Internationally acclaimed guitarist and singer songwriter Erja Lyytinen released Crosstown Traffic; the second single taken from her highly anticipated fourth live album Diamonds On The Road – Live 2023.
The new single, accompanied with a live music video, will be released on Tuesday 15 August. The single is available on all streaming platforms HERE. The music video is available to watch on YouTube HERE.
Released worldwide by Tuohi Records on Friday 6th October 2023, the new live album is available to pre-order on double CD, vinyl, and digital from the official Erja Lyytinen shop HERE.
Crosstown Traffic was originally recorded by Jimi Hendrix for his 1968 album Electric Ladyland.
“There is only one Hendrix, there´s no way you can replicate Jimi, and that’s why I wanted to perform my own take on this classic song,” says Erja. “We brought the song to the 21st century by adding some new elements. Our version is slightly faster than Jimi´s and I´m also playing the song in open C tuning with a slide and that gives the song a whole new approach.”
Continues Erja, “The song is a lot of fun to play live, it´s energetic and I just love the lyrics! There are plenty of metaphors and sexual references, all cleverly delivered by describing a traffic jam, which alludes to how a relationship has come to its end. I´m using a kazoo in the ending riff of the song, as Hendrix did use a comb and cellophane to create the sound of traffic. The result is a fun and cool live track with some interesting turnouts in the arrangement!”
Some may argue that music is born in the studio, but it comes to life and evolves when performed live on stage. With a live album, there is no safety net. You get one shot at capturing those perfect moments and preserving them forever.
With the pandemic now firmly in our rear-view mirror Erja Lyytinen and her band have been touring relentlessly. With the high-flying Finn in top form, the artist decided to capture the magic of their live performances on their new concert album, Diamonds on the Road – Live 2023.
Speaking about the new live album, Lyytinen said: “When playing live, you’ve got one moment to get it right, and then the moment is gone. There is no correcting stuff later. It is very raw and exciting to play and sing at the same time. The adrenaline runs through your body, and everything around you affects your performance.”
The release marks Erja Lyytinen’s fourth live album, and follows on from Songs from the Road, Live in London, and Lockdown Live. The new album is the first concert release from the gifted guitarist to capture the post-Covid live experience.
“Diamonds on the Road was recorded towards the end of our Spring tour in March 2023,” says Erja. “We played ten shows in a row, of which eight were sold out. The band had a good flow going, and the songs were rolling nicely.”
