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. 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.
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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.”
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