Robert Plant 's unmistakable voice is back with new material. Alongside his band Saving Grace , the legendary Led Zeppelin released a new version of the song "Chevrolet" this Thursday, the 4th. The song is the first single from the group's debut album, also titled Saving Grace , which is scheduled for release on September 26th by Nonesuch Records .
The new version of “Chevrolet” is a reimagining of “Can I Do It For You,” a Memphis Minnie , and is part of what Plant describes as “a songbook about what has been lost and found.”
The project was born during lockdown in the English countryside. While his most recent adventures were in Nashville, with the acclaimed album Raise The Roof (2021) alongside Alison Krauss , it was in the countryside that Plant connected with this new group of musicians. The band consists of Suzi Dian (vocals), Oli Jefferson (drums), Tony Kelsey (guitar), Matt Worley (banjo and string instruments), and Barney Morse-Brown (cello).
“We laugh a lot, really. I think that suits me. I like to laugh,” Plant says. “You know, I can’t find any reason to be too serious about anything. I’m not exhausted. The sweetness of it all… They are sweet people and they are achieving things they never could before. They have become unique designers and together they seem to have arrived at a very interesting place.”
The process of recording Saving Grace
Rolling Stone magazine , Plant revealed that the album's creation process was quite organic and pastoral, contrasting with the pressure of his post-Led Zeppelin career.
“We started with a microphone on a stand in the middle of a field,” he explained. “We set up a small mixing console. We stood about four meters apart from each other and, one by one, we went to the microphone. On the last track of the album, you can hear some birds singing, because we recorded our part individually and moved away from the microphone. It was an experiment that took me back to Physical Graffiti with Led Zeppelin, when I recorded several vocals outdoors.”
Produced by Plant and the band, the album breathes new life into a collection of secular songs, including tracks by artists such as Bob Mosley ( Moby Grape ), Blind Willie Johnson , The Low Anthem , and LOW .
After an extensive tour of Europe, Robert Plant and Saving Grace will perform for the first time in the United States in the second half of the year.
Saving Grace tracklist:
- "Chevrolet"
- "As I Roved Out"
- “It’s A Beautiful Day Today”
- "Soul Of A Man"
- "Ticket Taker"
- "I Never Will Marry"
- “Higher Rock”
- "Too Far From You"
- “Everybody's Song”
- "Gospel Plough"
READ ALSO: Robert Plant explains why he doesn't play Led Zeppelin's most famous songs in his solo show.
