Shades of Yesterday is the new covers album by DJ Harrison – 11 tracks that pay homage to his musical heroes, representing some of his most treasured childhood memories, out now on Stones Throw. It was created over several years at his home studio Jellowstone, where he also created his previous two Stones Throw albums, 2021’s Tales from the Old Dominion and 2017’s HazyMoods.
Buy DJ Harrison – Shades of Yesterday vinyl | Listen
DJ was out in L.A. for the Grammys and met up with Koreatown Oddity to talk about the new record – the many inspirations behind each song, how he chose which artist to cover, growing up in a musical home and more. The video was directed by Ross Harris (who also has a second installment of his Dungeon Session series coming soon, so stay tuned).
To coincide with the launch of his new record, the “Together” mini-doc details the Ohio Players cover. “When you’re a producer, you’re always picking different parts of records, and it’s always internalizing it before you either go to chop it up, or make a beat, or it influences you to do something else,” DJ says. “That’s kind of what the whole vibe of the whole record is – being a producer, and being a beat maker, and being a songwriter but taking it to another level where I’m doing very intensive research. But also seeing if I can get it to sound like me.”
“L’Anthropofemme” was first introduced to DJ by Tyler, the Creator during an L.A. studio session where the two artists shared some of their most loved songs. Last year, Harrison shared “Lil Birdie”, a cover from Vince Guaraldi’s iconic A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving special, and a cover of Donald Fagen’s “IGY”, which he decided to record after opening for the Steely Dan legend in his hometown of Richmond, Virginia.
While DJ Harrison has spent his career as a sought-after collaborator, playing in the funk-jazz fusion outfit Butcher Brown and collaborating with Pink Siifuu, Joyce Wrice, and winning two Grammy nominations for his work with Kurt Elling, Shades of Yesterday was created solo, with Harrison playing almost every instrument himself.
DJ Harrison – Shades of Yesterday – Tracklist
01. You Were Too Good To Be True
02. Galaxy
03. IGY
04. Lil Birdie
05. Contusion
06. Sweet Sticky Thing
07. Ebony Moonbeams
08. Together
09. Tomorrow Never Knows ft. Chris Manak
10. L’Anthropofemme
11. Pling
