Wesley Stace Shares ‘I Say Lots of Things’

New LP from the man FKA John Wesley Harding, ‘One Last Heist,’ out Sept. 2

August 6, 2026August 6, 2026 Ron Hart 0 Comments 2026, David Nagler, Joe Gore, John Wesley Harding, One Last Heist, Pravda Records, Wesley Stace

Wesley Stace, the artist formerly known as John Wesley Harding, is back with a new album, One Last Heist, which will be released Sept. 2 on Pravda Records.

Recorded at Studio 1935 in Philadelphia’s historic BOK Building, One Last Heist is produced, arranged and written by Wes and longtime collaborator David Nagler. The core band comprised Nagler himself (keyboards), Eddie Carlson (bass), and Stéphane San Juan (Caetano Veloso, David Byrne, Marcos Valle) on the drums. These backing tracks were supplemented by stellar guitar work from Joe Gore (Tom Waits, Tracy Chapman) and Justin Mazer (Bob Weir), extra drums from Patrick Berkery (The War on Drugs) and backing vocals by Chris von Sneidern. The bells and whistles — string quartets, clarinets, flutes, flugelhorns etc — were contributed later by friends all over.

“We’d intended the previous album Late Style to be the most elegant record imaginable, but COVID was a scruffy time and much of it was recorded in isolation in far-flung locations, without the chemistry and esprit de corps of musicians playing together in real time in the same space. It just couldn’t be done how we wanted. So the prime motive here was to go one better, to arrange the songs first, then record them as a band, playing live in the studio, to let it be a ‘players’ record, allowing for expressive solos, room to relax a little. Studio 1935 is open plan, very welcoming, not lots of isolated booths, so we were all able to congregate, interact, and improvise.”

Wesley Stace *One Last Heist*, Pravda Records 2026

What Mr. Stace has created on One Last Heist is different from the folk-rock leanings of his work as JWH, as the album’s expansive sound emulates what Wes is listening to out of the studio.

“There’s no reason why my songs shouldn’t swing like I want them to, despite all their words, like those CTI and Kudu records I listen to in the kitchen,” he explains. “Check out Esther Phillips doing Gilbert O’Sullivan, Johnny Hammond doing Cat Stevens. Why not?

“Plus, having lived in Philly for 16 years now, the city’s soul has finally found its way into my music, specifically the Hammond organists that I love: all the greats were from right here – Charles Earland, Shirley Scott, Jimmy Smith, Jimmy McGriff. It’s not even just the organ itself, but the feel of those records, the bass and drums. And now you might find me at 48 Record Bar, DJing, most recently a night called ‘ORGAN-ized!’ That’s the backbone of the aesthetic of this album; that’s where my ears are and my heart is, wherever the other inspirations on One Last Heist stray globally or locally. Like all my records, it’s a cocktail. We were feeling ambitious. I like my music sweet, but my lyrics tart: I know that. It’s not uncommon among my favorite singer-songwriters.”

Rock & Roll Globe is honored to share the latest single from One Last Heist, the satirical “I Say Lots of Things,” today on the site.

“There are two what I’d call ‘protest songs’ on One Last Heist: ‘I Say Lots of Things’ and ‘Thoughts and Prayers.’ They’re very different because some things are so ludicrous and surreal that comedy is the only possible response and some things are so grim you can’t make fun of them,” Stace said. “‘I Say Lots of Things’ is, I hope, fun. You may have a fairly good idea what it’s about just from the title and you’d probably be right, but I didn’t want to nail it to that precise mast entirely so I actually adapted the lyrics quite a lot as we got closer to completing the recording. It’s more generally about the post-truth world of our late-capitalist malaise.

VIDEO: Wesley Stace “A Funny One”

“David Nagler, my collaborator, started off in a Cuban samba-style but apparently I nudged him further in the direction of Brazilian fusion, Airto and so forth — all the great stuff I love on CTI records. (The classic Airto record is Free but I absolutely adore Fingers.) Our drummer for almost all of the record, Stéphane San Juan (currently on tour with David Byrne) is a master of this kind of thing and was very helpful in us nailing it, partly by dissecting the bass part and writing a new one with Eddie Carlson, our bass player, on the spot. Stéphane needed to feel the ONE from the bass: check it out. It makes total sense. And on the percussion, another fabulous player, Gustavo di Dalva, who’s played with Gilberto Gil (name checked in my song ‘Making Love to Bob Dylan’: Everything is coming round!) We were exceptionally fortunate in our musicians on this record, particularly in moments when we were trying to do something a bit more ambitious. For example, we wanted some extra characterful electric guitar, and while I was considering who might fit the bill, I happened to be on the West Coast on tour, and on a whim got in touch with Joe Gore, an old pal from my San Francisco days, whom I had collaborated with many years ago on a Serge Gainsbourg cover, and also seen playing brilliantly in Tom Waits’ band. I took the tracks over to him and we had a beautiful afternoon discussing what he’d play, and then he sent the parts on to me on my return. Blissful ,really. He’s on four songs on the record and delivers a totally blistering solo here.

“This song sounds like the beach to me. I love Marcos Valle and in my mind it sounds like something you might hear on one of his records. I mean, it doesn’t sound like that at all. But in my mind it does and that’s what’s important. That’s why I broke down the bridge a little, stripped it away so it was just in its sandals.

“But it’s not as stripped away as when I play it solo acoustic live — now that’s a challenge…”

The Sussex-born Stace moved to America in 1991 and became an official U.S. citizen a year ago last July. He lives in Philadelphia with his family, and continues to host his famous Wesley Stace’s Cabinet of Wonders at City Winery in New York City on a recurring basis.

“I feel more confident about protesting now I’m one of you,” he laughs.

Pre-order One Last Heist here.