Tesla’s got a new album coming, and it’s one worth paying attention to. ‘Homage’, due July 17th via Frontiers Music Srl, is a covers record with real weight behind it. These Sacramento rockers didn’t just pull together a quick tribute set. They went deep, drawing from Elvis Presley, Freddie Mercury, Sam Cooke, Etta James, and James Brown, voices that defined what rock and soul could be.
The lead single is their take on Climax Blues Band’s “I Love You” (2026 Version), out now with an official video. It’s a warm, confident read on a classic, and it puts front man Jeff Keith’s vocal range front and center where it belongs. The band puts it plainly: the track “pays tribute to legends but gives us a chance to showcase our lead singer’s diversity.”
What makes ‘Homage’ more than a nostalgia exercise is the context. Tesla started as a covers band playing California clubs before selling millions of records on original material. This album is a genuine full-circle moment, not a marketing angle. It also arrives more than 20 years after the ‘Real to Reel’ series, and includes one original track, “Never Alone,” which grew directly out of that earlier project.
The tracklist runs 14 songs deep, pulling from Queen, Bob Seger, Supertramp, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and more. The band calls it “a thank-you note written in sound.” That framing holds up. This is Tesla doing what they’ve always done well: connecting to the music that made them and making it their own.
This summer, they’re joining Motley Crue and Extreme on The Return of the Carnival of Sins Tour, kicking off July 17th in Burgettstown, PA.
‘Homage’ Track Listing:
Never Alone (Original Song)
Bring It On Home (Sam Cooke Cover)
Spread Your Wings (Queen Cover)
I Wish It Would Rain (The Temptations Cover)
Night Moves (Bob Seger Cover)
If I Can Dream (Elvis Presley Cover)
Come And Get It (Badfinger Cover)
I Got You (James Brown Cover)
Give A Little Bit (Supertramp Cover)
I Love You (2026 Version) (Climax Blues Band Cover)
The Ballad Of Curtis Loew (Lynyrd Skynyrd Cover)
Have You Ever Seen The Rain (Creedence Clearwater Revival Cover)
I’d Rather Go Blind (Etta James Cover)
Mind Your Own Business (Hank Williams Sr. Cover)
2026 Tour Dates (with Motley Crue and Extreme):
July 17 – Burgettstown, PA
September 26 – Ridgefield, WA