J.D. Souther with special guest April Smith

One of the principal architects of the Southern California country-rock sound, J.D. Souther famously played a key role in the formation of the Eagles and co-wrote their hits “Heartache Tonight,” “Victim of Love,” “New Kid In Town,” and “Best of My Love,” as well as writing Linda Ronstadt’s classics “Faithless Love,” “Simple Man, Simple Dream,” and Prisoner in Disguise.” A highly sought-after songwriter and session man, Souther also released three critically acclaimed solo albums -- “John David Souther,” (1972) “Black Rose,” (1976), and “You’re Only Lonely” (1979) -- and two albums as a member of The Souther Hillman Furay Band, the supergroup which united Souther with Poco’s Richie Furay and the Byrds’ Chris Hillman.

But in 1985, after countless hit records, Grammy nominations, American Music Awards, and gold and platinum albums, J.D. Souther decided to walk away from his solo career. According to Souther: “I just wanted to be a good songwriter. I wanted to just stay home and write.”

Relocating to Nashville, Souther wrote for and with artists as diverse as India.Arie, Brooks & Dunn, Jimmy Buffet, Glen Campbell, Joe Cocker, Crosby Stills & Nash, Diamond Rio, Dixie Chicks, Don Henley, One Flew South, Roy Orbison, Bernadette Peters, Bonnie Raitt, George Strait, Brian Wilson, Trisha Yearwood, Warren Zevon, and most recently the newly re-formed Eagles, who chose Souther’s protest song “How Long” as the debut single from their first studio album in twenty-eight years.

And now, Souther returns with his first studio album of new material in twenty-five years: If The World Was You. The new album is both a bold step forward and a return to Souther’s Amarillo, Texas roots, where the young multi-instrumentalist grew up steeped in the improvisatory sensibilities of John Coltrane and Miles Davis as well as in the music of rock pioneers Hank Williams, Buddy Holly, and Roy Orbison, all of whose influences are evident throughout.

Recorded live in the studio with a five-piece jazz ensemble (two horns, piano, bass, and drums), Souther has crafted an inventive new musical setting for his characteristically playful and literate musings on life, love, and politics. The work of a musician at the height of his considerable powers, the new album is whip-smart, adventurous, seductive, and shot through with the sublime longing that characterizes Souther’s finest work. And his voice -- one of the most plaintive and soulful in rock ‘n roll -- has never sounded so immediate and so powerful.

Opener April Smith is tiny.  She stands somewhere around 5'2", but she belts her lyrics like a gal two times her size on new tracks like "Wow and Flutter" and "Colors".  Fresh out of the studio with producers Adam Schlesinger (Fountains Of Wayne) and Dan Romer (Ingrid Michaelson, Jenny Owen Youngs), April's retro pop sound, carnivalesque melodies and jangly, suitcase-beating spirit will have you spinning like a whirling dervish!  Her sly wit, cheeky attitude, sticky cadences, and profound lyrics are brilliantly reflected in her new material.  
 Her song "Colors" was recently featured on Perez Hilton's blog as "the kind of tune you'd hear on an episode of Grey's Anatomy or in the next iPod commercial."  April's songs have also been featured in MTV's hit shows The Hills and Newport Harbor, and with several live appearances on NBC and Fearless Music under her belt, April is now preparing to tour the States in November and December 2008!  Get ready for sing-along love songs brought to life by one of the coolest girls you know.

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