted into a corner with labels, McPherson asks, “What is retro? Is Adele too retro? Is La Roux too retro? To me, Adele sounds like a product of her influences... as is the case with anybody else. With the recurring interest in soul or even R&B, there seems to be a line most artists won’t cross—that line into the world of the swinging, visceral abandon of real rock ‘n’ roll.”

The album hosts an array of guest musicians, including Scott Ligon on piano (NRBQ’s Terry Adams Rock & Roll Quartet); Jonathan Doyle (Nick Curran & the Lowlifes, White Ghost Shivers); Chicago’s Josh Bell (The Del Moroccos) on tenor and baritone saxophones; Susan Voelz (Alejandro Escovedo, Poi Dog Pondering) on violin; Allison Chesley (Helen Money) on cello, and Joel Paterson (The Modern Sounds) lends choice guitar work to the Joey Simone classic “Your Love (All That I’m Missing).”

For more information, please contact Mary Moyer, Lellie Capwell, or Carla Sacks at Sacks & Co, 212.741.1000 or 818.384.1180.

JD MCPHERSON TOUR DATES

April 18 /// Mercury Lounge /// New York, NY
April 19 /// Mercury Lounge /// New York, NY
April 19 /// J&R Music In-store /// New York, NY
April 20 /// Brighton Music Hall /// Boston, MA
April 21 /// Corona Theater /// Montreal, CN
April 26 /// Blueberry Hill /// St. Louis, MO
April 27 /// Lincoln Hall /// Chicago, IL
April 28 /// Shank Hall /// Milwaukee, WI
May 3 /// Trix /// Antwerp, BE
May 4 /// Tivoli De Helling /// Utrcht, NL
May 5 /// Moulin Blues /// Ospel, NL
May 7 /// Gruenspan /// Hamburg, DE
May 8 /// Roter Salon /// Berlin, DE
May 9 /// Vera /// Groningen, NL
May 11 /// Borderline /// London, UK
May 12 /// Great Escape Festival /// Brighton, UK
May 18 /// VZD’s /// Oklahoma City, OK
May 19 /// Tulsa May Fest /// Tulsa, OK
May 31 /// The Green Frog /// Bellingham, WA
June 1 /// Tractor Tavern /// Seattle, WA
June 2 /// Bunk Bar /// Portland, OR
June 7 /// Great American Music Hall /// San Francisco, CA
June 8 /// The Echo /// Los Angeles, CA
June 9 /// McCabe’s /// Santa Monica, CA
June 10 /// The Constellation Room /// Santa Ana, CA
June 13 /// Cain’s Ballroom /// Tulsa, OK
June 23 /// Bergenfest /// Bergen, NO
June 27 /// Summerfest /// Milwaukee, WI
July 7 /// Lincoln Center | Midsummer’s Night Swing /// New York, NY
July 14 /// The Green River Festival /// Greenfield, MA