Jesse Dayton releases his new album Mixtape Volume 1 on August 9th. Its a collection of cover songs that highlight the East Texas songwriters diverse influences Dayton interprets everyone from Neil Young and Gordon Lightfoot to the Cars and AC/DC. Ahead of Fridays release, the Americana multi-tasker is streaming the album on Rolling Stone Country, where he also explains in his own words how he chose the 10 tracks.
1. Redneck Friend, Jackson Browne
When the Laurel Canyon Seventies songwriters hit national FM radio, my little redneck hometown in Texasloved those songsas well. Jacksons lyrics about Daddys in the den shooting up the evening news meanseven more today thanitdid when it came out.
2. Harvest, Neil Young
Approaching a Neil Young song witha country arrangement is no stretch. George Jones had a hit with James Taylors Bartenders BluesandWaylon had a hit with Neils rocker Are You Ready for the Country. So,this felt like a no-brainer.
3. If You Could Read My Mind, Gordon Lightfoot
When I played lead guitar on a Waylon Jennings record as a kid in the late Nineties, Waylon told me he loved Gordons songs,andthat CashandElvis did, too. Everyone thinks the Outlaws were listening to HankWilliamsSr.24/7, but they were really looking forgreatsongs torecordby anyone, anywhere, anytime.
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4. Bankrobber, The Clash
In the studio, I screamed on this one with my fist in the air just like my hero Joe Strummer! Joes widow LuceTaitStrummer brought Chrissie Hynde out to our show in London a few weeks back,and for our encore we didBankrobberin Londonwhat a thrill!
5. Shes a Heartbreaker, ZZ Top
Billy Gibbons is God where I was raised in Texas. I really wanted to do one of ZZ Tops older songswitha country/Cajun vibe. Plus, itname-dropsmy hometown of Beaumont,Texas.
6. Country Comfort, Elton John
Ive been singing this song since I was a kidandalways loved the RodStewartand theFaces version, too. Amazing that Elton had thegutsto put a full-blown country eight-bar pedal steel guitar solo in this song in 1970 and his rock & roll fanbase still loved it.
7. She Does It Right, Dr. Feelgood
This band never really broke in the U.S., so I found out about them on a British Stiff Records export compilation, and the energy is like pure punk rock. I recently played some shows with them and guitarist Wilko Johnson in Spain. We lit those places on fire.
8. Whole Lotta Rosie, AC/DC
If you listen to AC/DC you can hear that Bon Scott and Angus Young loved the blues.So thats how I approached this like a Slim Harpo song.My older brother took me to see AC/DC on theHighway to Hell Tour as a young kidandI still thank him for dragging me along.
9. Just What I Needed, The Cars
A great song is a great songnomatter what genre, and the Cars had so many great songs. I used to play this one just kidding around onstageandIwould say,Heres George Jones singing the Cars,andmy audiences were like,Uhh, thats actually cool. Why dont you record it?'
10. State Trooper, Bruce Springsteen
I love the wild, psychopathic danger that Springsteen uses to describe the desperate character in this song. I knew if we approached it like anall-outCrampsstylesong it would be a solid closer for the recordandfor some of my shows.