TIMOTHY B. SCHMIT of The Eagles today (March 18) announced the release of his upcoming solo album DAY BY DAY--out May 6--by sharing its first single and video, “Simple Man.” Watch the video here and listen here.
Premiered yesterday on Jim Ladd’s show on SiriusXM, "Simple Man" is the album's gorgeous opener, featuring TIMOTHY’s trademark warm, intimate vocals; it’s also layered with electric guitar leads from Lindsey Buckingham and vocal harmonies from Beach Boys alumni Chris Farmer and Matt Jardine. The song nods to the singer, songwriter and bassist’s California roots, summoning up the glory days of the Laurel Canyon folk scene.
The "Simple Man" video was directed by Ava Warbrick, who says, “I wanted to create a contemplative mood. Like a meditation. Slow panning shots in a rotating motion to illustrate the passing of time. The three Timothy's are evocative of the harmonized vocals. We shot the music video on 16mm Kodak film to give room and texture to the California landscape and to elicit a nostalgia. A slow burn for reflection. The video, shot in and around Timothy's music studio, to me feels like an authentic document of the space and this moment in time.”
DAY BY DAY, TIMOTHY’s seventh solo album and first since 2016’s Leap of Faith, highlights his enduring appetite for new sounds and timeless melodies. He recorded the album’s 12 songs during breaks in the Eagles' busy schedule, utilizing his home studio known as Mooselodge--nestled into a rural pocket of Los Angeles County, with the Santa Monica Mountains looming outside--to capture a sound that's as eclectic as its creator. On DAY BY DAY, his third consecutive self-penned album, guests like Jackson Browne, Lindsey Buckingham, John Fogerty, Benmont Tench, Jim Keltner, John McFee and Kenny Wayne Sheppard all make appearances, as well as many other fine musicians and singers.
"I still think of myself as a developing songwriter," he admits. "When Jackson [Browne] came to the studio, we talked about how he wrote 'These Days' when he was 16 years old. It's so impressive that a teenager could create something so insightful. That didn't happen to me. I didn't hit my stride as a songwriter during my younger years. I think I'm finally starting to get there now, and I'm in my 70s! It's really nice. It makes me anxious to move forward and continue making music.”
Making DAY BY DAY at home allowed SCHMIT to take stock of the world around him. The wide stretch of state-protected land that surrounds his studio—including an old millstone hidden in a nearby meadow, left behind by the Chumash people—inspired the song "Grinding Stone," the chorus for which features the vocal blend of SCHMIT, Jackson Browne and John Fogerty. Elsewhere, the challenges of the Covid-19 era compelled him to turn "The Next Rainbow" into an anthem about seizing the day and counting one's blessings. He also found a muse in his wife, as well as an indispensable harmony partner in his daughter, Jeddrah. Pulling triple-duty as the album's singer/songwriter, co-producer (with Jeff Peters), and multi-instrumentalist, SCHMIT created DAY BY DAY without having to leave the environment that inspired much of the album's material.
Other album highlights include "Mr. X," rooted in amplified rock & roll, driven forward by electric guitar and a rapid-fire vocal, while "Feather in the Wind" evokes the sunny pop of the Beach Boys. The rest of DAY BY DAY is similarly diverse, from the R&B restraint of "Heartbeat" to the reggae rhythms of "I Come Alive."
"I try to latch on to whatever's floating my way through the ethers," says TIMOTHY of his songwriting process. "I just want to make good music and put a smile on people's faces. I love the process and feel extremely lucky to be able to make new music as an older guy, and this is very satisfying."
The DAY BY DAY track listing is as follows:
SIMPLE MAN
THE NEXT RAINBOW
HEARTBEAT
MR.X
QUESTION OF THE HEART
SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW
I COME ALIVE
FEATHER IN THE WIND
GRINDING STONE
TASTE LIKE CANDY
CONFLICTED
WHERE WE BELONG
