New music: ZZ Ward, Firefall, Chris Church, Peter Holsapple, Candice Night, Roy Rogers & Dale Evans

The first half of 2025 has seen the release of a slew of fantastic new studio albums and reissues. In this column I feature a number of the best titles featuring American artists that have been issued over the past few months.

Artist: ZZ Ward
Title: Liberation (Sun Records)
You might like if you enjoy: Grace Potter, Beth Hart, blues music
Tell me more: Blues songstress ZZ Ward displays her signature vocals and powers as a songwriter on her latest album, Liberation, a disc that offers up a mix of strong originals and inspired covers. Early standouts on the 14-track disc include the soulful opener "Mother" (a new track about her new role as a working mother), a fiery take on the rockabilly-fueled Elvis Presley nugget "My Baby Left Me," a rip-roaring reading of the Jesters' "Cadillac Man" and the self-penned power blues ballad "Love Alive." The strength of the album continues courtesy of the likes of the intoxicating title track, soaring retro sortie "Lioness," Delta-soaked remake of Son House's "Grinnin' In Your Face," a high-octane blues harp-adorned cover of Robert Johnson's "Dust My Broom" and an artful New Orleans-flavored version of Alvin Robinson's "Something You Got." Information: sunrecords.com.

Artist: Firefall
Title: Friends & Family 2 (Sunset Boulevard Records)
You might like if you enjoy: Fleetwood Mac, Dan Fogelberg, Stephen Stills, The Beach Boys
Tell me more: Boulder, Colorado-spawned soft rock heroes Firefall are back with Friends & Family 2, a followup to their acclaimed 2023 album Friends & Family. This time around the talented troupe revisits a new collection of classic rock hits originally forged between the late 1960s and early '80s. The quintet is also joined several celebrated guests who elevate the proceedings. Among the great remakes on the 12-track album is a harmonies-filled take on Stephen Stills' "Love the One You're With" (featuring additional vocals from Wynonna Judd), a bewitching cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Go Your Own Way," a fiery take of the Buffalo Springfield favorite "Mr. Soul" (Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Richie Furay sings the same vocal part he sang on the Neil Young-penned classic in 1968), a tender rendering of America's "I Need You," a shimmering "So You Want To Be a Rock 'N' Roll Star" featuring John Jorgensen on 12-string guitar, and a delightfully countrified take of the Flying Burrito Brothers' "Christine's Tune." Information: sunsetblvdrecords.com.

Artist: Chris Church
Title: Obsolete Path (Big Stir Records)
You might like if you enjoy: Neil Young, Todd Rundgren, Matthew Sweet
Tell me more: North Carolina-based singer-songwriter Chris Church is not afraid to mix up a wide range of rock styles in the service of his top-tier songcraft, and that approach works wonders across his latest album Obsolete Path. The indie rocker "Sit Down" with its exhilarating guitar play, wistful New Wave mining "I Don't Wanna Be There," sumptuous power pop gem "She Looks Good in Black," rollicking "Life On A Trampoline," melodic noise rock strike "Running Right Back To You," electric guitar-whipped melodic rocker "The Great Divide," genre-defying "Vice Versa" (the latter featuring Bill Lloyd on mandolin) and Americana rocker "Like A Sucker" are among my favorite tracks on Obsolete Path. Church — who plays guitars, bass, keyboards and sings lead and backing vocals across the outstanding 12-track release — is one of today's most exciting and creative artists and proves it at every wonderful turn across the inventive masterwork. Information: bigstirrecords.com.

Artist: Peter Holsapple
Title: The Face Of 68 (Label 51 Recordings)
You might like if you enjoy: Jason Falkner, Continental Drifters, R.E.M., Big Star
Tell me more: Singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Peter Holsapple has earned countless accolades for his previous work, including his role in The dB's and Continental Drifters — two influential bands he co-helmed over the course of acclaimed albums like 1981's Stands for deciBels and 1998's Vermilion as well as his studio and touring contributions with R.E.M. and Hootie & the Blowfish. Now Holsapple is back with a terrific solo album, The Face of 68, whose heady mix of muscular rock, melodic power pop and experimental flourishes draws comparisons with the likes of Cheap Trick, dada and the Smithereens. The riveting opener "Anytime Soon" bridges power pop and modern rock with an undeniable energy, Holsapple's vocals a perfect fit amidst the melodic garage rock soundscape and his raging guitar play. That promising start proves to be just the beginning; subsequent great cuts include the rollicking "The Face of 68," the crunchy rockers "Larger Than Life" and "My Idea #49," the bewitching blues cut "One for the Book," power pop sortie "Fireflies" and tuneful "She and Me." Information: label51recordings.com.

Artist: Candice Night
Title: Sea Glass (earMUSIC)
You might like if you enjoy: Candice Night, Blackmore's Night, Idina Menzel
Tell me more: Blackmore's Night lead singer/multi-instrumentalist Candice Night has released her solo album Sea Glass, an 11-track album showcasing her expressive soprano and emotional originals delivered via a myriad of different musical genres. The album's highlights include the Renaissance-flavored title track, uptempo Americana nugget "Unsung Hero (She'll Never Tell)," blues-rock version of "Angel and Jezebel," lovely Baroque song "Promise Me," cinematic instrumental "Dark Carnival," piano-anchored ballad "The Last Goodbye" and the shimmering "Another Day." Sea Glass is available on limited edition colored vinyl, as well as on CD Digipak and via Digital. Information: candice-night.com.

Artist: Roy Rogers and Dale Evans
Title: Songs Of The Old West (RockBeat Records)
You might like if you enjoy: Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, Sons of the Pioneers
Tell me more: Nostalgic and timeless, the parade of 22 classic selections on Great Songs of the Old West celebrates the signature Americana sound of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. Rogers was one of the most popular stars of his era — appearing in almost 90 films between 1935 and 1975 — and starring alongside his real life wife Evans on the popular television show "The Roy Rogers Show" between 1951 and 1957. Songs of the Old West also serves as a reminder to just how wonderful Rogers and Evans were as top-tier singers. In addition to the couple's enduring Evans-penned theme song "Happy Trails" the expansive set includes the enchanting "A Cowboy Needs A Horse" (bolstered by Rogers' impressive yodeling), accordion-anchored "Whoopie Ty-Yi-Yo (Get Along Little Dogies)," galloping "Hoofbeat Serenade," lovely "Goodbye Old Paint (I'm Leaving Cheyenne)," and beautiful "Red River Valley" and "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" (the latter two selections featuring Evans). Rogers' incredible tenor voice brings palpable emotional weight to the classic cowboy songs "Streets Of Laredo" and "Bury Me Not On The Lone Prairie" while Evans equals that power on the harmonies-adorned "Home On The Range." Among the bonus tracks is a showcase for Pat Brady — who was Rogers' sidekick on his television show — singing the fun-filled "Roy Rogers Had A Ranch." Information: RockBeatRecords.com.

Robert Kinsler

Whoopie Ty-Yi-Yo (Get Along Little Dogies)

Chris Hillman's memoir, 'Time Between: My Life as a Byrd, Burrito Brother and Beyond,' coming from BMG Books on Nov. 17

'Time Between: My Life as a Byrd, Burrito Brother and Beyond' memoir from Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Chris Hillman coming Nov. 17, 2020 via BMG Books

"Chris Hillman has been a well-kept secret in the history of rock. Yeah, we all know how great he was in the Byrds, but his contributions go well beyond that. Chris was a true innovator — the man who invented country rock. Every time the Eagles board their private jet Chris at least paid for the fuel." — Tom Petty

"Chris Hillman is a bona fide pioneering godfather to generations of musical souls who've sought inspiration at that divine crossroads where rock & roll, country, bluegrass, folk, honky tonk, and gospel music intersect and harmonize. He's a national treasure, truly a statesman." — Marty Stuart

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Chris Hillman is arguably the primary architect of what’s come to be known as country rock. After playing the Southern California folk and bluegrass circuit, he joined Roger McGuinn, David Crosby, Gene Clark and Michael Clarke as an original member of The Byrds. He went on to partner with Gram Parsons to launch The Flying Burrito Brothers, recording a handful of albums that have become touchstones of the Americana genre.

The Byrds in the studio / Photo courtesy of Getty Images

Hillman then embarked on a prolific recording career as a member of Stephen Stills’ Manassas, as a solo artist, and as a member of several groups that he insists sound more like law firms than bands: Souther-Hillman-Furay with acclaimed songwriter J.D. Souther and former Buffalo Springfield and Poco member Richie Furay; McGuinn, Clark & Hillman with two of his fellow former Byrds; and Rice, Rice, Hillman & Pedersen with Tony Rice, Larry Rice, and longtime collaborator and duo partner Herb Pedersen. As a songwriter, he appeared on the Billboard singles charts in four consecutive decades, and his songs have been recorded by a diverse range of artists, from Steve Earle to Patti Smith to Roy Rogers. 

Chris Hillman on stage with the Byrds in the mid-'60s.
Photo courtesy of Getty Images

In the 1980s, Hillman launched a successful mainstream country group when he formed The Desert Rose Band with Pedersen and John Jorgenson, scoring eight Billboard Top 10 country hits. In the midst of his country success he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame along with the other original members of the Byrds. He has since released a number of solo efforts, including 2017’s highly-acclaimed Bidin’ My Time, which was the final album produced by Tom Petty with executive producer Pedersen.

In Time Between: My Life as a Byrd, Burrito Brother and Beyond, due out November 17, 2020 via BMG Books, Hillman takes readers behind the curtain of his quintessentially Southern Californian experience. Raised in San Diego County’s then-rural Rancho Santa Fe, Chris grew up in an idyllic 1950s environment that was filled with TV cowboys, horseback riding, exploring the outdoors, surfing, discovering girls, and falling in love with music. When his older sister came home from college with a stack of records by folk artists such as Woody Guthrie and Lead Belly, Chris was hooked. He soon fell in love with the bluegrass music of Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, and The Stanley Brothers, spending hours mastering the guitar and mandolin. Once the Beatles invaded America, the various aspects of his musical DNA came together that would eventually lead to him become a pioneering founding father of country-rock.

Written in an honest and unadorned style, Hillman’s memoir recounts his early experience in bands like The Scottsville Squirrel Barkers and The Golden State Boys, which included future country music legend Vern Gosdin. He shares the story of getting his hands on a borrowed bass — an instrument he’d never played — to try out for the Byrds, and offers up details on why Miles Davis was responsible for their success. He shares about the moment the Byrds were nearly axed from The Ed Sullivan Showfollowing an explosive showdown with the producers, and reveals how participating in a recording session with South African trumpet player Hugh Masekela inspired him to write his very first song, “Time Between,” which then became the first true country rock record. “To me,” Tom Petty once revealed in an interview, “Chris invented country rock, more than anyone I can think of. As far as taking country music and trying to nurture it into a new form, he is absolutely the first guy that really did that.”

Additionally, Chris sheds new light on his productive but sometimes-complicated relationship with Gram Parsons and offers insight into the real man behind the ever-growing myth. He tells us what really happened on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry when the Byrds made their controversial appearance during the recording of the Sweetheart of the Rodeo sessions, and offers up the details on the band’s disastrous trip to South Africa. From becoming one of the first musicians to move to the artistic enclave of Laurel Canyon, to the historic moment he quit the Byrds, to breaking new “outlaw country” ground with the Flying Burrito Brothers, to recording with Manassas, to making the connections that launched the careers of Buffalo Springfield and Emmylou Harris, to his vastly different experiences as a performer at both Monterey and Altamont, Hillman opens up the fascinating pages of his life and career with engaging detail.   

While giving insight into the recording of classics like “Mr. Tambourine Man,” “Turn, Turn, Turn,” and “Eight Miles High,” the musical details of Time Between are only half the story. Pulling back the curtain like never before, Chris reveals the details of his personal life with candor and vulnerability. He writes honestly about his father’s suicide, his subsequent struggles with anger, and how his spiritual journey led him to a place of deep faith that allowed him to extend forgiveness and experience wholeness. He writes of overcoming his overwhelming shyness, building a family with his beloved wife Connie, earning a second degree blackbelt in karate, battling a life-threatening disease, and escaping three (!) house fires.

Featuring a foreword by Dwight Yoakam and dozens of photos from Chris’s personal collection, Time Betweenis filled with Hillman’s encounters with characters such as Lenny Bruce, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Bo Diddley, Otis Redding, Chuck Berry, and Buck Owens, as well as his musical collaborations with Clarence White, Bernie Leadon, Stephen Stills, Dan Fogelberg, Herb Pedersen, John Jorgenson, Al Perkins, Jay Dee Maness,Tom Brumley, and more. From tales of hanging out at the famed Ash Grove club in Los Angeles as a teenager to Hillman’s 2018 Sweetheart of the Rodeo anniversary tour with Roger McGuinn and Marty Stuart, this engaging memoir always comes back around to Hillman’s first love. “I never thought about the money, the future, or chasing down stardom,” he writes. “It was always allabout the music.” 

Though he’s a four-time Grammy nominee, three-time CMA nominee, three-time ACM Award winner, and recipient of both the Americana Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award and Mojo magazine’s Roots Award, Hillman remains a disarmingly humble man. Though he would never say it about himself, as his story unfolds in the pages of Time Between it becomes clear that Chris Hillman is much more than a rock star. He is truly one of the architects of American music.

“I’ve had a great life,” says Hillman. “And it’s not over — we’re not done.”  With that affirmation, it is safe to say, moreof the best is yet to come. 

“This book brought back a lot of great memories, the humorous origins of the Byrds and subsequent adventures.”

—Roger McGuinn

“Without Chris Hillman acting as the connective tissue between West Coast country music traditions and the rock ’n’ roll generation, from Buck Owens to the Byrds, there would be no modern country music.”

—Dwight Yoakam

For more information about Chris Hillman, visit:
www.chrishillman.com
www.rounder.com (label)www.skylineonline.com (for booking)

Poco's Rusty Young to release debut solo album 'Waitin' For The Sun' on Sept. 15, 2017

Fans of Poco, Neil Young and the Eagles will want to check out the strong breezy track "My Friend" off Rusty Young's upcoming album. 

Poco’s Rusty Young to release debut solo album ‘Waitin’ For The Sun’ – An Album 50 Years in the Making

One Song Premieres Today on Billboard.com

Los Angeles, CA, July 14, 2017: Singer-songwriter-multi-instrumentalist and front man of the seminal West Coast country-rock band Poco Rusty Young will release his debut solo album for Blue Élan Records, Waitin’ For The Sun, on September 15, 2017. The album comes after a five-decade career which began in 1967 when Young was invited to play steel guitar on what would become the final album by Buffalo Springfield. Soon after – along with Richie Furay, George Grantham, and Jim Messina – he would form beloved Americana band Poco. Over the next five decades – and alongside bandmates that would also include Paul Cotton, Randy Meisner, and Timothy B. Schmidt – he became not only the musical core of the band but also the writer and vocalist behind hits including “Rose of Cimarron” and the #1 smash “Crazy Love.” And now, with Waitin’ For The Sun, Young brings the sound of a hit songwriter, roots innovator, and Grammy-nominated steel guitar legend exploring and expressing a lifetime of music influences.  

Pre-order Waiting For The Sun: 
Blue Élan Records: http://www.blueelan.com/rusty-young-store
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/waitin-for-the-sun/id1254013446

Enjoy the premiere of "My Friend" on Billboard.com:   
 

“I learned how to write songs not only from the guys in Poco, but the people I hung out with too,” explains Rusty. “Friends like Neil Young, Stephen Stills, and Gerry Beckley from the band America all made a big impression on me. My grandparents, who were professional musicians in the ‘20s and ‘30s, have always been a huge inspiration. As the sole writer on this record, I got to visit all kinds of different places that relate to my musical heritage and experiences. Most of all, I wanted to take people on a journey that was fun to listen to from the first note to the last.”

Produced by Rusty and longtime Poco bassist/vocalist Jack Sundrud – with assistance from the legendary Bill Halverson (Crosby, Stills & Nash, Eric Clapton, Emmylou Harris) – and mixed/mastered by Joe Hardy (ZZ Top, Steve Earle, The Replacements), the album’s 10 songs first came together in the hours just before dawn. “I live in a cabin that overlooks the Mark Twain National Forest in southern Missouri, and got in the habit of waking early to watch the sun come up,” Rusty explains. “Just sitting there with my guitar, loving where I live and thinking about how far I’ve come and how lucky I’ve been. After a while, the songs just poured out of me.”

The album was recorded at Cash Cabin in Hendersonville, Tennessee, the former home recording studio of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash. “June’s old piano is all over the record,” Rusty enthuses, “and I got to play Johnny’s ’57 Les Paul.” Rusty also played steel and acoustic guitars, dobro, mandolin and banjo, with the current configuration of Poco – Sundrud, keyboardist Michael Webb, and former Flying Burrito Brothers drummer Rick Lonow – filling in the rest. “They are, quite simply, the best musicians I know,” Rusty says. “You can’t separate me from the sound of Poco, but I wanted to take the Poco sound – the songwriting, the vocals and the playing – to the next level. The goal of this album was to go one step beyond.”

But Waitin’ For The Sun almost never happened. “I’d intended to retire from the road,” Rusty admits. “I was certainly slowing down, wanting nothing more than to spend more time at home gardening and fishing. But a fan introduced himself after a concert saying that he had a new artist-friendly record label and asked if I’d ever considered a solo project. I had been offered solo deals back in the ‘70s, but always felt Poco was more important. But I feel I’m now the best I’ve ever been as a singer and songwriter, and I have a better grasp of the music than ever before. And I realized that this was the perfect time to do something that could be a really rewarding part of my legacy.”

The label chief who’d approached Rusty was in total agreement. “I was a longtime Poco fan, but really fell in love with the band once Rusty became the predominant songwriter and vocalist in the group,” says Kirk Pasich, President of Blue Elan Records. “His role was always overshadowed by Jim Messina forming Loggins & Messina, Randy and Timothy joining the Eagles, and Richie doing Souther-Hillman-Furay, but Rusty Young always embodied what has made Poco such a unique and lasting American band. I knew that being involved with his very first solo record would be special. So when Rusty asked us what kind of album we wanted, we said ‘What kind of album do you want to make?’”

Waitin’ For The Sun opens with the shimmering title track that captures those early morning moments of inspiration. The vintage bounce of “Honey Bee” – featuring guests Jim Messina and George Grantham – pays tribute to the musical gifts of Rusty’s grandparents. “Heaven Tonight” is lovely Beatles-esque balladry, “Innocent Moon”soars on gorgeous harmonies, and “Down Home” is fueled by Rusty’s mountain music mastery. “Sarah’s Song” is the heartbreakingly beautiful ode Rusty’s wrote for his only daughter’s wedding day, and “Gonna Let The Rain” is a potent dose of rock & soul. The driving guitars of “Hey There” are reminiscent of Poco at their very best, while the haunting instrumental “Seasons” showcases Rusty’s distinctively melodic steel guitar. But the album’s most talked-about track may be the warm and joyful “My Friend,” featuring Richie Furay and Timothy B. Schmidt. “I could have done that thing where I asked everyone I’ve ever known to play on the record,” Rusty says. “But I only wanted to work with a select few who were important to me. “My Friend” is about Poco over the years and the friendship we share to this day. That’s why I called Richie and Timothy; the song is about them.”

Today, Rusty is looking forward to touring in support of this new disc as well as planning a series of special concerts to celebrate Poco’s 50th anniversary. Most of all, he’s enormously proud of an album that has been, in a sense, 50 years in the making. “I’ve been fortunate to have had a magical career,” he admits. “From the moment I was called to play on the Buffalo Springfield album, all through Poco and now to this solo project, things have just fallen into place. I’ve worked really hard to be the best I can be, and I think this album is the proof.”

For Rusty Young – and Waitin’ For The Sun – the future is looking brighter than ever.
 

Tracklist:
1. Waitin’ For The Sun
2. My Friend
3. Honey Bee
4. Sara’s Song
5. Heaven Tonight
6. Hey There
7. Seasons
8 Innocent Moon
9. Down Home
10. Gonna Let The Rain

Website: rustyyoungmusic.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/poco.rustyyoung?ref=br_rs
Twitter: https://twitter.com/pocorocks