JOHN MELLENCAMP UNVEILS NEW SONG “THE EYES OF PORTLAND”
FORTHCOMING ALBUM ORPHEUS DESCENDING TO BE RELEASED JUNE 16 ON REPUBLIC RECORDS/EMI
LISTEN HERE
John Mellencamp is gearing up to release his much-anticipated album Orpheus Descending. Today, he shares another taste from the LP with new song “The Eyes Of Portland”—listen/share HERE and watch/share the official lyric video HERE.
Orpheus Descending will now be released June 16 via Republic Records. Pre-order the album HERE.
“The Eyes Of Portland” follows “Hey God.” Listen/share HERE, watch/share the official lyric video HERE.
Orpheus Descending, produced by Mellencamp and recorded at his own Belmont Mall Studio, marks Mellencamp’s twenty fifth studio album. 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. The tour has been getting rave reviews, with LA Weekly praising “Mellencamp strode out looking for all the world like a Brando or a Paul Newman or a James Dean—a Misfit who managed to find his place in the world through his music,” while the Dallas Observer describes that the show “made it clear Mellencamp is a true music legend, and from the sound of it, one that will continue to be making music for a long time to come.” A complete list of remaining dates is below, tickets are available for purchase HERE.
He’s currently performing songs from the new LP during his live set. The Chicago Tribunesays “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.”
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.”—Forbes
“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. Listen HERE.
Mellencamp is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 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
