Michael Cleveland brought a few friends along for a cover of Joe Ely‘s 1988 song “For Your Love”, featuring Billy Strings and Jeff White. The single is the third off Cleveland’s upcoming album, the guest-filled Lovin’ Of The Game, out on March 3rd via Compass Records.
Strings takes lead vocals on the track but, between him, fiddle virtuoso Cleveland and multi-instrumentalist White on banjo, “For Your Love” is a group effort between three modern masters. The cover barrels down the tracks with Strings’ rapid-fire delivery, with Cleveland keeping up the momentum with lightning leads. The song ultimately travels into the spacegrass territory Billy has been known to frequent in a live setting. “For Your Love” arrives at a wandering ethereal bridge reminiscent of Strings’ “Highway Hypnosis” before the trio comes back down to Earth to punctuate the track.
Also set to appear on Cleveland’s sixth studio album are Béla Fleck, Charlie Starr, The Travelin’ McCourys, Vince Gill, and more. From his spacey exploration with Strings to a take on Blackberry Smoke‘s “One Horse Town” featuring the band’s own Charlie Starr, Lovin’ Of The Game shows just how much Cleveland is capable of.
“People know me as a traditional bluegrass fiddle player, which is what I love to do,” Cleveland said, “but this album is more than just the pure tradition. It’s a little bit of a departure for me.”
Check out the new Michael Cleveland single “For Your Love” featuring Billy Strings and Jeff White. Lovin’ Of The Game is available here for pre-order.
Michael Cleveland – “For Your Love” (feat. Billy Strings & Jeff White)