Never a musician to waste any precious time, Alter Bridge and Slash and the Conspirators vocalist Myles Kennedy used the recent pandemic to finalize his sophomore solo album. During his time at home due to all touring being canceled, Myles created the framework for the song ideas that would make up The Ides Of March. He then called up his cohorts from his Year Of The Tiger debut – longtime friend and drummer Zia Uddin and bassist/manager Tim Tournier – and the three musicians drove to Florida to record the album with longtime producer Michael “Elvis” Baskette. The finished result is the exciting album that incorporates Myles’ love of rock/blues/country – slated for release on May 14th via Napalm Records.
From the slide guitar riffs of the album opener “Get Along” to the pensive blues style of closer “Worried Mind,” it is clear that Myles has crafted a formidable follow up to his debut solo album. While Year Of The Tiger was more of an acoustic exploration through Myles’ mind, The Ides Of March finds him strapping on his electric guitar and pushing himself as a guitarist/songwriter. Tracks like “A Thousand Words,” “Wake Me When It’s Over” and “Moonshot” showcase the diverse music arrangements that has garnered Myles fans globally across all of his projects. The epic “The Ides Of March” clocks in at over 7-minutes and Myles, Tim and Zia showcase their musical chops on the track. The first single , “In Stride”, opens with Myles showcasing his slide playing before delivering a lyrical message to “take it all in stride.” The video for “In Stride” marks a return by Stefano Bertelli (who created the “Native Son” video for Alter Bridge) and shows an animated Myles as he takes the end of the world in stride.
“Chill out. That pretty much sums it up,” explains Myles Kennedy about the single. “The lyric paints a picture of a survivalist preparing for an impending zombie apocalypse. It was inspired by the first wave of lockdowns as everyone was buying vast amounts of toilet paper and supplies. I started to ask myself if it might be wise to try and gain some perspective and not overreact… keep calm and carry on.”
Watch the music video for “In Stride” here:
The Ides of March tracklisting:
01. Get Along
02. A Thousand Words
03. In Stride
04. The Ides of March
05. Wake Me When It’s Over
06. Love Rain Down
07. Tell It Like It Is
08. Moonshot
09. Wanderlust Begins
10. Sifting Through the Fire
11. Worried Mind
The Ides Of March will be available in the following formats:
– Digital Album
– 1 CD Jewel Case
– 1 CD Digipack (Napalm mailorder, limited to 500 worldwide)
– 2 LP Gatefold Black Vinyl
– 2 LP Gatefold Gray Vinyl (RoW only)
– 2 LP Gatefold Bottle Green Transparent Vinyl (Napalm mailorder, limited to 400 worldwide)
– Die Hard Limited Edition: 2 LP Gatefold Clear Splatter Mint/Violet/White Vinyl + Aluminum Print (Napalm mailorder, limited to 300 worldwide)
– Limited Deluxe Box: Glow In The Dark Vinyl + Cover Artprint + 7” Glow In The Dark “A Thousand Words” Vinyl Demo Single + Pendant + Slipmat (Napalm mailorder, limited to 700 worldwide)
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