Joanne Shaw Taylor Releases New Album The Trouble With Love, Exploring Love, Heartbreak, and Everything In Between

Arriving alongside the album is the new single “Never Gonna Please ‘Em All,” a spirited, unapologetic declaration of independence and self-acceptance. While much of The Trouble With Love explores the relationships that shape us, the new track turns that perspective inward, confronting the pressure to meet other people’s expectations and the realization that trying to satisfy everyone often comes at the expense of being yourself.

That attitude comes through in lyrics like “I turned my heartbreak / Into a work of art,” a line that connects the song’s message directly to Joanne’s life as a songwriter. Having spent years transforming personal experiences into music, she turns the frustration of being judged and misunderstood into a celebration of individuality. The repeated refrain, “Ain’t never gonna please ’em all,” becomes a statement of hard-earned confidence, reflecting an artist increasingly comfortable following her own instincts rather than anyone else’s expectations.

At the heart of The Trouble With Love is Joanne’s willingness to examine relationships from different perspectives, without trying to offer easy answers. The album’s title track, “The Trouble With Love,” featuring Joe Bonamassa, captures the intoxicating highs and lows of romance, with Joanne previously describing it as an attempt to document love’s addictive nature and the complications that come with it. “What Good Is My Love?” featuring Orianthi explores the pain of loving someone who cannot return that affection, bringing together two acclaimed guitarists for an emotionally charged collaboration.

One of the album’s most intimate moments comes with “You And Me (Rachel’s Song),” written as a tribute to Joanne’s best friend. Rather than romantic love, the song celebrates enduring friendship, shared memories, and the reassurance of having someone who remains a constant through life’s changes. Its inclusion broadens the album’s central theme, showing how the relationships that sustain us can be every bit as meaningful as those that challenge us.

Together, these songs create a record that moves between vulnerability and defiance, tenderness and frustration, heartbreak and hope. Throughout, Joanne’s unmistakable guitar playing remains central to the music, but her songwriting increasingly takes the lead, with Shirley’s production allowing each track to develop its own character. The result is an album that reflects both the musical range Joanne has developed over nearly two decades of recording and the personal experiences that continue to shape her work.

The Trouble With Love has already earned enthusiastic praise from critics, further cementing Joanne’s standing as one of contemporary blues-rock’s leading voices. Blues Matters hailed the album as “blues rock with plenty of bite, balancing restraint and full-throttle guitar fire,” while R’N’R Magazine awarded it four stars, declaring, “These days, Joanne Shaw Taylor has nothing left to prove… she is a major blues rock figure.” Music News called the record “top class and a highlight of the year,” and Fireworks praised it as “another extremely strong effort from the guitarist” with “all the tools to win her a whole bunch of new” fans.

Discovered at just 16 by Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics, who invited her to tour internationally, Joanne has grown into one of contemporary blues-rock’s most accomplished artists. Her expressive guitar playing and soulful vocals have earned praise from musicians including Stevie Wonder, Annie Lennox, Jimmy Cliff, and Joe Bonamassa, while her catalog includes multiple No. 1 albums on Billboard’s Blues Albums chart. With The Trouble With Love, Joanne continues to build on that foundation, bringing together the guitar-driven intensity that first established her reputation and the increasingly personal songwriting that has become central to her artistry.

The album’s release arrives just days before Joanne launches her Fall 2026 U.S. Tour, beginning October 28th in Albuquerque, NM. The extensive run will take her through the Southwest, Mountain West, Pacific Northwest, and California, with Canadian blues-rock band Bywater Call joining her for the opening dates, followed by a series of shows with Robert Jon & The Wreck. Known for her commanding stage presence, searing guitar work, and emotionally charged performances, Joanne will bring material from The Trouble With Love to audiences alongside fan favorites from across her catalog. The tour concludes November 21st at the Golden State Theatre in Monterey, CA. For more information and tickets, visit joanneshawtaylor.com/tour.

The Trouble With Love by Joanne Shaw Taylor
1. The Trouble With Love feat. Joe Bonamassa
2. Hell Or High Water
3. This Is Who I Am
4. Tired Of Being Right
5. Bad Boy
6. What Good Is My Love? feat. Orianthi
7. The Girl That You Loved Before
8. Never Gonna Please ‘Em All
9. You And Me (Rachel’s Song)
10. Death Wish

2026 Fall U.S. Tour
October 28 – Albuquerque, NM – KiMo Theatre *
October 29 – Flagstaff, AZ – Orpheum Theater *
October 30 – Phoenix, AZ – Celebrity Theatre *
November 1 – Tucson, AZ – Rialto Theatre *
November 3 – Grand Junction, CO – Mesa Theater *
November 5 – Colorado Springs, CO – Phil Long Music Hall *
November 7 – Boulder, CO – Boulder Theater *
November 6 – Fort Collins, CO – Aggie Theater*
November 9 – Salt Lake City, UT – The State Room **
November 10 – Boise, ID – The Egyptian Theatre **
November 12 – Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory **
November 13 – Tacoma, WA – Rialto Theater **
November 15 – Portland, OR – Aladdin Theater **
November 17 – Grass Valley, CA – The Center for the Arts **
November 19 – Napa, CA – Uptown Theatre Napa **
November 20 – Bakersfield, CA – World Records **
November 21 – Monterey, CA – Golden State Theatre **

* with Bywater Call
** with Robert Jon & The Wreck