Ben Harper And Charlie Musselwhite Release 'No Mercy In This Land'
Today, GRAMMY-Award winning artists BEN HARPER and CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE release their second collaborative album No Mercy in This Land, available NOW on ANTI-.
On Monday night, the pair made the national television debut of the album’s latest single “The Bottle Wins Again” on The Late Late Show with James Corden – watch the performance HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xi9xwOBUeJw
Of the deeply personal track, Harper elaborates: “‘The Bottle Wins Again’ is a song about genetic and learned behavior. A song about traits inherited through the generations, blurring the actual choices one has, having a profound effect directly and indirectly on friends and loved ones. While alcohol is certainly a gateway drug, it’s also a gateway to a lot more alcohol. My father was brilliant. He used to empty out popcorn tins, then number and stack paper plates in them. With his perfect penmanship, these numerous tins were his journals in which he would write musings, poetry, thoughts and ideas. He loved the way the plates stacked and were instantly organized. Alcoholism is the disease which rendered my childhood for the most part fatherless. In a one room apartment, surrounded by empty wild turkey bottles and paper plates, alcoholism would eventually kill my dad at age 55. Cirrhosis of the liver. A deafening echo of unrealized potential. I haven’t had a drink in almost a year, and I’ve never felt better.”
The record has already begun receiving critical acclaim:
· “Both artists approach the music from different perspectives, which makes this collaboration so vibrant. Harper’s background in soul, folk, rock, gospel and funk, along with Musselwhite’s darker edged swampy Chicago and Delta blues creates a swirling, simmering rootsy concoction that’s organically charged.” – AMERICAN SONGWRITER
· “Ben Harper has put in some work. He has had a long and substantive career giving releasing one quality album after another. Old fans love it and his work gathers new fans into the fold at every turn. Why? Because quality and honesty are hard to find. Sincerity and vision are a scarcity in a musical landscape littered with the benign and ordinary.” – AMERICAN BLUES SCENE
· "Harper and Musselwhite sound as if they've been playing together for a lifetime; the songwriting and playing set 'No Mercy in This Land' in a category by itself, and it's not too early to say that this is one of the best albums of the year." – LIVING BLUES MAGAZINE
· “Through it all, the duo creates a thrilling performance that melds Harper’s unique slide guitar with Musselwhite’s signature harmonica along both of their purely soulful vocal deliveries.” - BILLBOARD
In addition to critical praise and fan anticipation of the record’s release, Ben & Charlie have discussed the album with CNN, ESPN SportsCenter, Forbes, Cheddar, SiriusXM, WTF with Marc Maron (airing April 12) and The Hollywood Reporter to shed more light on the project. On Wednesday night, the duo performed at the GRAMMY Museum after a Q&A with Scott Goldman, the museum’s executive director. Their performance of “Found The One” on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert – originally aired on March 7 – will re-air on April 3 at 11:35/10:35c on CBS.
The duo will celebrate the release by kicking off their 40+ date international tour in San Francisco, CA tonight, with a sold out two-night run at The Fillmore before taking the trek overseas for a string of European dates prior to returning to North America in May. For full details and information about the tour, please visit https://nomercyinthisland.com/#tour.
BEN HARPER + CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE 2018 TOUR DATES
*All dates and locations are subject to change.
Friday, March 30 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
Saturday, March 31 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
Tuesday, April 3 Glasgow, UK Oran Mor
Friday, April 6 Manchester, UK Academy 2
Saturday, April 7 London, UK Shepherds Bush Empire
Monday, April 9 Amsterdam, Holland Paradiso
Tuesday, April 10 Berlin, Germany Huxleys Neue Welt
Wednesday, April 11 Cologne, Germany Live Music Hall
Thursday, April 12 Luxembourg, Luxembourg Den Atelier
Saturday, April 14 Brussels, Belgium La Madeleine
Sunday, April 15 Brussels, Belgium La Madeleine
Tuesday, April 17 Paris, France La Cigale
Wednesday, April 18 Paris, France La Cigale
Friday, April 20 Paris, France La Cigale
Saturday, April 21 Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, France Musilac Mont-Blanc Festival
Monday, April 23 Milan, Italy Fabrique
Tuesday, April 24 Milan, Italy Fabrique
Wednesday, April 25 Geneva, Switzerland Salle des Fetes
Friday, April 27 Barcelona, Spain Barts
Saturday, April 28 Barcelona, Spain Barts
Monday, April 30 Lisbon, Portugal Aula Magna
Thursday, May 3 Madrid, Spain La Riveria
Monday, May 7 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour
Tuesday, May 8 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour
Wednesday, May 9 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour
Saturday, May 12 Solana Beach, CA Belly Up
Sunday, May 13 Solana Beach, CA Belly Up
Tuesday, May 15 Solana Beach, CA Belly Up
Wednesday, May 16 Solana Beach, CA Belly Up
Monday, May 28 Toronto, ONT Mod Club
Tuesday, May 29 Toronto, ONT Mod Club
Wednesday, May 30 Toronto, ONT Mod Club
Friday, June 1 Burlington, VT Higher Ground
Saturday, June 2 Burlington, VT Higher Ground
Sunday, June 3 Cambridge, MA The Sinclair
Monday, June 4 Cambridge, MA The Sinclair
Thursday, June 7 Portsmouth, NH The Music Hall
Friday, June 8 New York, NY The Bowery Ballroom
Saturday, June 9 New York, NY The Bowery Ballroom
Sunday, June 10 New York, NY The Bowery Ballroom
Tuesday, June 12 Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer
Wednesday, June 13 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
Friday, June 29 Saskatoon, SK Sasktel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival
Sunday, July 29 Detroit, MI St. Andrews Hall
Monday, July 30 Chicago, IL Thalia Hall
Tuesday, July 31 Chicago, IL Thalia Hall
Wednesday, August 1 Saint Paul, MN Palace Theater
Friday, August 3 Denver, CO Gothic Theater
Saturday, August 4 Denver, CO Gothic Theater
Monday, August 20 Calgary, AB Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
Tuesday, August 21 Edmonton, AB Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
Wednesday, August 23 Vancouver, BC Orpheum Theatre
Thursday, August 24 Woodinville, WA Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery
Friday, August 25 Goldendale, WA Maryhill Winery & Amphitheater
Monday, August 27 Santa Cruz, CA The Catalyst
Tuesday, August 28 Santa Cruz, CA The Catalyst
Friday, September 14 Telluride, CO Telluride Blues & Brews Festival