With Just Like That…, her 21st album and first new release in more than six years, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Bonnie Raitt, continues to display the vitality and urgency that has defined her legendary career. Teaming up again with distributor, ADA, globally and new partner, Sub Pop, for physical product in the United States, Just Like That… is set for release on April 22 in all formats, including an Indie exclusive Teal LP, immersive audio formats Dolby Atmos, and 360 Reality Audio. Raitt’s new single, Made Up Mind, is out now.
Just Like That… was recorded in the summer of 2021 in Sausalito, CA. The players include two long-time members of Raitt’s band: bassist, James “Hutch” Hutchinson, and drummer, Ricky Fataar, as well as two new musicians: Canadian, Glenn Patscha, on keyboards and backing vocals and Nashville guitarist, Kenny Greenberg. Her long-time guitarist/songwriting partner, George Marinelli, also joined in, playing and singing on Livin’ for the Ones, the song they co-wrote for the album. Once again, Raitt took the producer reins, reuniting with her favourite recording and mixing engineer, Ryan Freeland, for their third collaboration (they each earned GRAMMY Awards for Raitt’s 2012 release, Slipstream).
The mix of sounds and approaches on Just Like That… reveals how, 50 years after the release of her debut album, Raitt continues to personify what it means to stay creative, adventurous, and daring over the course of a life’s work. “On this record, I wanted to stretch,” she says. “I always want to find songs that excite me, and what’s different this time is that I’ve tried some styles and topics I haven’t touched on before.”
Raitt will receive the Billboard Icon Award and perform at this year’s Women in Music Awards on Wednesday, March 2 at the YouTube Theatre in Los Angeles, CA. The annual event recognizes music’s rising and A-List artists, creators, producers, and executives for their contributions to the industry and community. The 2022 Women in Music Awards will stream live on Twitter.com/Billboard.
Before the new year, The Recording Academy® announced that Raitt will join the honourees receiving Lifetime Achievement Awards at the Special Merit Awards Ceremony and 64th Annual GRAMMY® Nominees Reception event. The Lifetime Achievement Award celebrates performers who have made outstanding contributions of artistic significance to the field of recording. Ten-time GRAMMY winner, Raitt, will be joined by Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, Lionel Hampton, Marilyn Horne, Salt-N-Pepa, Selena, and Talking Heads. Ed Cherney, Benny Golson, and Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds were named Trustees Award honourees, and Daniel Weiss is the Technical GRAMMY® Award recipient.
Like the rest of the musicians around the world, sidelined for two years from their livelihood and great joy—touring live—Raitt and her band and crew are thrilled to return to the road in April for an eight-month U.S. tour. The tour’s special guests include NRBQ (from April 12—23), followed by Lucinda Williams and long-time friend, Mavis Staples, on various dates throughout the run. The full tour schedule, with info on Special Benefit Seat information, is listed at www.bonnieraitt.com.
Raitt has never felt more grateful that she can continue making music, contributing to causes, keeping her crew working, and connecting with her audience. “I’m really aware of how lucky I am,” she says, “and I feel like it’s my responsibility to get out there and say something fresh and new—for me and for the fans. But I need to have something to say or I won’t put out a record.”
ABOUT BONNIE RAITT
Bonnie Raitt is a singer, songwriter and guitarist whose unique style blends blues, R&B, rock, and pop. After 20 years as a cult favourite, she broke through to the top in the early 90s with her GRAMMY-award winning albums, Nick of Time, and Luck of the Draw, which featured hits, Something To Talk About and I Can’t Make You Love Me, among others. The ten-time GRAMMY winner was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000 and Rolling Stone named the slide guitar ace one of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time and one of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time.
Raitt’s widely-acclaimed 2012 independent release, Slipstream, sold over a quarter-million copies, making it one of the top selling independent albums, and earned Raitt her 10th GRAMMY Award (Best Americana Album). In February 2016, Raitt released her highly-anticipated 20th album, Dig In Deep (Redwing Records). On tour for much of 2017-2019, Raitt and her band performed overseas in Australia, New Zealand as well as Canada before spending the summers touring as support for James Taylor in stadiums and arenas across the U.S., United Kingdom and Europe.
As known for her lifelong commitment to social activism as she is for her music, Raitt has long been involved with the environmental movement, performing concerts around oil, nuclear power, mining, water and forest protection since the mid 70’s. She was a founding member of MUSE (Musicians United for Safe Energy) which produced the historic concerts, album and movie NO NUKES and continues to work on safe energy issues in addition to environmental protection, social justice and human rights, as well as creator’s rights and music education.
