A.J. Croce Announces Shooter Jennings Produced Album

01-16-2025

(RCPMK) BMG recording artist/singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist A.J. Croce announces his new forthcoming 11-track album, "Heart of the Eternal," to be released on March 7. Produced by Shooter Jennings (Brandi Carlile, Tanya Tucker), "Heart of the Eternal" will feature a selection of songs that journey from psychedelia to Philadelphia soul to Latin-infused jazz-pop. Croce's new single from the album, "I Got A Feeling," along with a music video.

In conjunction with "Heart of the Eternal," Croce's upcoming yearlong "Heart of The Eternal Tour" will kick off nationwide on February 20 at The Parker in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, through April 6 at the Opera House in Lexington, Kentucky (check A.J.'s website and local listings for additional performances to be announced in 2025).

"Heart of the Eternal" is the latest collection of Croce's songwriting and heart-on-sleeve emotion -- the follow up to his critically lauded cover album "By Request"-his first original body of work since 2017's "Just Like Medicine," which was hailed as "brilliant" by No Depression and a "fluid expression of sorrow and gratitude" by Pop Matters. Croce, son of legendary singer/songwriter Jim Croce, has toured with/collaborated with such legends and luminaries as B.B. King, Willie Nelson, Ray Charles, Leon Russell, Allen Toussaint, Neville Brothers, Bela Fleck and Ry Cooder, to name a few, all while building up an acclaimed catalog that blurs the boundaries between blues, soul, rock & roll, Americana, and much more.

Says Croce: "I've always felt that music is the heart of our humanity. It's the purest way to connect to one another. Every songwriter I've ever met has told me that they don't know where their greatest songs have come from. Maybe it's our dreams or subconscious that allow us to draw from that eternal well of creativity. I don't know the answer but I'm always looking for it. While stylistically diverse, this album is my search for the heart of the eternal."

Croce adds about "I Got A Feeling": "I'd written the music and had the hook for a few months before sharing the song with Tommy Sims, who I thought would be the perfect collaborator. The groove, my guitar riff and my distorted Rhodes solo were all influenced by the psychedelic soul of the late 60's. Artists like The Chambers Brothers and Shuggie Otis were the inspirational point of departure."

Recorded at the Sunset Sound in Los Angeles, California, Croce's 11th studio album features bassist David Barard (a Grammy-winner who performed with Dr. John for nearly four decades), drummer Gary Mallaber (whose credits include Van Morrison's Moondance and Tupelo Honey), and guitarist James Pennebaker (Delbert McClinton, Jimmie Dale Gilmore). The album was completed during Croce's downtime from his ongoing "Croce Plays Croce" tour-a widely celebrated run in which he performs classic songs from his late father Jim, along with his own material and a number of specially curated covers.

"HEART OF THE ETERNAL" TRACK LISTING:

I Got A Feeling
On A Roll
Reunion
Complications of Love
Didn't You Want That Too
Hey Margarita
Turned Around
Best You Can
So Much Fun
All You Want
The Finest Line (feat. Margo Price)

"HEART OF THE ETERNAL TOUR" DATES ARE AS FOLLOWS:

2/20/25- The Parker - Fort Lauderdale, FL
2/21/25- Plaza Live - Orlando, FL
2/22/25- Capitol Theater - Clearwater, FL
2/24/25- Charleston Music Hall - Charleston, SC
2/25/25- Knight Theater - Charlotte, NC
2/26/25- Fletcher Hall - Durham, NC
2/28/25- The Harvester - Rocky Mount, VA
3/1/25- Birchmere - Alexandria, VA
3/2/25- Roland E. Powell Convention Center Performing Arts Center - Ocean City, MD
3/5/25- Newton Theater - Newton, NJ
3/7/25- Ridgefield Playhouse - Ridgefield, CT
3/8/25- Greenwich Odeum - E. Greenwich, RI
3/9/25- Cabot Theater - Beverly, MA
3/11/25- Nashua Center for the Arts - Nashua, NH
3/12/25- The Music Hall - Portsmouth, NH
4/3/25 -Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall - Munhall, PA
4/4/25- Palladium - Carmel, IN
4/5/25- Blue Gate Theater - Shipshewana, IN
4/6/25- Opera House - Lexington, KY