Jack Ladder - Separation Rock (2025) [Hi-Res]

Jack Ladder has been waiting his whole life to make this record.

Songs years in the making boiled down to 4 days at historical Valentine Studios in North Hollywood with producer Zach Dawes (Lana Del Ray, Sharon Van Etten). Zach heard the demos through mutual friend Alex Cameron – who is singing backing vocals all over the record – and on the strength of the songs assembled the ‘reckoning crew of Jay Bellerose (Elton John, Bonnie Raitt) on drums, Tyler Parkford (Arctic Monkeys, Sparks) on keys and Zach himself on bass, a long-term affiliate of producer T-Bone Burnett. Luke Temple mysteriously showed up and picked some guitar while Sharon Van Etten contributed vocals to the opening song ‘Missing’. Meanwhile in Nashville, legend Russ Pahl was putting down the outer space pedal steel you hear on ‘Radiation’.

The bulk of the heavy lifting was done live in the room recording minimal takes and leaving all the good bits in. And yes, those reverbs are real – printed from the 60's studio chamber.

'Separation Rock' celebrates a fresh chapter for Jack Ladder as he hits a new peak and a potential plateau to traverse, recording in a style that celebrates the tradition while kicking his can forward ever so slightly to replenish the well for another generation of song singers and deep music listeners.