The Dead Daisies cover John Lee Hooker

The band puts a fiery spin on “Boom Boom”

The Dead Daisies are turning up the heat with the release of their latest single, โ€œBoom Boomโ€โ€”a gritty, hard-hitting take on the John Lee Hooker classic. The track is the latest single off the bandโ€™s upcoming blues album Lookinโ€™ For Trouble, arriving May 30th via Fame/Malaco Records. Steeped in the raw energy and rebellious spirit that shaped rock โ€˜nโ€™ roll, the album finds the band reimagining blues standards with the same firepower that has fueled their decade-long run.

โ€œBoom Boomโ€ channels the swagger and soul of Hookerโ€™s original, inspired by his time at Detroitโ€™s Apex Bar, where the bartender Willa would famously scold him, โ€œBoom boom, you late again!โ€ The phrase sparked one of his biggest crossover hits, and now The Dead Daisies bring that same playful edge and infectious rhythm to their high-octane version.

โ€œHe thought it was a great title and wrote the song,โ€ says frontman John Corabi. โ€œHe recorded it with the legendary Motown session band The Funk Brothers, and we couldnโ€™t pass up the opportunity to put our spin on it!!!โ€

From the moment they stepped into FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, the band featuring John Corabi (Mรถtley Crรผe, The Scream), David Lowy (Red Phoenix, Mink), Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake, Dio), Michael Devin (Whitesnake, Lynch Mob), and Sarah Tomek (Steven Tyler Band, Samantha Fish) felt the weight of history around them. The iconic space, where legends like Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, and Etta James once recorded, inspired a late-night jam session that quickly became something much bigger. Producer Marti Frederiksen pressed record, and what started as impromptu fun turned into a full-fledged albumโ€”one that captures the blues in its purest, most electrifying form.

Across ten powerhouse tracks, Lookinโ€™ For Trouble breathes new life into legendary songs, with The Dead Daisies putting their own stamp on each one. The bandโ€™s high-voltage take on Robert Johnsonโ€™s โ€œCrossroadsโ€โ€”the song that gave rise to blues mythologyโ€”kicked off the album rollout with a scorching tribute to the Delta blues legend.

โ€œโ€˜Crossroadsโ€™ by Delta bluesman Robert Johnson has created a myth so large that itโ€™s been etched into the very foundation of rock โ€˜nโ€™ roll lore,โ€ says bassist Michael Devin. โ€œMany bands have covered โ€˜Crossroadsโ€™ over the years, now weโ€™ve covered it in our own way.โ€

Elsewhere on the album, the band tears through classics like โ€œGoing Downโ€ (Freddie King) and โ€œBlack Bettyโ€ (Lead Belly), putting their own hard-hitting spin on these blues staples. The setlist also includes smoldering renditions of โ€œBorn Under A Bad Signโ€ (Albert King), โ€œSweet Home Chicagoโ€ (Robert Johnson), and โ€œThe Thrill Is Goneโ€ (B.B. King), each one injected with The Dead Daisiesโ€™ signature grit and intensity.

At its core, Lookinโ€™ For Trouble is a testament to the enduring power of the blues. The band approached the album with a deep respect for the genreโ€™s origins, recording the songs live to capture the spontaneity and emotion that make blues so timeless.

โ€œThis album is our love letter to the blues,โ€ says John Corabi. โ€œWhen I first heard blues, it was through bands like Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones. The deeper I researched my heroes, the deeper I got into the history of this music. The blues is the soul of rock โ€˜nโ€™ rollโ€”itโ€™s in everything we do.โ€

Guitarist Doug Aldrich adds, โ€œWe cut these songs live, in the same room where so many legends recorded. It was all about feelโ€”capturing the rawness and authenticity that makes blues so powerful.โ€

For over a decade, The Dead Daisies have built a reputation for their no-holds-barred approach to rock, sharing stages with Kiss, Guns Nโ€™ Roses, Scorpions, Aerosmith, Def Leppard, Whitesnake, ZZ Top, Foreigner, Judas Priest, and the Hollywood Vampires. Their catalog includes ten albums, proving that true rock โ€˜nโ€™ roll never fades.

With Lookinโ€™ For Trouble on the horizon, The Dead Daisies are hitting the road to bring their blues-infused rock anthems to audiences worldwide. Their Light โ€˜Em Up Tour, electrified fans across the U.S., UK, and Europe in 2024 and they continue to tour in 2025, featuring both their rock hits and their blues-driven sound. UK and European tour dates are locked for this year, with more announcements coming soon.

Buddy Iahn
Buddy Iahn