On the heels of his soulful lead single “Bye Bye Blues,” celebrated blues singer and guitarist Larry McCray returns in the present day with “Vivid Aspect,” the second launch from his upcoming album Heartbreak Metropolis, due out June 13 by way of KTBA Information, the label based by Joe Bonamassa. The mid-tempo burner—written by Josh Smith, Michael “Harvey” Value, and Steve Shepherd—was initially penned for the late, nice Bobby “Blue” Bland, however sat unreleased for many years till producer Josh Smith introduced it to McCray, figuring out he was the one to convey it to life. With deep-in-the-pocket grooves, sly lyrical turns, and an irresistible call-and-response refrain, “Vivid Aspect” leans into McCray’s capability to ship grit with appeal and swagger. His weathered vocals trip a basic blues development that’s equal elements robust and joyful, whereas his signature guitar tone cuts by means of like a livewire. “Vivid Aspect” reveals McCray doing what he does finest—delivering emotional reality with musical fireplace. Produced by Grammy-nominated duo Bonamassa and Smith, Heartbreak Metropolis is a daring, unfiltered assortment that finds McCray on the top of his powers. The ten-track album fuses uncooked blues with classic soul, Southern grit, and a hard-won sense of pleasure, that includes standout contributions from Reese Wynans, Kirk Fletcher, and background vocalists Jade Macrae and Dannielle De Andrea, in addition to visitor guitar work from Bonamassa himself. The album was recorded at Sundown Sound in Hollywood and blended by Alan Hertz. The undertaking was first launched with the lead single “Bye Bye Blues,” a finger-snapping throwback co-written with longtime collaborator Charlie Walmsley that paid homage to the soul icons of McCray’s youth—Johnnie Taylor, Bobby “Blue” Bland, and Little Milton amongst them. Throughout Heartbreak Metropolis, McCray leans into themes of reflection, resilience, and redemption, drawing from a long time of lived expertise on and off the stage. His voice—gravelly, weathered, and stuffed with soul—carries the load of hard-earned knowledge, whereas his guitar work stays as fiery and fluid as ever. With gospel-tinged harmonies, taut grooves, and a band that matches him punch for punch, Heartbreak Metropolis reclaims the blues, reframing it by means of the lens of somebody who’s survived it, performed it, and lived it for greater than 4 a long time. The album follows McCray’s 2022 comeback Blues With out You, which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Blues Chart and was named the #1 Blues Album of the Yr by Blues Rock Evaluation. The file marked a triumphant return after a seven-year hiatus and helped relaunch McCray onto pageant levels and year-end best-of lists. In 2024, he was inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Corridor of Fame, additional cementing his place among the many greats. Born in Smackover, Arkansas, and raised in Saginaw, Michigan, McCray developed a guitar type that blends the electrical fireplace of Hendrix with the soul of B.B. King and the Southern swing of the Allman Brothers. He was the primary artist signed to Virgin Information’ Level Clean imprint within the late ’80s and went on to launch a sequence of genre-defining albums, together with Ambition, Delta Hurricane, and Born to Play the Blues. Over his storied profession, McCray has shared the stage with B.B. King, Buddy Man, Albert King, the Allman Brothers, Joe Walsh, Jonny Lang, and plenty of extra. “Larry McCray is a legend,” shares Joe Bonamassa. “We have now identified that for 30 years. He’s the final of the nice blues shouters from the Rust Belt. Within the spirit of BB King, Luther Allison, and Little Milton, Larry is among the many greats. It’s now as much as the world to rediscover him. He has been right here all alongside.”
Heartbreak Metropolis by Larry McCray1. Strive To Be A Good Man2. Heartbreak City3. Bye Bye Blues4. Vivid Side5. Every part Falls On Me6. I Know What I’ve Performed (feat. Joe Bonamassa)7. Maintain On Loving My Child (feat. Kirk Fletcher & Josh Smith)8. Hangman9. Cease Your Crying10. Loopy World Tour DatesMay 24 – Burton, MI – Burton Rock & Blues FestivalAugust 24 – Marshfield, MA – North River Blues FestSeptember 15-21 – Seattle, WA – Preserving the Blues Alive at Sea Alaska
Devon Allman’s Blues Summit TourAugust 7 – Baton Rouge, LA – Elevating Cane’s River CenterAugust 8 – Lake Charles, LA – The Rosa Hart TheatreAugust 9 – Pensacola, FL – Saenger TheaterAugust 10 – Montgomery, AL – Montgomery Performing Arts CenterAugust 12 – Nashville, TN – Fogg St Garden ClubAugust 13 – Union Corridor, VA – The CovesAugust 14 – Hopewell, VA – The Beacon TheatreAugust 15 – Norfolk, CT – Infinity Music HallAugust 16 – Jordan, NY – Kegs CanalsideAugust 17 – Kingston, NY – Ulster Performing Arts CenterAugust 20 – Atlantic Metropolis, NJ – Mardi Gras AC @ Kennedy PlazaAugust 21 – Cranston, RI – The Park TheatreAugust 23 – Nashua, NH – Nashua Middle for the ArtsSeptember 4 – Phoenix, AZ – MIMSeptember 5 – Las Vegas, NV – Huge Blues BenderSeptember 6 – San Juan Capistrano, CA – Coach HouseSeptember 9 – Santa Fe, NM – The LensicSeptember 10 – Beaver Creek, CO – Vilar Performing Arts CenterSeptember 11 – Parker, CO – The Tempo CenterSeptember 12-13 – Telluride, CO – Telluride Blues & Brews Pageant
** Options Devon Allman, Jimmy Corridor, Larry McCray & Sierra Inexperienced For extra info, go to Larry McCrayBlues singer and guitarist Larry McCray was born in Magnolia, Arkansas, and raised in Saginaw, Michigan, the place he developed a searing guitar type and emotive voice that may earn him comparisons to the style’s greats. A pioneer of recent blues-rock, McCray helped form the style all through the ’90s with albums on Virgin’s Level Clean label and thru collaborations with legends like B.B. King, Albert King, and Buddy Man. After years of grinding it out on the street and surviving private struggles, McCray has emerged with a renewed sense of objective—and a voice that’s deeper, richer, and extra highly effective than ever. With Heartbreak Metropolis, he cements his standing as a timeless torchbearer of the blues.
