Animated Video For Jeff Slate feat. Earl Slick, Duff McKagan & Others
Jeff Slate – “Heartbreak”
Produced by Jeff Slate and Eric Lichter
Jeff Slate: Vocals, backing vocals and guitars
Earl Slick: Guitars
Duff McKagan: Bass
Lee Harris: Lap steel
Eric Lichter: Backing vocals, guitars and keyboards
Jordan Summers: Keyboards
Ben Gordelier: Drums and percussion
Engineered by Mark Dann with Jeff Slate, Eric Lichter, Lee Madeloni, Kurt Bloch, Ben Gordelier, Lee Harris, Jordan Summers and Duane Lundy.
Mixed by Duane Lundy at Lexington Recording Company.
Mastered by Justin Perkins at Mystery Room Mastering
“Visually depicting that lost feeling heartbreak often imparts, the video, directed by Alex Rosas, features animated versions of Slate, McKagan, Slick and co.”
– American Songwriter
By Tina Benitez-Eves | October 1, 2020
Like many artists, Jeff Slate had his entire year pretty much mapped out. Set on finishing up a new album with Earl Slick—and touring for that said album—when his original plan was thwarted following the pandemic, Slate kept performing his weekly concert series, #StayHome, right out of his East Village apartment and studio, and continued writing. As he chipped away at new tracks, he found himself attached to one song in particular, which ended up transforming the way he approaches writing.
“Heartbreak” was the song from the bunch that everyone immediately attached to when they heard it. “It became really obvious early on after I sent the song to everyone that this was the one,” says Slate, who pulled in longtime collaborator, guitarist Earl Slick (John Lennon, David Bowie), Guns N’ Roses’ Duff McKagan on bass, and Paul Weller drummer Ben Gordelier, along with guitarist Lee Harris (The Blockheads, Nick Mason’s Saucerful Of Secrets) and Jordan Summers (Wallflowers, Echo In The Canyon) on keyboards. “Everybody was like, ‘oh, this is cool. Let’s do this one,’” says Slate. “It’s hard when you’re not in the same room, because a song doesn’t always gel the right way, but this one gelled immediately.”
A partial elegy for love, “Heartbreak” can’t help but embrace the nostalgic and hit the heartstrings, yet still offer some hope in the end. It’s the kind of song that says “everything’s going to be alright,” in its welcome affirmation of You gotta live life, like you’re gonna die / You gotta take the chances, that will change your life.
Produced by Slate and Eric Lichter, and mixed by the Lexington Recording Company’s Duane Lundy and mastered by Justin Perkins at Mystery Room Mastering, in some ways, “Heartbreak” is a deeper cut for Slate, who says he intentionally pushed himself to take his songwriting to another level on this track.
