Grace Potter and the Nocturnals and Brett Dennen with Robert Francis
Where: 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW
When: 7 p.m. Tuesday
Info: $25; 800-955-5566; 930.com
Grace Potter sounds like a child ready to unwrap a birthday gift as she speaks by phone from her tour bus.
And why not? After all, the Vermont-based Grace Potter and the Nocturnals have wowed major critics and fans alike with their bluesy roots rock. And now the band’s just wrapped up its third studio album with none other than the renowned T-Bone Burnett at the production helm. As the old saying goes, what’s not to like? Well, the only thing might be the lack of information that’s been fed to Potter’s devoted fan base.
“The fans; I think it’s really hard for them through this time,” Potter said. “I’m not very good at keeping secrets. Every time there is something new and exciting going on, I want to tell everyone. I had to exercise more restraint with this, but it’s worth the restraint. I do feel for my fans, but they will be in the loop soon enough and I’ll finally emerge from the cave.”
And the buzz is, once she emerges it’ll be with a bang. Though the sound of the as-yet untitled new album is a bit of a secret, the woman who’s been compared with everyone from Janis Joplin to Lucinda Williams promises a more exciting sound.
Potter wrote most of the songs with songwriter/producer Mark Batson, who trained as a jazz pianist at Howard University before going on to work with such high-profile artists as Dr. Dre, Jay-Z, Eminem and the Dave Matthews Band.
Although Potter said initially it was daunting to write with someone who worked so far away from her indie/rock roots, the duo soon developed a synergy that was undeniable, turning out a host of songs. When the album was recorded, songs came together naturally, often in one or two takes. That energy translates to the concert stage, where Potter and the Nocturnals are now touring in anticipation of the new album’s release.
“It is the new, improved Grace Potter and the Nocturnals,” Potter said, talking about the debut of the music and the band’s new five-piece configuration. “We are hopped up on each other and excited and happy, and the songs are better than ever.”
Advance press on the songs say they range from cuts such as “Colors,” a big ballad inspired by President Obama, to a fire-filled dual guitar piece. No wonder Potter describes the tone of her latest concerts as “rollicking.” Again, like that child with a package, she clearly can’t wait to unwrap it so everyone can enjoy it.
“It was really the most tumultuous ,and yet exciting, experience,” she said. “It has been a huge year with unexpected twists and turns. I love [Disney World’s] Space Mountain, and that is what I have been on.”
Of course, with the upcoming release, the ride begins again.
