Jon Stevens Works With Kevin Savigar and Emerson Swinford From Rod Stewart’s Band for ‘Shimmer’

For Jon Stevens’ new album Shimmer, he turned to members of the Rod Stewart band — producer and songwriter Kevin Savigar and guitarist Emerson Swinford — to help craft a record that is as much about live energy as studio polish.

Jon tells Noise11.com, “Kevin’s Rod Stewart’s producer and songwriter. I toured with Rod in 2023 and we hit it off. He and Emerson Swinford (Rod’s guitarist) jammed with me in LA while I had pneumonia. Out of that came a lot of ideas.” That spontaneous session, while Jon battled illness, set the tone for the album’s creation — collaborative, instinctive, and rooted in musicianship honed over decades.

Savigar, born in London and now based in Los Angeles, has been a central figure in Stewart’s career since joining his touring and studio band in 1978. He co-wrote Stewart classics including Forever Young, Passion, Tonight I’m Yours and Every Beat of My Heart, and co-produced key albums such as When We Were the New Boys, Time and Another Country. Outside of his four-decade association with Stewart, Savigar has worked with some of the biggest names in music, from Bob Dylan, George Harrison and Willie Nelson to Marilyn Manson, Pat Benatar and Sinéad O’Connor. His classical background fused with a rock edge has made him one of the most in-demand keyboardists and producers in the business.

“Kevin just gets it,” Jon explains. “Even in that first week we spent together, he could take an idea and instantly turn it into something musical, something alive. That’s exactly what I wanted for Shimmer — songs that grow and breathe when you play them live.”

Watch the all-new Jon Stevens Noise11 Shimmer album here:

Stewart’s guitarist Emerson Swinford is also all over Jon’s Shimmer album. Based in Los Angeles, Swinford has built a reputation as one of the industry’s most versatile session and touring guitarists, blending rock, blues, and pop with precision and flair.

He has played on and co-written numerous recordings with Stewart over the years, bringing his distinctive guitar tone and arrangement skills to albums and live performances alike. Beyond Stewart, Swinford has worked with artists across a wide spectrum, including Aretha Franklin, Christina Aguilera, Bette Midler, and Carole King, making him a sought-after name in both studio sessions and live shows.

His work on Shimmer helped give the album its polished yet vibrant sound, perfectly complementing the keyboard-driven arrangements from Kevin Savigar and ensuring the record was crafted with live performance in mind. Jon says, “Everything on this record has been thought of as a live song. These songs are going to flourish in that environment. That’s always been the way I approach my music — it has to have energy when people hear it live.”

The album also reflects Jon’s evolving approach to releasing music. Instead of dropping a traditional album all at once, he has been sharing a song each week, giving fans time to grow with the music. “Putting it out the traditional way was how it used to work,” Jon says. “Record company, singles, then the album months later. Today everyone wants instant gratification. I just thought, why not give my fans something new each week and let them connect with it before the album comes out?”

Jon’s collaborative sessions with Savigar and Swinford spanned multiple trips to Los Angeles between touring commitments, allowing ideas to simmer and evolve. “I went in with a bunch of half-formed ideas,” Jon explains. “Kevin, Emerson, myself — we’d sit, jam, record, and suddenly these ideas turned into real songs. Some came fast, some took longer. By the time we were done, the album felt alive.”

Some songs on Shimmer also carry deep personal significance. The track Paradise, co-written in just two days, became a gift when Jon realized it resonated with a friend whose young child had passed away. “I was really struggling with the lyrics at first, and then it hit me — this song’s not for me, it’s for them. That’s the kind of thing that makes music powerful,” Jon says.

Shimmer will be released on 8 October 2025, and Jon will take the album out on tour in 2026, performing it live with the same energy and passion that shaped its creation. With contributions from Kevin Savigar and Emerson Swinford, the record bridges decades of classic rock craftsmanship with Jon’s contemporary songwriting, producing an album that is as heartfelt as it is exhilarating.

Fans can already stream individual tracks as Jon releases them weekly, building anticipation for the full album. “I just want people to enjoy it,” Jon says. “I love making music. I love playing live. And I want to put smiles on people’s faces. That’s what it’s all about.”