Join us for an incredible evening at The Franklin Theatre with legendary artist, Sheryl Crow as she debuts her new album, Evolution. This event will feature her newest works, as well as some of her most popular hits, and will be filmed by PBS for release at a later date. Limited seating is available in The Franklin Theatre auditorium due to production needs. Additional seating is also available on Main Street for a live, outdoor* simulcast viewing experience. The outdoor simulcast is a rare opportunity to take in a show at The Franklin Theatre live on Main Street with exclusive food and beverage options. This event is presented by Southall Farm & Inn.
*Note: Outdoor seating will not include access to The Franklin Theatre auditorium.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Nine time Grammy Award winner and 2023 Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame Inductee Sheryl Crow announces the release of her 11th full length studio album, Evolution, produced by Mike Elizondo (Dr. Dre, Maroon 5, Keith Urban, Gary Clark Jr) which drops on March 29th, 2024 via The Valory Music Group.
Crow publicly stated that she would not release another full length album after Threads (2018), so Evolution comes as a welcome surprise. “Everything has gotten more song oriented with streaming, and making an album is a huge endeavor.” says Crow. “I started off sending one song to Mike, which turned into four, and it was going to be an EP. But the songs just kept flowing out of me, four songs turned into nine and it was pretty obvious this was an album.”
"Alarm Clock", the lead off single, is perhaps Sheryl Crow’s most radio-friendly pop song since “Soak Up The Sun”. Co-written with Elizondo and Emily Weisband, Crow's narrative of a beautiful dream broken by the jarring buzz of morning wake-up is buoyed by his effervescent production. "Alarm Clock” is an ear worm that stays with you after just one listen. The easy creative rapport between Crow and Elizondo, who used to play bass in her band, was a key factor is the making of the album.
"I did not want to produce myself this time,” says Crow. "There’s a point where you get tired of what you do, you recognize your tricks, you despair of them. I didn’t want to deal with the emotional toil that goes into producing, the decisions, the effort, the time, being away from my kids. Mike loved the songs I sent him and wanted to produce. He brought a fresh approach and illustrated the songs in such a cinematic way, he’s so good with that. We did things quickly, the way old records were made, wrote the whole album in a month,” relates Crow.
Evolution the album started with the title track, which coveys Crow’s uneasiness about artificial intelligence, its impact on the planet and the human race. “Stephen Hawking worried that A.I. would replace humans. As a mom, I want to leave a better world for my children, a healthier planet - is A.I. going to be a benevolent partner in these goals or not? It’s unsettling, and this song deals with those anxieties,” says Crow. “I wrote the song with just me on guitar and vocals, sent it to Mike and said, this is bigger than me, can you take a crack at it?” Elizondo's production on the track brings Crow into new sonic territory, delivering blockbuster cinematics and a monolithic guitar solo by Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello. “To me, Tom’s playing comes from some other planet,” says Crow. “It’s a cool bit of kismet that we’re being inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in the same year, and his solo on “Evolution” just ejects you into space.”
The majestic ballad "Don’t Walk Away” is another key highlight on Crow’s new album. “We’re facing so many struggles in our daily lives, not just from existential threats like war, the pandemic, climate change, but basic human challenges, like just trying to keep our relationships going. Friends you thought were the most solid couples divorce..it all makes me feel really raw.” This rawness inspired Crow to deliver one of the most fragile, beautiful vocal performances of her career, which Crow did in one take, singing and playing piano. Elizondo built the track around this demo performance. “I knew I wouldn’t be able to sing it like that again, it was so immediate for me. I hope that whoever hears this song feels like they’re not alone, not the only one experiencing grief or pain or loss or joy,” says Crow.
Other standout tracks on the album include the slinky “Do It Again” (the sole track on the album produced by John Shanks), “You Can’t Change The Weather”, an optimistic singalong, and the laid back “Love Life”, all of which will be well received by fans of Crow’s sophomore self-titled album. “Broken Record” is upbeat and playful, melodic camouflage for the song’s subject matter - the frustration of people using huge platforms to drum up hate and fear. “Where”, an unused older track penned with Bill Bottrell, sounds like a newly-discovered Laurel Canyon gem. The final track on the album, "Waiting in The Wings”, is the perfect closer, pure honey flowing from the speakers until the tonearm lifts from the record. It’s all over too soon!
Evolution is Sheryl Crow being her most authentically human self. “This music and these lyrics came from sitting in the quiet and writing from a deep soul place. I don’t usually get up in the morning, write a whole song and go straight into recording it, but that's what this was. I said I’d never make another record, I thought there was no point to it. But this music comes from my soul. And I hope whoever hears this record can feel that.”
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