Little Feat To ‘Strike Up The Band’ For 1st Album Of New Originals In 13 Years

Veteran rockers Little Feat will release their first album of new original songs in 13 years, Strike Up The Band, on May 9 through Hot Tomato. Paste premiered the album’s lead single, “Too High To Cut My Hair.”

Little Feat — longtime keyboardist Bill Payne, bassist Kenny Gradney , percussionist/vocalist Sam Clayton and multi-instrumentalist Fred Tackett, along with guitarist Scott Sharrard and drummer Tony Leone – released Sam’s Place in 2024, which featured Clayton singing blues standards and was their first new LP since 2012’s Rooster Rag and first recorded by the current lineup.

“‘Strike Up The Band’ really began in the winter of 2019 when I was subbing for Paul Barrere, and he passed away on the day of that first show,” said Sharrard. “Continuing through the pandemic shut down (and a lot of practicing and songwriting during that time), to our return to the road in 2021. Then on to our recording field trip to Memphis that resulted in the Grammy Nominated blues album of classic blues covers Sam’s Place. That one gave us all the chance to tighten up as a band and re-visit the Rosetta Stone of rock and roll, The Blues. We have paid a lot of dues to get here, and all roads have led us to this new album.”

The band worked with Vance Powell, who co-produced Strike Up The Band with Payne, and Sharrard on some tracks. Payne, Tackett, Sharrard and Leone are credited with writing the 13 new songs making up the Strike Up The Band tracklist.

“When discussing the album with the band and where it sits in our canon, our predecessor to this record in my mind was Let It Roll,” said Payne. “We are in a similar position to introduce Little Feat once again with this new collection of songs. It is my feeling that, from what we had been playing over the last few years, there’s no question the overwhelming majority of fans would accept the album for what it is: an unmistakable iteration of Little Feat that highlights, with great songs and musicianship, the very best of an ongoing legacy, expressly evoking and expanding upon what people think of when they hear Little Feat.”

The song “Bluegrass Pines” was co-written by Payne and late Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter, and features contributions from Molly Tuttle, Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams. The title track sees the band accompanied by Larkin Poe.

Payne discussed the inspiration for the single, “Too High To Cut My Hair,” stating:

“Fred Tackett shines all over this record, as he always does, but in particular in his writing. ‘Too High to Cut My Hair’ is based on a true story where he and his wife Patricia were in a hotel room in New Orleans. Fred had asked for a trim, but decided that she was too high to cut his hair. And then he thought, ‘Oh my god, what a title!’

“People love the humor in our records, a cherished entree to those when they find it. So I’m happy this song displays that humor, and in full. It’s also got the classic Sam Clayton doing his, three octaves below middle C voice in there—Too High To Cut My Hair! Everyone that has heard it has said, ‘That’s a Little Feat song,’ and I know what they mean!”

Little Feat previously announced the Strike Up The Band Tour. The shows in May will see Cris Jacobs serving as support on most dates.

Watch the video for the new Little Feat single, “Too High To Cut My Hair,” below:

Strike Up the Band Tracklist

1. 4 Days of Heaven 3 Days of Work
2. Bayou Mama
3. Shipwrecks
4. Midnight Flight
5. Too High To Cut My Hair
6. When Hearts Fall
7. Strike Up The Band (feat. Larkin Poe)
8. Bluegrass Pines (feat. Molly Tuttle, Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams)
9. Disappearing Ink
10. Love and Life (Never Fear)
11. Dance a Little
12. Running Out of Time with the Blues
13. New Orleans Cries When She Sings