On May 27, the musician and singer-songwriter JD McPherson has officially released The Warm Covers EP, Vol. 2 digitally via New West Records. The new EP is a follow-up to his 2014 project, The Warm Covers EP.

Fitting for JD McPherson’s reputation as an artist heavily influenced by older styles, each of the five tracks on this latest project are covers of renowned musicians from a variety of eras and styles. Throughout Vol. 2 of the series, listeners will hear covers of country/R&B artist Big Al Downing, punk pioneer Iggy Pop, funk/soul musician Art Neville, alternative rock band The Pixies as well as New Orleans soul legend Irma Thomas.

McPherson has described the list of tracks as “not only a cross-section of my musical upbringing, but also a leap into sunshine following a dark couple of years.” He likens the songs to “old friends – and to record them with these new collaborators brought me back to life in a lot of ways. Some of these song choices might not make sense together on paper, but to me it’s practically the story of my life in three-minute bursts of unchecked enthusiasm.”

See the album art and full tracklisting for the project below.

The Warm Covers EP, Vol. 2 Tracklist

1. Just Around The Corner (Big Al Downing)
2. Lust For Life / Sixteen (Iggy Pop)
3. Let’s Rock (Art Neville)
4. Manta Ray (Pixies)
5. It’s Raining (Irma Thomas)

McPherson and his backing band have also announced that they will be backing Robert Plant and Alison Krauss on their Summer 2022 tour. The artist will also serve as a guitarist on Plant and Krauss’ own backing band. His journey with Plant and Krauss will kick off on June 1 with a show in Canandaigua, New York, and will go on to hit areas including Dallas, San Diego, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Chicago among other places, concluding with a show in Austin, Texas. See the full list of destinations below.

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss Featuring JD McPherson Summer 2022 Tour Dates

6/1 – Canandaigua, NY @ CMAC
6/3 – Saratoga Springs, NY @ SPAC
6/4 – Forest Hills, NY @ Forest Hills Stadium
6/6 – Clarkston, MI @ Pine Knob Music Theatre
6/7 – Chicago, IL @ Jay Pritzker Pavilion
6/9 – Indianapolis, IN @ TCU Amp at White River State Park
6/11 – Columbia, MD @ MPP
6/12 – Philadelphia, PA @ TD Pavilion @ The Mann
6/14 – Cary, NC @ Koka Booth Amphitheatre
6/16 – Atlanta, GA @ Cadence Bank Amp @ Chastain Park
8/15 – San Diego, CA @ The Rady Shell @ Jacobs Park
8/17 – Santa Barbara, CA @ Santa Barbara Bowl
8/18 – Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre
8/20 – Stateline, NV @ Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena
8/21 – Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre
8/23 – Napa, CA @ Oxbow RiverStage
8/25 – Bend, OR @ Hayden Homes Amp
8/27 – Troutdale, OR @ Edgefield
8/28 – Redmond, WA @ Marymoor Park
8/30 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Sandy Amp
9/1 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks
9/3 – Grand Prairie, TX @ Texas Trust CU Theatre Grand Prairie
9/4 – Austin, TX @ Moody Amphitheatre

In a statement, McPherson explained his gratitude about being able to play with Robert Plant and Alison Krauss: “It’s really impossible to express not only my excitement, but also my gratitude for being welcomed into this band for the upcoming tour.  For more than ten years, I’ve been a huge fan of the Plant/Krauss project (not to mention the individual artists within) and all of the musicians involved. I once bought an autographed Raising Sand poster on eBay, for Pete’s sake. The opportunity to play in this band with my musical heroes isn’t something I could have ever dreamed of.  Being asked to open the US shows is the bourbon-soaked cherry on the icing.”

The release of The Warm Covers EP, Vol. 2 follows the release of JD McPherson’s last full length album, his 2017 Undivided Heart & Soul.