Marrying rock & roll with country music has been the lifeblood of Richie Furay, who was instrumental in creating the country-rock genre as a founding member of Buffalo Springfield and Poco. On his exhilarating new studio album, In the Country, due out on July 8 via Renew Records/BMG, the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer shares this deep musical affection through his distinctive interpretations of iconic country tunes.
In The Country’s first single and lead track, “Somebody Like You," (Keith Urban) showcases Furay’s wonderfully sublime vocals supported by a blistering guitar, plaintive pedal steel, and sweet, twangy harmonies.
WATCH the video HERE. LISTEN to the track HERE.
His first studio album in seven years, Furay has filled In the Country with songs that he has loved and admired over the years. The twelve-song set features his masterful versions of such chart-topping country classics as “The River” (Garth Brooks), “I’m In a Hurry and I Don’t Know Why” (Alabama), and “I Hope You Dance” (Lee Ann Womack). Also included are the crossover hits “Take Me Home, Country Roads” (John Denver) and “Walking in Memphis” (Marc Cohn), as well as Rickie Nelson’s 1958 smash “Lonesome Town” and the Julie Miller-penned Americana gem “Chalk.” Plus, there are two exclusive digital bonus tracks: Furay’s new rendition of Poco’s signature song “Pickin’ Up the Pieces.” and George Strait’s hit, “I Cross My Heart.”
To bring this dream project together, Furay teamed with his old pal, multi-Grammy Award-winning producer Val Garay (Linda Ronstadt, Kim Carnes, James Taylor), and recorded at Nashville’s legendary Blackbird Studio. Garay assembled a group of stellar Nashville session musicians: drummer Victor Indrizzo, bassist Glenn Worf, keyboardist Steven Jay Nathan, pedal steel player Dan Dugmore, and guitarists Tom Bukovac and Chris Leuzinger.
Special guest appearances include John Berry, who duets with Furay on his hit “Your Love Amazes Me,” while country superstar Vince Gill joined Furay on “Lonesome Town.” In The Country also features Jason Scheff (Chicago) and Furay’s fellow Poco alum and Eagles bassist/vocalist Timothy B. Schmit.
After an astonishing 60-year career in music that included pivotal positions in Buffalo Springfield, Poco, the Souther-Hillman-Furay Band, as well as several solo albums, Richie Furay feels In the Country represents something particularly special. “I believe that there is always a reason for everything,” he confides. “And I believe that the timing for this record is going to be so refreshing for so many people who have struggled so much with what we’ve gone through that it’s going to be a breath of fresh air for everybody.” www.richiefuray.com
In The Country is available for pre-order on April 22. An exclusive vinyl release for Record Store Day on June 18 with a worldwide release on all digital platforms and configurations available on July 8 on Renew Records/BMG.
In The Country Track Listing
1. Somebody Like You
2. I Hope You Dance
3. Take Me Home, Country Roads
4. She Don’t Know She’s Beautiful
5. Your Love Amazes Me
6. I’m In a Hurry (And Don’t Know Why)
7. Lonesome Town
8. Walking in Memphis
9. I’m Already There
10. The River
11. In This Life
12. Chalk
Digital Bonus Tracks
1. I Cross My Heart
2. Pickin’ Up the Pieces
Richie Furay on Tour 2022 (more dates to be announced)
June 12 – South Orange, NJ @ South Orange Performing Arts Center
June 16 – Nashville, TN @ City Winery
June 24 – New York, NY @ City Winery
July 6 – Washington, D.C. @ City Winery
July 8 – Philadelphia, PA @ City Winery
August 12 – Boston, MA @ City Winery
