Former Jefferson Airplane/Starship members co-write songs for new Jefferson Starship EP

Jeff Fay

Jefferson Starship is about to release its first original songs in 12 years — with some help from the members of the band’s best-known lineup.

The group’s seven-track EP, Mother of the Sun, is due out August 21. It features one song co-written with Grace Slick — the lead single, “It’s About Time” — and another co-written with the late Marty Balin, who died in 2018. Plus, original Jefferson Starship member Pete Sears plays bass on three songs.

The current iteration of Jefferson Starship — featuring David Freiberg, Donny Baldwin, Cathy Richardson, Chris Smith and Jude Gold — was led by the band’s founder, Paul Kantner, until his death in 2016. In a statement, singer Cathy Richardson says, “Paul Kantner was our bandleader and the visionary who kept Jefferson Starship going through so many eras.”

“He inspired so much about this record, from the messages in the lyrics to the title and album art to the collaborative process of creating music as a band with some of his original muses — Grace, Marty, and Pete,” she adds. “Mother of the Sun is dedicated to PK.”

One track on the EP, “Embryonic Journey,” has the same title as an instrumental on Jefferson Airplane‘s classic second album, Surrealistic Pillow. It’s unknown if it’s a new version of that tune, which was written by Jorma Kaukonen.

The band plans a tour in 2021 to support the new project; dates will be announced this fall.

Here’s the track listing for Mother of the Sun:

“It’s About Time”
“What Are We Waiting For?”
“Setting Sun”
“Runaway Again”
“Embryonic Journey”
“Don’t Be Sad Anymore”
“What Are We Waiting For? (Extended version)”