Song Premiere: Kevin Hearn, “Don’t Shuffle Me Back”

Updated:

October 4, 2018 4:54 pm

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For his second solo album, Cloud Maintenance, Kevin Hearn — a former member of Barenaked Ladies and Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson’s touring bands — called in some favors. The Band’s Garth Hudson plays keys on “The House Of Invention,” and 50’s music icon Arnold Robinson agreed to add vocals to “Don’t Shuffle Me Back,” a quirky singer-songwriter tune that brings to mind artists like Warren Zevon and Randy Newman.

“I wrote the song ‘Don’t Shuffle Me Back’ after feeling like a friend was giving me the Hollywood shuffle,” says Hearn. “I was listening to a lot of great oldies music at the time; groups like the Drifters, the Coasters, and Fats Domino. I wanted to write a piano based song in that spirit, that was fun and had a few different voices on it. I tracked down one of my favorite singers, Arnold Robinson, who had sung with the Platters and the Nylons, and asked if he would please sing the refrain and the bass line.”

Listen to “Don’t Shuffle Me Back” below. Cloud Maintenance is out today on Dangerbird Records.

Kevin Hearn – “Don’t Shuffle Me Back” by Good Cop PR