Jesper Lindell cut his spectacular new album, 3614 Jackson Highway, at the legendary Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, revisiting the classic songs born within its walls.
Jesper Lindell puts the album front and center with 3614 Jackson Highway, a spirited set recorded inside the legendary Muscle Shoals Sound Studio that pays tribute to the deep well of American soul born within those walls. Cut over two inspired days with his band the Brunnsvik Sounds, the album captures a group leaning into the warmth, swing, and human feel that made Muscle Shoals one of the most revered recording rooms in music history.
The sessions were the culmination of a long road. After five years and roughly 600 shows across Europe, Lindell set out on a pilgrimage to the American South to trace the roots of the music that shaped him. The journey took the band to two hallowed spaces: Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Alabama and Royal Studios in Memphis. With only two days scheduled in each location, the band worked quickly, walking away with enough material for two albums. The first to emerge from those sessions is 3614 Jackson Highway, built around songs originally recorded in Muscle Shoals.
Even getting there became part of the story. Flight delays pushed the band’s arrival back more than a day, leaving only a day and a half to record. Once the gear was set up, the pressure turned into momentum. Lindell and the band pushed through jet lag and travel fatigue, fueled by the thrill of standing in the same room once used by the Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Duane Allman, Paul Simon, the Staples Singers, Bob Seger, and Willie Nelson.
One song in particular crystallized the spirit of the trip. During the long drive from Boston down to Alabama, Lindell found himself repeatedly returning to songs written by Dan Penn. A deep dive into Penn’s 1972 solo album led him to “If Love Was Money,” a track that immediately felt right for the Brunnsvik Sounds.
The path to Muscle Shoals began far from Alabama. Lindell grew up in the lakeside town of Ludvika, Sweden, where he first started playing soulful rock, roots music, and R&B in small bars and rehearsal spaces. Early recordings like the EP Little Less Blue, cut with members of First Aid Kit, introduced a singer drawn to the storytelling traditions of American soul and country. Albums such as Twilights and Before The Sun expanded that approach with richer arrangements and a widescreen sense of atmosphere.