Premiere: Blues Traveler, ‘You Don’t Have to Love Me’
After celebrating their 25th anniversary, Blues Traveler have released the video for “You Don’t Have to Love Me,” the first single from their eleventh album, Suzie Cracks the Whip, in stores June 26th. The lighthearted video follows the path of a harmonica traveling from owner to owner until ending up on stage in the hands of frontman John Popper.
“You Don’t Have to Love Me’ is a great example of what runs through the mind of every dreamer out there on the grift with a song to sing and a promise to keep,” Popper told Rolling Stone. “Aaron Beavers is a prime example of that American dreamer, and when he brought the tune to us, in the truer sense he kept his promise and made all of us dreamers feel at home out here . . . I love how he writes!”
Popper also talked about what it was like to work with new writers for the band’s upcoming album.
“I love these guys like my family, but after writing the same way with the same people for 25 years, it was good to find a new outlet and take a different approach. Likewise, [producers] S*A*M and Sluggo helped remind us about what was cool about Blues Traveler in the first place. It’s easy to forget what’s cool about yourself after so many years of being you.”
The band will kick off their tour with Barenaked Ladies, Cracker and Big Head Todd in Toledo, Ohio, on July 6th. You can preorder the exclusive two CD box set here.