Photo Credit: Michael Weintrob
Memphis soul powerhouse Southern Avenue has announced the release of their third full-length album. BE THE LOVE YOU WANT was produced by multi-GRAMMY® winner, Steve Berlin (Los Lobos, Deer Tick, Susan Tedeschi, Jackie Greene), and co-produced by Ori Naftaly. The album, arriving via Renew Records/BMG on August 27, 2021, is preceded by today’s release of the sultry first single, “Push Now,” available at all DSPs and streaming services. Album pre-orders are available now.
”We’re so excited to kick off the summer with ‘Push Now,’” says Southern Avenue frontwoman and the song’s co-writer, Tierinii Jackson. “It’s for every wild heart out there willing to fight to create their own opportunities, instead of riding the wave of life’s circumstances. We hope this song gets you hyped, and ready to take on everything the universe throws at you!”
PRE-ORDER BE THE LOVE YOU WANT
BE THE LOVE YOU WANT is Southern Avenue’s most ingenious and personal effort thus far. Since their inception, the band has produced a wide-ranging collection of original music – predominantly co-written by Israeli-born guitarist Ori Naftaly and powerhouse lead vocalist Tierinii Jackson – that links them to their home city’s glorious past while at the same time, demonstrates their ambitious intent to evolve Memphis music to contemporary effect.
BE THE LOVE YOU WANT sees Southern Avenue teaming up with artists like multi-GRAMMY® award-winning pop superstar Jason Mraz and certified Platinum producer Michael Goldwasser from Easy Star All-Stars on “Move Into The Light” for a churning, funk-blasted burner. Besides writing with him on the first single, the band also collaborated with Cody Dickinson from North Mississippi Allstars for the song “Heathen Hearts.” The songwriting core grew within the band as well, as drummer Tikyra Jackson and bassist Evan Sarver collaborated to co-write “Let’s Get It Together” and “Pressure.”
The band brilliantly bridges the power of Memphis soul with jamband liberation, gospel blues, and R&B to craft their own timeless brand of American music. The ambitious sonic approach expertly complements BE THE LOVE YOU WANT’s rich themes of self-love, self-empowerment, personal accountability and the desire to push through towards something greater in life.
Southern Avenue is:
Tierinii Jackson – Lead Vocals, Background Vocals * Ori Naftaly – Guitars *
Tikyra Jackson – Drums, Background Vocals * Jeremy Powell – Keys * Evan Sarver – Bass
SOUTHERN AVENUE ON TOUR
6/12 @ Riverfront Nights | Chattanooga, TN
6/27 @ Levitt Pavillion | Arlington, TX
7/2 @ Rural Hill Nature Preserve | Huntersville, NC w/ JJ Grey & Mofro
7/3 @ Iroquois Amphitheater | Louisville, KY w/ JJ Grey & Mofro
7/21 @ Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park | Rochester, MN
7/22 @ Music at the Meridian | Yankton, SD
7/23 @ Levitt at the Falls | Sioux Falls, SD
7/24 @ Holland Center | Omaha, NE
8/19 @ Brooklyn Bowl | Nashville, TN w/ Maggie Rose
8/21 @ Summer Camp Music Festival | Chillicothe, IL
8/27 @ Performance Pavilion at Sweetwater | Fort Wayne, IN w/ Samantha Fish
8/28 @ Levitt Pavilion | Dayton, OH
8/29 @ Railbird Music Festival | Lexington, KY
9/10 & 11 @ Big Blues Bender | Las Vegas, NV
9/18 @ Shipyard Festival | Cape Girardeau, MO
9/26 @ Roots N Blues Festival | Columbia, MO
10/1 @ Mempho Festival | Memphis, TN
10/8 @ Clay Center for the Arts | Charleston, WV
1/22 – 26 @ Panic en la Playa | Riviera Maya, Mexico
1/29 – 2/5 @ Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise | Eastern Caribbea
All tour dates and up to date news available at southernavenuemusic.com
