VIA PRESS RELEASE | Friends Of Jesse Malin–I Would Do It For You Vol. 1, a 26-song celebration of the music of Jesse Malin, arrives September 11, 2026 via Wicked Cool Records, bringing together an extraordinary cross-section of Malin’s friends, collaborators and musical community.
Produced by Lyle Hysen, the collection reaches across generations and scenes, with contributions from Gogol Bordello, Dead Milkmen, Bebe Buell, Sami Yaffa, Valley Lodge, Trapper Schoepp, James Maddock, Cat Popper & Sasha Dobson, Danny Sage, Prima Donna and many more, each taking on a song from Malin’s extensive catalog. The album also marks the return of influential New York alternative rock band Das Damen, whose version of “Don’t Let Them Take You Down (Beautiful Day!)” is the band’s first newly released recording in 35 years.
One of the album’s focus tracks is Prima Donna’s “Everybody Wants To Rock And Roll,” a fast, loud take on a song that feels right at home in the Los Angeles band’s world.
For Prima Donna frontman Kevin Preston, the connection to Malin goes back years. Preston has cited seeing Green Day with Malin’s D Generation opening as a formative rock show, and the relationship eventually came full circle: Preston, who has toured as a guitarist with Green Day, recently joined Malin onstage in Los Angeles to perform “Everybody Wants To Rock And Roll.”
That history gives Prima Donna’s recording a little more weight than the average cover. Both artists come from a similar place—punk, glam, power pop and straight-ahead rock ’n’ roll, with big songs at the center of it all. Clocking in at just 2:27, Prima Donna’s version gets in, turns it up and gets out.
Friends Of Jesse Malin – I Would Do It For You Vol. 1 began as a tribute to Malin but quickly grew well beyond the scope of a single album. Nearly 80 songs have now been recorded by artists from throughout Jesse’s musical life, resulting in a planned two-volume series.
“Friends, collaborators, and artists from every corner of Jesse’s world wanted to be involved,” says Hysen. “The songs just kept coming. What started as a single collection quickly grew into something much bigger, encompassing almost the entire Malinverse. We’re excited that this is only the first chapter.”
Malin continues his recovery from the rare spinal stroke he suffered in 2023, which left him paralyzed from the waist down. Since then, he has made a remarkable return to public life and the stage, including two sold-out shows at New York City’s Beacon Theatre and his Off-Broadway show Silver Manhattan.
More than a traditional tribute record, I Would Do It For You shows just how far Malin’s songs and friendships have traveled. Punk lifers, singer-songwriters, underground heroes and longtime collaborators all show up here, but the record never feels like a museum piece. These are Jesse’s songs being played by people who know him, love the music and have their own history with it.
Friends Of Jesse Malin – I Would Do It For You Vol. 1 will be available digitally, on vinyl, and as a deluxe double-CD edition. The vinyl features 12 tracks and includes a download code for the complete 26-song digital collection, while the CD edition includes all 26 songs across two discs.
A second volume is also planned, with Thurston Moore, Willie Nile and many more among the artists set to appear.
ABOUT JESSE MALIN | Hailed by Rolling Stone as “a gritty troubadour of the streets,” Jesse Malin first made his mark fronting New York punk band D Generation before launching a solo career with 2003’s The Fine Art Of Self Destruction.
Across eight solo albums, Malin has carried the spirit of New York rock ’n’ roll forward while building a community that reaches well beyond any one scene. His songs have been covered by Bruce Springsteen, Lucinda Williams, Green Day, Elvis Costello, Bleachers, Counting Crows and others.
In 2023, Malin suffered a rare spinal stroke that left him paralyzed from the waist down. He later returned to the stage for two sold-out nights at the Beacon Theatre in New York City.
In 2026, Malin made his Off-Broadway debut with Silver Manhattan, written by Malin and Lauren Ludwig and produced by ArKtype and David Bason. The show was nominated for a 2026 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical. His first book, Almost Grown: A New York Memoir, is out now via Akashic Books.
