John Oates has today released his new single titled ‘Enough Is Enough’ from his upcoming album titled ‘Oates’, dropping August 29th. Featuring the NYC-based 8-piece soul pop band Lawrence, John Oates gives a touch of new cool to his old school style. Hell, John Oates created a lot of the music that is emulated to this day. So, for him to sound this fresh and original long after the establishment of legendary status shows how timeless and current his music is.
Having said that, ‘Enough Is Enough’ is a slow dive into summer and all that the upcoming album could and most likely will be. Memorable, magical, musical, and monumental, John Oates shows us once again how it’s done with the tenacity of a poet and the humbleness of a giant.
About ‘Oates’
Nearly all original new songs, Oates finds the music legend flexing his deep love for the craft of songwriting, masterful guitar work, and finely aged voice with a touch of rasp, bringing listeners on a delightful and fresh musical voyage. The sound of his new album will remind fans of the classic groove-oriented R&B and pop he produced in the 70s and 80s, and is another exciting addition to Oates’ eclectic and dynamic body of work.
Oates was inspired in part by a bright new generation of talents that have caught his ear, including Clyde and Gracie Lawrence, who front the NYC 8-piece soul pop band Lawrence, and soul singer-songwriter Devon Gilfillian. After hearing Lawrence’s music, Oates was moved to write a song, and asked them to guest on it. “Enough Is Enough” kicks off the album with a feeling of joy and warmth over a funky plucked bassline and three-part harmonies, Gilfillian, who, like Oates, has strong ties to Philadelphia, also worked with Oates on the record, co-writing “Real Thing” and co-writing and singing on “Mending” (which was inspired by reading the word “Mend” on a random pluck from a deck of tarot cards). Oates says that he didn’t realize it at the time, but his work with Gilfillian would help bring this new full-length album into focus.
Other album highlights include the previously released “Pushin’ A Rock.” The Sisyphean parts of life have never sounded so smooth, over a smoldering groove and slinky synths, with Oates empowering us to “roll with it” when things get rough. “A Ways Away” illustrates the album’s softer side, shimmering acoustic guitars, and a soaring chorus.
Oates also explores global sounds, inspired by his love of Bossa Nova and Carlos Jobim (“Dreaming Of Brazil” featuring Wendy Moten on vocals), and “Bajo La Luz De La Luna,” a song he penned for Gringa, a feature film that takes place in Mexico. Oates memorialized our collective experience of the pandemic on “Disconnected” and imagines how it would feel to be completely alone on “World’s Gone Wrong,” a beautiful song that reminds us to be grateful for our loved ones. The album closes with Oates’ take on “Walking In Memphis,” as well as a remixed bonus track of the song by American electronic music producer Grabbitz.
The album was recorded almost entirely in Nashville, including at Sound Emporium, Curb Studios, and Addiction Sound, and at The Hit Factory (“Enough Is Enough”) in NYC. It was produced by Oates and David Kalmusky (a multi-platinum producer who has worked with everyone from Keith Urban and Shawn Mendes to Carrie Underwood and Meghan Trainor) and mixed by Kalmusky.
Based in Nashville for over 15 years, Oates fit right into the city’s bustling Americana scene. Early blues, roots, rock n’ roll, and folk is the formative music he grew up on, and has revisited and reimagined on some of his recent solo work, including 2024’s introspective and acoustic Reunion. But with Oates, he’s plugged his beloved 1958 Stratocaster back in and is relishing the grooves.
‘Oates’ Tracklist
- Enough Is Enough (ft. Lawrence)
- Real Thing Going On
- Mending (ft. Devon Gilfillian)
- A Ways Away
- Let Me Be the One
- World Gone Wrong
- Pushin’ a Rock
- Disconnected
- Get Your Smile On
- Dreaming About Brazil
- Bajo la Luz de la Luna
- Walking In Memphis
- Walking In Memphis (Grabbitz Remix)
About John Oates
Although many people around the world know him as the co-creator of the pop group Hall & Oates, this versatile artist’s musical roots run deep. As a young child in the early 1950s, John’s life and influences parallel the evolution of American rock and roll. Playing and singing from the age of five, he was born into a life of music. “I am old enough to remember music before the birth of rock and roll, so when it hit, I was aware that something new and groundbreaking had happened.” Chuck Berry, Little Richard, the Everly Brothers, and Elvis laid the foundation, and the regional sounds crackling out of the AM radio from labels like Stax Volt/ Specialty / Sun / Chess were Oates’ sonic palette from which to draw inspiration.
In the early 1960s, when the folk revival swept the college campuses, John immersed himself in songs he heard from all the newly rediscovered artists, many of whom traced their careers back to the 1920s and 30s at the beginning of phonograph recordings. Living in Philadelphia at that time John haunted the coffee houses and festivals to hear folks like Mississippi John Hurt, Doc Watson, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee and spent many a Saturday night at the fabled Uptown Theater to experience R&B greats like Sam and Dave, Otis Redding, the Temptations, Curtis Mayfield and James Brown. It was from these early influences that John Oates became the musician he is today. A keeper of the flame, an Americana amalgamation of all that he heard and all that has come before him.
Working and moving to Nashville in the early 2000s, John was embraced by the burgeoning Americana music community and surrounded by kindred spirits, and with their help, he began to tap back into his earliest musical DNA to establish and redefine himself. The results of which have been seven solo albums, multiple singles, and many classic collaborations.
Featured image by Jason Lee Denton.
LINKS:
https://johnoates.com/
https://twitter.com/JohnOates
https://www.youtube.com/user/JohnOatesMusic
https://www.facebook.com/JohnOatesMusic
https://instagram.com/JohnOatesOfficial
http://www.tiktok.com/@realjohnoates
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4TjR4K8rD5CqqqU59V6aGr