Product Description
ROBERT RANDOLPH - PREACHER KIDS
RELEASE DATE JUNE 27, 2025. ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!
Known as the dynamic, gospel church-bred, lap steel player fronting the Family Band, Robert Randolph establishes himself as a seasoned artist with his debut solo album, Preacher Kids, on Sun Records. Leaning further into a raw, gritty direction that showcases his unique ability to weave between rock, blues, Americana and soul. Produced by Shooter Jennings (Brandi Carlile, Tanya Tucker), the album was recorded between Sunset Sound Studios in LA and Zac Brown's Southern Ground Studios in Nashville.
- 1 Big Women
- 2 7 Generations
- 3 Gravity
- 4 Like to Love You Baby
- 5 Choir Woman
- 6 Sinner
- 7 King Karma (Feat. Margo Price)
- 8 When Will the Love Rain Down (Feat. Judith Hill)
- 9 All Night Lover
- 10 Roosevelt Pool
ROBERT RANDOLPH
Preacher Kids
Sun Records
Robert Randolph’s music was aimed originally at a different audience than a “night at the junk-joint” crowd. As a lap-steel master, he comes out of the Sacred Steel tradition of sanctified music that began in Black Pentecostal churches where the lap-steel replaced the traditional organ. Sacred Steel music, as performed by such elders as the Campbell Brothers and Aubrey Ghent, rocks the roof and rattles the walls as it testifies. The younger Randolph gives it extra decibels by adding considerable amounts of classic R&B, soul, and hard-core blues.
Most of the tracks on Preacher Kids are wall-shakers that began as jams, with Randolph backed by a trio of musicians, guitarist Tash Neal, drummer Willie Barthel, and bassman and singer Jay White, who previously worked with artists ranging from axe-grinder Slash to MOR crooner Michael McDonald. Outlaw country star Shooter Jennings, no doubt looking for a change of pace, handled production. There are also a couple of guests, Judith Hill (Prince, Michael Jackson) and alt.-country’s Margo Price.
There isn’t a title track to Preacher Kids, but “Sinner” could well serve as one. Randolph wrote lyrics years ago when he started the shift from sanctified to secular music. He’s said the song reflects the “guilt and glory” of moving away from what was expected of him. “Growing up in the church, if you go secular, get loud, they call you a sinner.” Needless to say the song rocks 11–loud and shares a certain independence that fueled early post-gospel tracks by Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, and the Staples family.
Randolph’s evolution even provides an interesting reappraisal of “church ladies” in a tune called “Choir Woman,” which will raise a congregational eyebrow. Judith Hill has a co-credit on the track, as well as on a swagger-fest titled “Big Woman.” She also handles the vocal on “When Will The Love Rain Down.” Other tracks include a blues–ified revamping.of Shooter’s father Waylon Jennings’ old country tune “Like To Love You Baby,” a heavy blues-rocker titled “All Night Lover,” and the Margo Price-voiced “King Karma.” The closing track is another blues jam, “Roosevelt Jam,” my favorite track on the album.
Randolph’s seventh studio album, Preacher Kids, is on the newly revived Sun label, the venerable imprint which gave listeners the first rock single with Ike Turner’s “Rocket 88” and introduced Howlin’ Wolf, Bobby Bland, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis. Preacher Kids is available as a CD or on blue vinyl.
– Bill Wasserzieher