Robert and Patty do London

Robert Plant is spending sometime at home in England this month, and as part of his time at home, he will do a few performances with his partner, Patty Griffin.

Griffin will be doing some promoting of her new album, American Kid in mid-May. Plant will be joining Griffin with a performance on Later Live on May 14th, followed by a performance on Later with Jools Holland May 17th. In between, the pair will do an in-store performance in Knotting Hill's famous Rough Trade East record store.

Plant's performance on Later with Jools Holland comes just three weeks after John Paul Jones appeared on the show with Seasick Steve this week. Jimmy Page also appeared on the show last November, although he didn't perform.

Patty Griffin - American Kid

Robert Plant's muse, Patty Griffin, released her 7th solo album this week. It is currently streaming on the Wall Street Journal. Plant himself joins Griffin on  three songs, Ohio, Faithful Son and Highway Song.

Ohio is a powerful, slow, droning piece about the underground railroad. Plant sings a prominent harmony vocal under Griffin's.  Griffin featured this song at a London show of the Sensational Space Shifters last July.

Faithful Son is more uptempo, with Plant really offering a few Ah-ahs throughout.

Highway Song is a ballad, with Plant and Griffin singing a harmony vocal throughout.

American Kid is available now on Amazon, iTunes, or wherever you buy music. A vinyl edition of American Kid will be released.

John Paul Jones to Join Seasick Steve on Later... with Jools Holland

Next Tuesday, April 30th, John Paul Jones will join Seasick Steve on Later... with Jools Holland to play songs from the upcoming Seasick Steve album, Hubcap Music.

Meanwhile, Patty Griffin has released a video of her first song from her upcoming album, American Kid.

The song, Ohio, is an historical piece about slaves escaping via the underground railroad. Robert Plant sings a harmony vocal throughout the haunting, evocative song.

Griffin first premiered the song at a Sensational Space Shifters show in London last July.

Update: The latest podcast is now available. Listen or download through iTunes.

Robert Plant Puts Away His Big Voice

In an interview last year discussing his current band, The Sensational Space Shifters, Robert Plant said he had found his big voice again.

Today, Patty Griffin released the first song from her upcoming album, American Kid, featuring Robert Plant on background vocals. In the song, Ohio, Plant gives a very understated performance providing harmony to Griffin's lead vocal. It is comparable to some of his work with The Band of Joy or Allison Krauss: that is to say, he put the big voice away for this one.

Ohio is an old style folk song about the Underground Railroad. In an interview with USA Today, Griffin said Plant was key to the arrangement:

I had the song in an odd shape and couldn't really figure out how to use it. He came in and arranged it so that it became what it is. He came up with the tempo and the mood on it.

It is previously ported that Plant provided backing vocals on three tracks on American Kid, due in stores May 7th.