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Acclaimed American hard rockers TESLA<\/b> have unveiled their new single, “Never Alone”<\/b>, taken from their upcoming album, “Homage”<\/b>, set for release on July 17, 2026, via Frontiers Music Srl<\/b>. Marking a full-circle moment in their storied career, the album finds the band returning to their roots with a collection of covers honoring some of rock’s most timeless hits.<\/p>\n
On the creation of the new original track, TESLA<\/b> bassist, keyboardist, pianist and backing vocalist Brian Wheat<\/b> shares: “‘Never Alone’<\/b> is a new song that we wrote in the 11th hour of recording the album ‘Homage’<\/b>. It started out as a simple guitar riff. I was at my friends Rachael Ray<\/b> and John Cusimano<\/b>‘s house filming an episode for her TV show, I had some time to kill so I went into their studio in the house, picked up John<\/b>‘s acoustic guitar and started strumming these chords to kill some time. When I listened back to it, it sounded like a TESLA<\/b> song. I thought maybe it was gonna be a song for one of my other projects, but it sounded like TESLA<\/b>. So I sent it to Jeff<\/b> [Keith<\/b>, TESLA<\/b> singer] and he said it’s definitely TESLA<\/b>. Out of that he came up with the title ‘Never Alone’<\/b>, we worked on it together writing the lyrics, the music, switching the chorus around a little bit and as a result, I think it turned out pretty good. I hope you enjoy it. This is our new song ‘Never Alone’<\/b> because we\u2019re never alone.”<\/p>\n
When “Homage”<\/b> was first announced in April, TESLA<\/b> shared its cover of CLIMAX BLUES BAND<\/b>‘s iconic track “I Love You”<\/b> (2026 version). The single arrived alongside an official video, available to view below.<\/p>\n
TESLA<\/b> commented at the time: “‘I Love You’<\/b>, like all the tracks on ‘Homage’<\/b>, not only pays tribute to legends but gives us a chance to showcase our lead singer’s diversity as well as the musical dynamics we learned as a band many years ago.”<\/p>\n
In May, TESLA<\/b> shared its cover of QUEEN<\/b>‘s 1977 classic “Spread Your Wings”<\/b>. Wheat<\/b> stated: “‘Spread Your Wings’<\/b> for me was the song I always wanted to record by QUEEN<\/b>. I always felt it was the one song they had in their catalog that should’ve been a massive hit, but wasn’t because it was overshadowed by ‘We Are the Champions’<\/b> and ‘We Will Rock You’<\/b> on the ‘News Of The World’<\/b> album. It was also a song written by John Deacon<\/b>, who was the band’s secret weapon and whom not many people talk about, the quiet one, shall we say.”<\/p>\n
It is remarkable to reflect on the more than 40 years since TESLA<\/b> began as a cover band performing in California nightclubs before going on to write and record original material and sell millions of albums.<\/p>\n
Much like their musical heroes \u2014 THE BEATLES<\/b> and THE ROLLING STONES<\/b> \u2014 artists who honed their craft by performing songs from those who came before them, TESLA<\/b> followed a similar path in their early years and continues to embrace the tradition of paying tribute through cover songs today.<\/p>\n
“Homage”<\/b> not only honors legendary artists but also provides an opportunity to showcase TESLA<\/b> lead singer Jeff Keith<\/b>‘s vocal diversity. The album stands as a thank-you expressed through music, an offering to the iconic voices and songs that shaped the band\u2019s influences and, ultimately, their own songwriting.<\/p>\n
“Homage”<\/b> is not about imitation, but acknowledgment, tracing the line from influence to identity, from listening to becoming. The project also arrives more than 20 years after the “Real To Reel”<\/b> series, a release that helped inspire the creation of a new original TESLA<\/b> song, “Never Alone”<\/b>.<\/p>\n
The selected songs on “Homage”<\/b> were chosen for a variety of reasons, primarily representing some of the greatest vocalists of all time, including Elvis Presley<\/b>, Freddie Mercury<\/b>, Sam Cooke<\/b>, David Ruffin<\/b>, Etta James<\/b> and James Brown<\/b>. Additional selections reflect songs the band grew up hearing on the radio and on their turntables.<\/p>\n
On the upcoming album, TESLA<\/b> shared: “Our new album ‘Homage’<\/b> is a thank-you note written in sound. An offering to the great singers and songs that shaped the music we grew up listening to, and the songs we would eventually write. We hope you all enjoy this as much as we did making it. Thank you for all the years \u2014 keep it real and keep on rockin’!”<\/p>\n
“Homage”<\/b> track listing:<\/p>\n
01. Never Alone<\/b> (original song)
02. Bring It On Home<\/b> (Sam Cooke cover)
03. Spread Your Wings<\/b> (QUEEN cover)
04. I Wish It Would Rain<\/b> (THE TEMPTATIONS cover)
05. Night Moves<\/b> (Bob Seger cover)
06. If I Can Dream<\/b> (Elvis Presley cover)
07. Come And Get It<\/b> (BADFINGER cover)
08. I Got You<\/b> (James Brown cover)
09. Give A Little Bit<\/b> (SUPERTRAMP cover)
10. I Love You<\/b> (2026 Version) (CLIMAX BLUES BAND cover)
11. The Ballad Of Curtis Loew<\/b> (LYNYRD SKYNYRD cover)
12. Have You Ever Seen The Rain<\/b> (CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL cover)
13. I’d Rather Go Blind<\/b> (Etta James cover)
14. Mind Your Own Business<\/b> (Hank Williams Sr. cover)<\/p>\n
TESLA<\/b> will hit the road this summer on “The Return Of The Carnival Of Sins”<\/b> tour with M\u00d6TLEY CR\u00dcE<\/b> and EXTREME<\/b>. The trek begins on July 17 in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania, and winds its way through the United States before concluding on September 26 in Ridgefield, Washington.<\/p>\n
Last October, TESLA<\/b> 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<\/b> touched all sides of its unique discography, including the heavier edge of electric songs like “Modern Day Cowboy”<\/b>, “Hang Tough”<\/b> and “Edison’s Medicine”<\/b>, as well as the band’s acoustic-driven songs such as “Signs”<\/b> and “Love Song”<\/b> (two Top 10 Billboard-charting hits).<\/p>\n
TESLA<\/b> previously held a residency at the House Of Blues in April 2024.<\/p>\n
TESLA<\/b>‘s latest six-song EP, “All About Love”<\/b>, was released in November 2024. The EP included four versions of “All About Love”<\/b> (acoustic, electric, hybrid, live); a live version of “Walk Away”<\/b>, a concert favorite from “Reel To Real, Vol. 1”<\/b>; and another new song, “From The Heart”<\/b>, an instrumental track by Hannon<\/b>.<\/p>\n
Some fans criticized TESLA<\/b> for adopting a 1980s-style polished production for its latest album, 2019’s “Shock”<\/b>. The follow-up to June 2014’s “Simplicity”<\/b> was helmed by DEF LEPPARD<\/b> guitarist Phil Collen<\/b>, whose own group is no stranger to slicked-up, glossy-sounding recordings.<\/p>\n
In September 2023, TESLA<\/b> released the official music video for its cover of AEROSMITH<\/b>‘s “S.O.S. (Too Bad)”<\/b>. The song was a bonus track on TESLA<\/b>‘s live album, “Full Throttle Live!”<\/b>, which arrived in May 2023. The LP included the band’s “Time To Rock!”<\/b> single, plus other songs, all recorded in August 2022 at Full Throttle Saloon in Sturgis, South Dakota.<\/p>\n
In September 2021, original TESLA<\/b> drummer Troy Luccketta<\/b> announced that he would “take a little time from the road” to spend with family and friends. He has since been replaced at TESLA<\/b>‘s gigs and in the recording studio by Steve Brown<\/b>, the younger brother of former DOKKEN<\/b> drummer Mick Brown<\/b>.<\/p>\n
TESLA<\/b>‘s debut album, 1986’s “Mechanical Resonance”<\/b>, went platinum on the strength of the hits “Modern Day Cowboy”<\/b> and “Little Suzi”<\/b>. The 1989 follow-up album, “The Great Radio Controversy”<\/b>, produced five hits, including “Heaven’s Trail (No Way Out)”<\/b> and “Love Song”<\/b>, which hit the pop Top Ten.<\/p>\n
Press photo credit: Brandon Gullion<\/b><\/p>\n