Called “a phenomenal talent whose feel for classic soul music is bone‑deep” by The New York Times, powerhouse vocalist, former Broadway lead, and Juilliard alum Morgan James is back with her boldest concept album yet. Soul Remains The Same (out August 8) drags some of the loudest, heaviest songs of the last four decades—by Ozzy Osbourne, AC/DC, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Metallica, and more—straight onto the sweaty soul floor, where horns pop, Hammond organs whirl, and James’ voice testifies with unflinching fire.
The first taste arrives today with her reimagining of AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck,” recast as a Motown-fueled funk workout that sounds like 1960s Aretha stepping into the studio with Angus Young. A video for the track is out now.
“In making this album, I fell in love with these songs all over again,” James says. “When a woman inhabits them—emotionally, vocally, lyrically—they reveal entirely new colors and powers. I hope people hear them with fresh ears, the way I did while recording.”
Soul Remains The Same extends James’ ever-growing catalog of daring, full-album reinterpretations. Alongside five LPs of original music, she’s previously tackled Jeff Buckley’s Grace, D’Angelo’s Black Messiah, The Beatles’ White Album, and—most audaciously—Jesus Christ Superstar, performed by an all-female cast (Cynthia Erivo, Shoshana Bean, Ledisi, Bridget Everett, and more) with an all-female production team and symphony orchestra.
Currently in the midst of a wide-ranging tour that swings from symphony halls to jazz clubs, James treats her career like an open canvas—genreless, fearless, and soul-forward in everything she creates.
Morgan James — 2025 Tour Dates
(* indicates two sets)
June
6/28 – Aspen, CO – Aspen Art Museum
July
7/4 – San Diego, CA – The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park
7/12 – Park City, UT – Snow Park Outdoor Amphitheater
7/22 – Detroit, MI – Orchestra Hall
7/24 – East Lansing, MI – MSU Federal Credit Union Headquarters
7/29 – Lancaster, OH – Lancaster Festival at Wendel Concert Stage
August
8/8 – Charlotte, NC – Middle C Jazz Club*
8/10 – Steamboat Springs, CO – Strings Music Pavilion
8/14 – New York, NY – Dizzy’s Club*
8/15 – New York, NY – Dizzy’s Club*
8/24 – Reno, NV – Nightingale Concert Hall
8/25 – Incline Village, NV – Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival at Nevada State Park
8/31 – Budapest, Hungary – Béla Bartók National Concert Hall
September
9/5 – New Albany, OH – Hinson Amphitheater
9/7 – Brampton, ON – The Rose Brampton
9/9 – Toronto, ON – The Great Hall
9/10 – Montréal, QC – Théâtre Fairmount
October
10/3 – Knoxville, TN – Tennessee Theatre
November
11/15 – Buffalo, NY – Kleinhans Music Hall
December
12/18 – Newport News, VA – Ferguson Center for the Arts
All dates subject to change.
