[Cover photo credit to Ismael Mendez]
Singer/songwriter, Producer and SUSTO co-founder Johnny Delaware has shared “Never Let Go,” a new single from his upcoming third album Para Llevar, out November 1, 2024 via Normaltown Records / New West Records. A story about “two long-distance lovers finding their way to each other” and is accompanied by an animated video.
Delaware says about “Never Let Go”:
Written in Utah after visiting Arches National Park, I recorded this song a few months later in a hotel in Mexico City. I really wanted to have a warm and honest track for Para Llevar, and the chords felt endearing enough to allow raw and real lyrics. It’s a song about looking forward to the end of the road, when long-distance lovers finally unite.
On the music video, he adds:
For this video, I could have gone with the typical drive around in a truck and lip-sync approach, but this song desired something different. It’s the most heartfelt track on the album, so it was important to find someone who could strike a river of emotion through animation. I saw a video by Hermanos Gutierrez a few years back and was blown away by how well done the video was. It stuck with me, so by the time we were organizing this video, I knew we had to reach out to El Oms. I really feel like I’m his biggest fan. When the pen comes to paper, it comes from a profound place that resonates in my heart like a singing bowl. So it was a real honor talking over the phone, getting to know him, organizing the video together, and stepping out of the way so he could do his thing.
Para Llevar follows Delaware’s 2022 album Energy of Light, which was made during a time when he relocated to Mexico City. Since then, he’s continued going back and forth across the border while working on the songs that would become Para Llevar.
In addition to his respected solo work, Delaware is a co-founder of the bands The Artisanals and SUSTO. Over the last decade, SUSTO has toured with the likes of The Lumineers, Band of Horses, and The Head and the Heart.
This Fall, Delaware will bring his new music to audiences on a headlining tour with stops in Nashville, Chicago, New York and other cities.
Johnny Delaware 2024 Tour Dates:
September 1 – Fine 2Day Fest @ Maquoketa, IA
November 12 – Athens, GA @ The Lab at Cine
November 13 – Atlanta, GA @ Vinyl – Center Stage
November 14 – Nashville, TN @ The Vinyl Lounge
November 15 – Lawrenceburg, IN @ Liberty Theater
November 16 – Chicago, IL @ Judson and Moore
November 19 – Des Moines, IA @ xBk
November 20 – Columbus, OH @ Natalie’s Grandview
November 22 – Charleston, SC @ Royal American
November 24 – Mobile, AL @ Callaghan’s
December 1 – Vienna, VA @ Jammin Java
December 3 – New York, NY @ TV Eye
December 7 – Davenport, IA @ Raccoon Motel
December 8 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
December 10 – Ann Arbor, MI @ The Ark
