John Oates Has Got A “Real Thing Going On” with New Single Out Today | Shore Fire Media

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18 July, 2025Print

John Oates Has Got A "Real Thing Going On" with New Single Out Today

Music Legend Channels Vintage Grooves on Song from Upcoming Solo Album Oates – Arriving August 29

Listen HERE | Pre-Order Album HERE

Currently Debuting New Band on Tour with Dates in NYC + LA

Today, Rock and Roll Hall of FamerSongwriters Hall of Famer and several-time GRAMMY nominee John Oates releases his smooth, soulful new single, “Real Thing Going On.” The song is the second offering from Oates’ highly anticipated solo album, Oates, due out August 29. Spotlighting Oates’ iconic guitar-driven sound, "Real Thing Going On" is layered with catchy melodies that recall the classic groove-oriented R&B and pop he famously pioneered in the 1970s and '80s.

Warm, optimistic, and instantly memorable, the track embodies the album’s core spirit—melding vintage grooves with contemporary energy, celebrating genuine connection, love, and the excitement of life's possibilities. Listen to “Real Thing Going On” HERE

Oates marks a creative homecoming for John, who recorded the album primarily in his longtime hometown of Nashville at Sound Emporium, Curb Studios, and Addiction Sound. The album was co-produced by Oates alongside renowned, multi-platinum producer David Kalmusky (Keith UrbanShawn MendesCarrie Underwood) and finds John collaborating with a bright new generation of songwriters and artists, including Clyde and Gracie Lawrence (of the band Lawrence) and soulful singer-songwriter Devon Gilfillian.

Blending seasoned artistry with vibrant youthful influences—including standout collaborations such as the first single "Enough Is Enough," featuring Clyde and Gracie Lawrence—Oates showcases John's commitment to evolving musically while paying homage to the roots of his celebrated career, crafting a collection that feels both timeless and fresh, nostalgic yet forward-looking. Listen to “Enough Is Enough” HERE

This summer and fall, fans can experience John and his newly formed band live as they perform highlights from Oates alongside beloved classics from his expansive catalog. Past and upcoming tour dates include marquee performances at notable venues and festivals across the U.S., including West Hollywood's famed Troubadour just two nights before album release, on August 27. For tickets and more tour info, visit johnoates.com.

Having called Nashville home for over 15 years, John has become a deeply respected presence within the city’s thriving Americana scene. With early blues, roots, rock ’n’ roll, and folk music shaping his formative years, he has thoughtfully explored these genres in recent solo projects like 2024’s introspective and acoustic-driven Reunion. He recently walked the red carpet at the Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala where he caught up with PEOPLE on early details about his new album. Now, with Oates, he’s plugging in his beloved 1958 Stratocaster again and fully embracing the groove-rich sound that first defined his legendary career.

Pre-order, Pre-save: https://johnoates.com/

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Oates Tracklist

Enough Is Enough (feat. Lawrence)

Real Thing Going On

Mending (feat. Devon Gilfillian)

A Ways Away

Let Me Be the One

World Gone Wrong

Pushin' a Rock

Disconnected

Get Your Smile On

Dreaming About Brazil

Bajo la Luz de la Luna

Walking In Memphis

Walking In Memphis (Grabbitz Remix)

Tour Dates:

July 18 – Steamboat Springs, CO – Strings Music Pavilion *

July 19 – Lone Tree, CO – Lone Tree Arts Center *

August 17 – King of Prussia, PA – Upper Merion Township Park

August 20 – Millville, NJ – Levoy Theatre

August 22 – Westport, CT – Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts

August 23 – Wilkes-Barre, PA – Public Square Park

August 24 – Queens County, NY – The Rockaway Hotel

August 27 – West Hollywood, CA – Troubadour

* w/ Acoustic Quartet and special guest William H. Macy (All other dates are full band)

About John Oates:

Although many people around the world know him as the co-creator of the pop group Hall & Oates, this versatile artist’s musical roots run deep. As a young child in the early 1950s John’s life and influences parallel the evolution of American rock and roll. Playing and singing from the age of five he was born into a life of music. “I am old enough to remember music before the birth of rock and roll so when it hit, I was aware that something new and groundbreaking had happened.” Chuck Berry, Little Richard, the Everly Brothers and Elvis laid the foundation and the regional sounds crackling out of the AM radio from labels like Stax Volt/ Specialty / Sun / Chess were Oates’ sonic pallet from which to draw inspiration.

In the early 1960s, when the folk revival swept the college campuses, John immersed himself in songs he heard from all the newly rediscovered artists, many of whom traced their careers back to the 1920s and 30s at the beginning of phonograph recordings. Living in Philadelphia at that time John haunted the coffee houses and festivals to hear folks like Mississippi John Hurt, Doc Watson, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee and spent many a Saturday night at the fabled Uptown Theater to experience R&B greats like Sam and Dave, Otis Redding, the Temptations, Curtis Mayfield and James Brown. It was from these early influences that John Oates became the musician he is today. A keeper of the flame, an Americana amalgamation of all that he heard and all that has come before him.

Working and moving to Nashville in the early 2000s John was embraced by the burgeoning Americana music community and surrounded by kindred spirits and with their help he began to tap back into his earliest musical DNA to establish and re-define himself. The results of which have been seven solo albums, multiple singles, and many classic collaborations

https://johnoates.com/

 

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