Iconic singer, songwriter, guitarist, and ALICE IN CHAINS co-founder Jerry Cantrell has released a Nate Merritt-animated video for “Siren Song”. The track is featured on Jerry‘s latest solo album, “Brighten”, which came out last October. Watch the video below.
Says Cantrell: “I had a great time working with the very talented Nate Merritt and Josh Richman on this video to bring ‘Siren Song’ to life through animation. Nate‘s imagery is beautiful and impactful, a perfect visual companion to the music that tells the story I started out with, and travels far beyond it. A true collaborative effort, great work guys.”
Cantrell is preparing to hit the road in North America in support of “Brighten”. The trek will kick on March 24 at the Palace Theater in St. Paul, Minnesota and make stops in major cities such as Toronto, Chicago, Detroit, Nashville, New York, Philadelphia, Seattle and Los Angeles, to name a few.
“Brighten” was co-produced by Jerry over the past year with film composer Tyler Bates and Cantrell‘s longtime engineer Paul Figueroa. They welcomed a dynamic cast of supporting players, including drummers Gil Sharone and Abe Laboriel, Jr. (Paul McCartney), pedal steel master Michael Rozon, Vincent Jones on piano, Wurlitzer, and organ. Other rock legends added to the fun of this LP, including Duff McKagan (GUNS N’ ROSES) on select bass tracks, Greg Puciato (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN) handling all of the background vocals and Joe Barresi (TOOL, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE) overseeing the mixing of “Brighten”. Together, they recorded eight originals and the LP closes with an approved-by-Elton John cover of his classic “Goodbye” as the finale.
“Siren Song” is performed by Cantrell (guitar, vocals, bass) along with Sharone (drums, percussion), Puciato (backing vocals), Rozon (pedal steel), Jordan Lewis (piano) and Barresi (triangle).
Cantrell played a pair of sold-out solo shows in Los Angeles joined by an eclectic group of musicians and friends, several of whom appear on “Brighten”.
“It was fun to play tunes I hadn’t performed in years from ‘Boggy Depot’ and ‘Degradation Trip’,” Jerry continues. “Tyler Bates not only introduced me to a lot of cool players, he also helped me put the band together for the shows, and performed with me.”
“Brighten” spawned from those gigs.
“It was like an old-school ’70s record where a multitude of musicians played,” smiles Cantrell. “So it’s not a set band. I got to make music with a bunch of people I never had before, along with friends like Duff, Tyler and Gil who I’ve worked with previously.”
Jerry‘s expansive sonic palette incorporates everything from moments of moody organ and powerful pedal steel to the cathartic choruses and airtight riffs which is the hallmark of Cantrell‘s sound.
“Brighten” is available for purchase everywhere now and will be offered in an exclusive bone with gold splatter color 180-gram vinyl via Jerry‘s webstore.
“Brighten” track listing:
1. Atone
2. Brighten
3. Prism of Doubt
4. Black Hearts and Evil Done
5. Siren Song
6. Had To Know
7. Nobody Breaks You
8. Dismembered
9. Goodbye (Elton John cover)
The cast of players on “Brighten”
- Jerry Cantrell / Guitar, bass, vocals, keys
- Greg Puciato / Background vocals
- Duff McKagan / Bass
- Gil Sharone / Drums
- Abe Laboriel Jr. / Drums
- Tyler Bates / Strings, percussion, guitar
- Vincent Jones / Piano, keys, & strings
- Jordan Lewis / Piano
- Michael Rozon / Pedal steel
- Lola Bates / Background vocals
- Matias Ambrogi-Torres / Strings
