Eric Johanson Announces New Album ‘Covered Tracks: Vol. 2’ Releases New Single “Yellow Moon”

Eric Johanson

Eric Johanson returns with a video for his new single “Yellow Moon,” a cover of the Neville Brothers classic, from his upcoming album Covered Tracks: Vol. 2, the second volume in a collection of stripped-down acoustic covers, out June 4, 2021.

Johanson’s release of the song comes a week after Aaron Neville announces his retirement from touring, and is a tribute to the Neville Brothers legacy, which both inspired and impacted Eric’s career. Eric’s rendition features some tasteful but impressive Spanish-influenced guitar playing, and his usual unaffected and understated vocal delivery which casts new light on the song’s strong lyrical and melodic foundations.

Of the song and connection, Eric says, “It was exactly 10 years ago that I first played the New Orleans’ Jazz Fest, and it was onstage with The Neville Brothers for their annual closing headline set. They only played it once more after that. It was a pivotal moment for me to look around and see these amazing New Orleans legends and be a part of that moment with them. The invite came from Cyril Neville, whose band I was playing with at the time. I soaked up so much inspiration from being around those guys, and I always wanted to pay tribute to that. Covering “Yellow Moon” and bringing it into my own repertoire, is my own small way of keeping their music alive and bringing it to a new audience.”

Once again, Eric Johanson works his interpretive magic on “Yellow Moon.” With beautiful, soulful guitar work and tuneful vocals, this extraordinary musician has done it again with a reimagining of the Neville Brothers song. If you haven’t heard ‘Covered Tracks: Vol. 1’, listen to it now. It’s that good. His foray into acoustic covers was a result of performing weekly livestreams while off the road during the pandemic, and receiving many fan requests to record his minimalist interpretations of these classic songs.

Combining influences from an array of genres and his work as a touring guitarist, New Orleans artist Eric Johanson creates blues-based alternative roots rock in his rising solo career. Eric’s debut solo album, Burn It Down, was produced by Tab Benoit and released in October 2017 on Whiskey Bayou Records. His most recent original studio album, Below Sea Level, released September 2020 on Nola Blue Records, was produced by Luther Dickinson of North Mississippi Allstars.

Watch “Yellow Moon”

Eric Johanson has quietly emerged as a New Orleans phenomenon with a combination of vivid songwriting and powerful performances, having garnered praise from Guitar Player, American Songwriter, Relix, Offbeat, and more. The first release of the two-volume set, ‘Covered Tracks: Vol. 1’ debuted at #2 on the Billboard Blues Chart.

‘Covered Tracks: Vol. 2’ is set for release June 4, 2021, and features Johanson’s take on such disparate artists as The Neville Brothers, Fiona Apple, Leadbelly, Soundgarden, Mississippi John Hurt, The Beatles, and more.

You can catch Eric Johanson’s Livestream shows every Thursday, 7pm CT Here.