Chad King of A Great Big World has personal new song with some proceeds donated to Race to Erase MS

A Great Big World’s Chad King has released “All In Time”, a folk-inspired tune of reflection and honest admission about the Grammy winner’s personal journey with multiple sclerosis.

“All In Time” - Listen HERE

Alongside the track release and March being National MS Awareness Month, King has launched a new initiative with his longstanding friends at Race to Erase MS (where he is also a board member), donating half of the song’s streams/sales proceeds to aid in their mission to fund groundbreaking research that will ultimately cure multiple sclerosis.

“As a symptom of MS, a couple years ago I started losing strength on the left side of my body by noon every day. This heavily affected my ability to play and perform music,” revealed King. “This song was a way to make peace with my new reality, and it specifically uses guitar chords that I can play even in the afternoon.”

Nancy Davis, Founder of Race to Erase MS, said, "We are so grateful Chad is donating 50% of the proceeds from “All in Time” which he performed last year at our Race to Erase MS gala and had everybody in a state of awe with a standing ovation.”

Chad’s MS diagnosis in 2007 kicked off years of personal study for the recent college graduate, who explored numerous forms of medication and alternative medical options. Amidst all this, Chad and his A Great Big World-partner Ian Axel won a Grammy for their Christina Aguilera-collaboration, “Say Something,” in 2015.

When the pandemic hit, Chad’s symptoms ignited further, resulting in him having difficulty walking, a decrease in stamina, guitar-playing becoming difficult, and changes to his voice becoming apparent, especially near day-end. His experience of having to readapt the way he plays guitar is intertwined with “All In Time” specifically, finding King having to reconfigure how to play certain chords.

“All In Time” will join King’s debut solo single “Change Is Hard” on a forthcoming body of work. Chad has also recently been busy at work alongside Axel composing the music for the new musical Wonder which premiered at A.R.T’s Loeb Theatre (American Repertory Theatre) in Boston.

Photo by Shervin Lainez

Out now: Sting's 'Mercury Falling' - 30th Anniversary expanded digital edition; new fall North American tour dates

I'm looking forward to spending time with this expanded edition. The original landed on my top 10 year-end best list upon release. I got to review an early leg of this live trio format at LA's The Wiltern (see elsewhere on this blog)...

Sting marks the 30th anniversary of his platinum, fifth full-length solo album, Mercury Falling, with the release of a new digital-only special expanded edition available on all streaming platforms via UMe. Listen HERE.

Of the 19 tracks, many were previously unavailable digitally until now. There is “Moonlight,” from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack of the 1995 romantic comedy Sabrina. The music for the song was written by composer John Williams with lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman, and garnered nominations at both the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards. 

Beyond the inclusion of various B-sides and remixes, this edition concludes with three live recordings from TFI Friday of “You Still Touch Me,” “Lithium Sunset,” and “Message In A Bottle.”

Thirty years ago this week, the original Mercury Falling arrived on March 4, 1996. It reached the Top 5 of the Billboard 200 and was certified Platinum by the RIAA. The record would also be Sting’s third successive collaboration with longtime producer Hugh Padgham, marking a milestone in their nineties work together. 

The album notched two Grammy nominations in the categories of “Best Pop Vocal Album” and “Best Male Pop Vocal Performance” for “Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot.” 

This is the latest Expanded Edition to be issued from Sting’s catalog. It follows on the heels of last year’s The Dream Of The Blue Turtles (Expanded Edition).

Track listing:

MAIN ALBUM

The Hounds of Winter
I Hung My Head
Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot
I Was Brought to My Senses
You Still Touch Me
I'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying
All Four Seasons
Twenty Five to Midnight
La Belle Dame Sans Regrets
Valparaiso
Lithium Sunset

BONUS TRACKS

Moonlight*
The Bed's Too Big Without You
Lullaby to An Anxious Child
Beneath a Desert Moon
This Was Never Meant to Be
The Pirate's Bride
Giacomo's Blues
Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot (A&G Classic Edit)
Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot (A&G Full Testament Mix)
Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot (A&G Great Divide Mix)
Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot (A&G Great Divide Dub)
I Was Brought To My Senses (Steve Lipson Remix)*
Sister Moon (Hani Commissioned Club Mix)*
Sister Moon (Hani Commissioned Dub Mix)*
Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot (Single Edit)
You Still Touch Me (Edit)*
You Still Touch Me (Live At TFI Friday)*
Lithium Sunset (Live At TFI Friday)*
Message In A Bottle (Live At TFI Friday)*

*Previously unavailable on streaming platforms

In related news...

Sting has announced a new fall leg of his Sting 3.0 Tour across North America, starting in October. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer is still accompanied by longtime guitarist and collaborator Dominic Miller and drummer Chris Maas (Mumford & Sons, Maggie Rogers).

The tour spotlights new interpretations of his catalog and most recent single, “I Wrote Your Name (Upon My Heart),”

Additionally, a new live album, STING 3.0 LIVE, is now available digitally, on CD and on 180g vinyl. Also recorded on the “STING 3.0” Tour, STING 3.0 LIVE is a collection of his greatest hits, including “Be Still My Beating Heart,” which has never-before been released as a live version. The 10-song digital album also features a live recording of “Fragile,” Sting’s 1987 single, which was recently covered by a children’s choir in an episode of the Netflix miniseries Adolescence.

The general on sale will begin Friday, March 6 at 10AM local time on sting.com. Tickets for all other previously announced “STING 3.0” tour dates are available now.

Tour dates: 

Sat May 06 - Hollywood, FL - Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood
Sat May 09 – Durant, OK – Choctaw Grand Theater
Sun May 10 – Irving, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
Tue May 12 – Austin, TX – Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park
Wed May 13 – Houston, TX – The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman
Fri May 15 – Atlanta, GA – Synovus Bank Amphitheater at Chastain Park
Sat May 16 – Savannah, GA – Enmarket Arena
Mon May 18 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
Tue May 19 – Raleigh, NC – Red Hat Amphitheater
Thu May 21 – Vienna, VA – Wolf Trap
Fri May 22 – Vienna, VA – Wolf Trap
Sat May 23 – Vienna, VA – Wolf Trap
Mon May 25 – Richmond, VA – Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront
Mon Oct 05 – Vancouver, BC – Queen Elizabeth Theatre – NEW SHOW
Tue Oct 06 – Vancouver, BC – Queen Elizabeth Theatre – NEW SHOW
Thu Oct 08 – Seattle, WA – Benaroya Hall – NEW SHOW
Fri Oct 09 – Seattle, WA – Benaroya Hall – NEW SHOW
Tue Oct 13 – Minneapolis, MN – Orpheum Theatre – NEW SHOW
Fri Oct 16 – Rockford, IL – Hard Rock Casino – NEW SHOW
Sat Oct 17 – St. Louis, MO – Stifel Theatre – NEW SHOW
Thu Oct 22 – Indianapolis, IN – Murat Theatre – NEW SHOW
Mon Oct 26 – Montreal, QC – Théâtre St-Denis – NEW SHOW
Tue Oct 27 – Montreal, QC – Théâtre St-Denis – NEW SHOW
Sun Nov 01 – Akron, OH – E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall – NEW SHOW
Wed Nov 04 – Cincinnati, OH – The Andrew J Brady Music Center – NEW SHOW
Mon Nov 09 – Wallingford, CT – Toyota Oakdale Theater – NEW SHOW
Wed Nov 11 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Paramount – NEW SHOW*
Thu Nov 12 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Paramount – NEW SHOW*
Sat Nov 14 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Paramount – NEW SHOW*
Sun Nov 15 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Paramount – NEW SHOW*
Tue Nov 17 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Paramount – NEW SHOW*
Wed Nov 18 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Paramount – NEW SHOW*
Tue Nov 24 – Tampa, FL – Seminole Hard Rock Tampa – RESCHEDULED SHOW

*with special guest Fiction Plane

Photo by Carter B. Smith

'It’s Been Too Long,' the new studio album by Ringo Starr, arrives next month

Molly Tuttle and Sarah Jarosz guest on the title track to “It’s Been Too Long,” the new studio album by Ringo Starr, which is scheduled for April 24 via UMe. Produced by T Bone Burnett, co-produced by Daniel Tashian (Kacey Musgraves) and longtime associate Bruce Sugar, the album is the follow-up to last year’s Look Up.

There are also collaborations with Billy Strings, Sheryl Crow and St. Vincent. Pre-Order HERE.

“I’m blessed to have T Bone in my life right now and working with me on these records,” Ringo stated. “After we did the last record, which I love listening to, this one just sort of happened. I like to say sometimes I make the right moves, like you can go left or right at any point, and one of the right moves was hooking up with T Bone for Look Up, and now for this one, which I’m calling Long Long Road, because I’ve been on a long long road.”

As the title implies, and like Ringo’s own journey, Long Long Road has roots in country and Americana, and evolved into a mosaic of Starr’s musical legacy and influences, including Carl Perkins. 

“I recorded two Carl Perkins songs with The Beatles, and both T Bone and I wanted one on this record,” Ringo explained, “and he found this beautiful track I’d never heard before, ‘I Don’t See Me In Your Eyes Anymore’.”

Recorded in Nashville and Los Angeles, this record sees the return of many of the Look Up musicians including the core band of Paul Franklin, David Mansfield, Dennis Crouch, Daniel Tashian, Rory Hoffman, Patrick Warren and Colin Linden.

“I've loved Ringo’s playing and his singing for my whole life,” T Bone stated. “And then one night we were at a poetry reading together and he said, why don't you write a song for me? So I wrote him a Gene Autry type song because I always heard Ringo as a Texas artist, the way he played felt just like Texas music to me. Ringo Starr is a recording artist of the highest caliber, and I wanted to surround him with these young masters, bringing in some of this extraordinary young energy that's happening around Nashville for both of these records.”

Their first collaboration, Look Up, released in January 2025, was Ringo’s first country record in 50 years and it earned him his first Top 10 on Billboard’s all genre Top Album Sales chart, as well as landing him on multiple other Billboard Charts. 

In the UK the album reached a significant career milestone garnering him his first solo #1 album on the Official Country Chart. In February 2025, Starr made his Grand Ole Opry debut after being invited by Emmylou Harris during the first of his two night run at the legendary Ryman, which was recorded for a 2 hour special still streaming on CBS/Paramount Plus.

Among the 10 newly recorded songs, six were written or co-written by T Bone Burnett, two were co-written by Ringo and Bruce Sugar, one was written by Ringo Starr, Mark Hudson and Gary Burr and one was by Bernie Benjamin and George David Weiss and recorded by Carl Perkins.

Track listing:

1. RETURNING WITHOUT TEARS
2. BABY DON’T GO
3. I DON’T SEE ME IN YOUR EYES ANYMORE
4. IT’S BEEN TOO LONG
5. WHY
6. YOU AND I (WAVE OF LOVE)
7. MY BABY DON’T WANT NOTHING
8. CHOOSE LOVE
9. SHE’S GONE
10. LONG LONG ROAD

Coachella Festival '26 news: Armin Van Buuren, Disclosure, Boys Noize, to perform at Thermal's Framework in the Desert

Framework in the Desert returns for its 5th anniversary edition on April 10-12, coinciding with the first weekend of Coachella Festival. 

The brand's festival afterhours series features three nights of house and techno music with headlining sets from Coachella acts Armin Van Buuren, Disclosure (DJ Set), Mochakk, Boys Noize, Marlon Hoffstadt, KETTAMA B2B Prospa, and Max Dean x Luke Dean.

It will also feature support sets from Riordan, Chloé Calliet, Azzecca, and bullet tooth, in addition to the return of the Long Feng Art Car - a state-of-the-art mutant vehicle that serves as the event stage.

Framework in the Desert, a 21 and over event, is held at Atlantic Aviation Airport Hangar in Thermal, Calif., a short drive from the Indio festival grounds. Three-day passes start at $194. Tickets are on sale now at: thisisframework.com/event/framework-in-the-desert26/

Rick Springfield news: The return of The Locustz

The Locustz (formerly The Red Locusts) are back with a special Record Store Day limited edition vinyl LP release.

Rick Springfield posted the following to his website about the second album from his side project, whose eponymous 2021 was a real power pop gem:

"Yes, it’s a new album by those crazy cut-ups, The Locustz! We dropped the “Red” from the name just like the Beatles dropped the “Silver” from the Silver Beatles. And yes, I guess I am comparing the mighty Locustz's new album “Buzzkill” to the four mop tops, and I apologize for that, but we are really, really big fans. Not of the Beatles, I mean, we’re big Locustz fans. Even though we’re all in the band, we like our music and are anxious to meet the band. And who are The Locutsz for the uninformed? They are, well, me, and I am proud to be in a band with the mighty Bissonette brothers, Matt and Gregg. There are two other members, but you’ll have to wait to meet them cos this is all just too much information. Not for you, for me. I can’t focus when there are too many people to think about. So the big news is I’m pregnant.. no, wait, that’s not me, that’s, okay, never mind. 

The big news is RECORD STORE DAY. Which is April 18th. It’s when vinyl puts on its party dress and goes on sale. You can get your limited edition GREEN vinyl on the 18th and be the envy of all your friends. So remember if you would. April 18th is Record Store Day, where we all go to our local record store (they’re coming back) and get our green vinyl brand-spanking-new Locustz album, BUZZKILL."

The Locustz are:

Rick Springfield: Vocals, BG vocals, guitar, keyboards
Matt Bissonette: Vocals: BG vocals, bass, keyboards
Gregg Bissonette: Drums and vocal on 'Friend'
Steve Dudas: Guitars
Mark Hart: Keyboards and vocals
Cindy Horst: Harp on 'Friend'
Marty Gonzalez: Cellos

Produced by Rick Springfield and Matt Bissonette
Written by Rick Springfield and Matt Bissonette
Recorded by Matty Spindel at The Black Lagoon

https://recordstoreday.com/SpecialRelease/20224

Track List:

Welcome To The Revolution
Having Said That
Battersea Park
The Blur
Valentinos Bed
My Lovely Zoey
Boy Meets Girl
Saint Teresa
Then There Were Three
Head Full Of Rain
Friend

Billy Ocean to launch the 2026 Dos Lagos Concert Series in Corona

Billy Ocean makes his only Southern California tour appearance on March 9 in Corona at Dos Lagos Entertainment Center.

The event kicks off an impressive concert series for the outdoor Riverside County venue. Other acts on the schedule: Al Jardine & the Pet Sounds Band, April 25; Ben Folds, May 17; Bruce Hornsby & the Noisemakers, June 21; Shenandoah, July 24.

During the Eighties, the Caribbean-born Ocean enjoyed a major string of top 10 singles on the Billboard pop or R&B charts including "Nights (Feel Like Getting Down)," "Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run)," "Loverboy," "Suddenly," "Mystery Lady," "When the Going Gets Tough (The Tough Get Going)," "There'll Be Sad Songs to Make You Cry," "Love Zone," "Love is Forever," "Get Out of My Dreams, Get Into My Car," and "The "Colour of Love."

Judging by a setlist last year in Australia, there's a good chance Ocean will do several of those hits. The last time he stopped in the region was in 2024 for gigs in Coachella, Cerritos and Pala. The most recent studio album, One World, was released in 2020.

Billy Ocean, 6 p.m. March 9, The Shops at Dos Lagos, 2755 Lakeshore Drive, Corona, $29-$79, dltickets.com.

Photo by Fredrik Stromberg, courtesy billyocean.com.

      

New Pornographers update: album and US tour confirmed for spring

“Pure Sticker Shock” is the latest single from The New Pornographers' new album 'The Former Site Of,' due March 27 on Merge Records; watch/share the visualizer HERE. The album is available for pre-order now via both Merge Records and band’s webstore;

presave/pre-order the album HERE. The record is also available in an exclusive “Mai Tai” LP variant HERE and “Spilled Ink” LP variant HERE.

On “Pure Sticker Shock,” frontperson A.C. Newman’s lyrics grapple with self-worth. “This song is not about a specific event, but it has felt very 'applicable' to me and this year of my life,” Newman shares, “It basically asks the question 'What has worth? Who is deciding?' Your market value is not always your value."

The group's tenth studio album was first crafted by Newman in his home studio before being brought to the band, composed of Newman, Kathryn Calder, Neko Case, John Collins and Todd Fancey. The group is joined for the first time by storied session drummer Charley Drayton (Divinyls, Keith Richards, Fiona Apple). Josh Wells (Destroyer, Black Mountain) will join as the touring drummer for the band’s upcoming dates in the Spring.

Of the making of the album, Newman notes, “Having time in my studio really opened things up. I don’t like wasting my bandmates’ time, and always felt guilty when I’d give them a song, ask them to do something, then completely change the song and ask them to do it again. Now I can get the skeleton of a song together first—just a couple of elements, the key feeling, really as little as possible—before bringing it to the band and running from there.”

The band will kick off their U.S. tour in April 22 in Boston. Tickets are available now at thenewpornographers.com, full details and a list of dates can be found below.

In addition to “Pure Sticker Shock,” the album features the group’s most recent single, “Votive,” released in January. The album’s first single “Ballad Of The Last Payphone” is available as a limited 7-inch vinyl first release. Listen to/share the single HERE.

Track Listing: 

1. Great Princess Story
2. Pure Sticker Shock
3. Ballad Of The Last Payphone
4. Spooky Action
5. Wish You Could See Me I'm Killing It
6. Votive
7. The Wine Remembers The Water
8. Calligraphy
9. Bonus Mai Tais
10. The Former Site Of

Tour Dates: 

April 22—Boston, MA—The Wilbur*
April 23—New York, NY—Webster Hall*
April 24—Glenside, PA—Keswick Theatre*
April 25—Rochester, NY—Water Street Music Hall*
April 27—Detroit, MI—El Club*
April 29—Millvale, PA—Mr. Smalls Theatre*
April 30—Cleveland, OH—House of Blues*
May 1—Milwaukee, WI—Turner Hall*
May 2—Minneapolis, MN—The Fitzgerald Theater*
May 3—Chicago, IL—The Metro*
May 5—Englewood, CO—Gothic Theatre*
May 6—Salt Lake City, UT—The Commonwealth Room*
May 8—Seattle, WA—The Showbox*
May 9—Portland, OR—Aladdin Theater*
May 11—San Francisco, CA—The Castro Theatre*
May 12—Los Angeles, CA—Teragram Ballroom*
May 13—Phoenix, AZ—Crescent Ballroom*
May 15—Austin, TX—Mohawk Outside*
May 16—Dallas, TX—The Kessler Theater*
May 17—Baton Rouge, LA—Chelsea's Live*
May 19—Atlanta, GA—Variety Playhouse*
May 20—Saxapahaw, NC—Haw River Ballroom*
May 21—Washington, DC—9:30 Club*

*with Will Sheff (of Okkervil River)