TESLA’s R&B Covers Album ‘Homage’ To Arrive In July: ‘It’s A Very Interesting Record’

California hard rock veterans TESLA will release a new album called “Homage” in July via Frontiers Music Srl. The effort, which will showcase TESLA frontman Jeff Keith singing covers of soul and R&B classics, will include a new TESLA song, “Never Alone”.

TESLA guitarist Frank Hannon discussed the upcoming LP in a new interview with Evan Toth. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “TESLA is releasing an album of R&B classics that showcase our lead singer’s voice, singing Sam Cooke and Etta James and James Brown. It’s called ‘Homage’. And that album is gonna come out in July. It’s a very interesting record, and it’s got some really cool songs on it, as well as a new TESLA song called ‘Never Alone’.”

During a November 2025 appearance on SiriusXM‘s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk”, Hannon confirmed that he and his TESLA bandmates were slowly working on a new covers project. Regarding their inspiration for making a covers album, Hannon told host Eddie Trunk: “Well, you were talking about [TESLA frontman] Jeff Keith being a singer who can still sing compared to a lot of our other comrades from our era. And so we’re doing a collection of songs that showcase Jeff Keith‘s singing ability. And it’s coming out really great, man. Some really obscure classic songs that you would not expect to hear from TESLA. And it’s centered around his ability to sing and his soulfulness in his voice. [TESLA bassist] Brian Wheat has been working really hard at producing it. These guys were just in the studio for a week. I did some recording in [Las] Vegas in my hotel room with Jeff, and we’re working on it. It’s a work in progress.”

Hannon went on to say that the upcoming covers project will include TESLA‘s version of SUPERTRAMP‘s “Give a Little Bit”, which he and his bandmates have been performing live at some of their recent concerts. “That’s one of the new ones we’re doing,” he said. “And we’re doing another version of [CLIMAX BLUES BAND‘s] ‘I Love You’, which got millions of views on TESLA‘s Spotify, I think, or YouTube or something. So that’s almost like one of our own hits, is the song ‘I Love You’. But there’s some really obscure tracks on this new batch of recordings — songs by THE TEMPTATIONS… Jeff picked most of ’em. And Brian, like I said, Brian‘s been spearheading this project.”

TESLA will support MÖTLEY CRÜE as part of this summer’s “The Return Of Carnival Of Sins” tour. Additional support will come from EXTREME.

Last October, TESLA completed a five-song Las Vegas residency at the House Of Blues Las Vegas inside Mandalay Bay Resort And Casino. During this exclusive run of shows, TESLA touched all sides of its unique discography, including the heavier edge of electric songs like “Modern Day Cowboy”, “Hang Tough” and “Edison’s Medicine”, as well as the band’s acoustic-driven songs such as “Signs” and “Love Song” (two Top 10 Billboard-charting hits).

TESLA previously held a residency at the House Of Blues in April 2024.

TESLA‘s latest six-song EP, “All About Love”, was released in November 2024. The EP included four versions of “All About Love” (acoustic, electric, hybrid, live); a live version of “Walk Away”, a concert favorite from “Reel To Real, Vol. 1”; and another new song, “From The Heart”, an instrumental track by Hannon.

Some fans criticized TESLA for adopting a 1980s-style polished production for its latest album, 2019’s “Shock”. The follow-up to June 2014’s “Simplicity” was helmed by DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen, whose own group is no stranger to slicked-up, glossy-sounding recordings.

In September 2023, TESLA released the official music video for its cover of AEROSMITH‘s “S.O.S. (Too Bad)”. The song was a bonus track on TESLA‘s live album, “Full Throttle Live!”, which arrived in May 2023. The LP included the band’s “Time To Rock!” single, plus other songs, all recorded in August 2022 at Full Throttle Saloon in Sturgis, South Dakota.

In September 2021, original TESLA drummer Troy Luccketta announced that he would “take a little time from the road” to spend with family and friends. He has since been replaced at TESLA‘s gigs and in the recording studio by Steve Brown, the younger brother of former DOKKEN drummer Mick Brown.

TESLA‘s debut album, 1986’s “Mechanical Resonance”, went platinum on the strength of the hits “Modern Day Cowboy” and “Little Suzi”. The 1989 follow-up album, “The Great Radio Controversy”, produced five hits, including “Heaven’s Trail (No Way Out)” and “Love Song”, which hit the pop Top Ten.

Press photo courtesy of O’Donnell Media Group