North Louisiana’s Robert Finley brims with gospel-powered soul on his new single, “I Wanna Thank You.” The official video, directed by Tim Hardiman, is out now. The track previews his eagerly awaited Dan Auerbach-produced album Hallelujah! Don’t Let The Devil Fool Ya, out Friday, October 10 via Easy Eye Sound.
“I wrote ‘I Wanna Thank You’ because without Him,” Finley said, “There ain’t no way I could be where I am today.”
“When I heard ‘I Wanna Thank You’ – it was such a powerful expression of gratitude,” says video director Hardiman. “I wanted the video to carry that same weight, so I approached it as if it would be my final one with Robert. I wanted to show all the things Robert is grateful for but also acknowledge all the amazing work we’ve done together with the Easy Eye Sound family over the past five years. It’s been a helluva run.”
Finley continues, “Making a gospel record was the first thing I ever wanted to do. I’ve had at least one gospel song on each album, and I even did a gospel song on America’s Got Talent. One of the guys said he didn’t know if it was the type of crowd for that, but some of those people were in tears.”
Like most Robert Finley sessions, Hallelujah! Don’t Let The Devil Fool Ya came together at lightning speed. Backed by an all-star lineup—including Dan Auerbach and guitarist Barrie Cadogan (Little Barrie, Primal Scream, The The), drummer Malcolm Catto (The Heliocentrics, Madlib, DJ Shadow), bassist Tommy Brenneck, and keyboardist Ray Jacildo—plus call-and-response vocals from his daughter, singer Christy Johnson, the album was fully improvised and recorded not over a month, not over a week, but in a single day.
“Back in the day when Robert played for tips, he’d ask people questions and improvise songs for them on the spot,” says Dan Auerbach. “That was the method, and that was the way, and choosing that direction – everything improvised, playing, singing and writing off the cuff – sparked a session of divinely inspired creativity, because letting the spirit move him is a trademark of Finley’s creative process.”
Having just played a packed show at the Easy Eye Sound Fish Fry during AmericanaFest in Nashville, TN, last week, Finley and his band will continue to celebrate the impending arrival of Hallelujah! Don’t Let The Devil Fool Ya with a headline tour of Europe/UK beginning October 4 at London’s Islington Assembly Hall and then making stops in France, the Netherlands, Spain and Lithuania. For complete details and ticket information, head here.
On September 20, the Northeast Louisiana Music Trail honored Finley with a road sign/marker in his hometown of Bernice, LA.
ROBERT FINLEY – LIVE 2025
OCTOBER
4 – London, United Kingdom – Islington Assembly Hall
7 – Caen, France – Le BBC
8 – Betton, France – Festival Le Grand Soufflet †
9 – Paris, France – La Cigale
11 – Kaunas, Lithuania – Festivalis Kaunas Blues 2025 †
13 – Rotterdam, Netherlands – LantarenVenster
14 – Haarlem, Netherlands – Patronaat
15 – Bergen Op Zoom, Netherlands – Poppodium Gebouw
17 – Ares, France – Espace Brémontier
18 – St-Chamond, France – Rhino Jazz(s) 2025 †
19 – Istres, France – L’Usine – Scenes Et Cones
21 – Saint-Brieuc, France – Bonjour Minuit
22 – Balma, France – Interférence
23 – Zaragoza, Spain – Rock & Blues Café
24 – Santiago De Compostela, Spain – Sala Capitol
25 – Madrid, Spain – Sala Mon
26 – Bilbao, Spain – Sirimiri
† FESTIVAL APPEARANCE
