America

GRAMMY-AWARD WINNING ROCK LEGENDS AMERICA

TO RELEASE DOUBLE CD "HERE & NOW" ON SONY BMG'S
BURGUNDY RECORDS

ALBUM PRODUCED BY ADAM SCHLESINGER AND JAMES IHA
INCLUDES GUEST PERFORMANCES BY RYAN ADAMS, MY MORNING JACKET, NADA SURF AND OTHERS

AVAILABLE IN STORES AND ONLINE JANUARY 16

The legendary rock group AMERICA returns with their first new major label studio album in over twenty years. The double album, “Here & Now,” available January 16 on SONY BMG’s Burgundy Records, will include one CD of new material and one CD of live material encompassing their hits.

Founding members GERRY BECKLEY and DEWEY BUNNELL teamed up with indie rock's most sought after producers ADAM SCHLESINGER (Fountains of Wayne) and JAMES IHA (Smashing Pumpkins) to record 12 new songs which were written by the band as well as by some of today’s most influential new writers and artists.

“James and I are honored to be working with Gerry and Dewey. They write timeless songs and they are phenomenal singers and musicians, and we are having a blast in the studio. Plus we get to bug them for George Martin stories in between takes!” says co-producer Adam Schlesinger. George Martin, famed producer of The Beatles, produced the bulk of America’s hits.

In addition to Schlesinger and Iha, special guests appearing on the album include RYAN ADAMS, who plays on 'Ride On', BEN KWELLER who joins JIM JAMES and PATRICK HALLAHAN of My Morning Jacket on a cover of their haunting acoustic tune 'Golden,' and IRA ELLIOT and MATTHEW CAWS of Nada Surf join the group on their own rendition of Nada Surf’s hit ‘Always Love.’ Elliot also appears with MARK ROZZO of Maplewood on a new song that Rozzo wrote for the band called ‘Indian Summer.’ Fountains of Wayne drummer BRIAN YOUNG lends his skills to a number of tracks including ‘Chasing The Rainbow’ and ‘One Chance,’ both written by Beckley, as well as ‘Walk In The Woods’ which Bunnell wrote. Other notable guest artists include RUSTY YOUNG of the 70’s country rock band Poco and STEPHEN BISHOP, best known for his Grammy-nominated song 'Separate Lives.'

On growing up listening to AMERICA, Jim James of My Morning Jacket reflects "I used to lay on the living room floor, when my family was out of town at the ocean and I couldn’t go cuz I had some stuff to do for school...and just cry my eyes out to America, and think of all the fun my family was having at the ocean. [Songs like] ‘Tin Man,’ Ventura Highway,’ ‘Lonely People,’ ‘Sister Golden Hair,’....so many jams. They are premier architects of harmony. They built temples in my brain as a child and the ruins are still there."

AMERICA, best known for their #1 hits ‘A Horse With No Name’ and ‘Sister Golden Hair,’ was one of the top selling bands of the 70’s notching 11 U.S. Top 40 singles and 17 gold, platinum and multi-platinum albums. The group was honored in 1972 by winning that year’s Grammy Award for Best New Artist.

The Sony BMG Strategic Marketing Group (SMG) recently launched its new record label, Burgundy Records. The Sony BMG SMG imprint plans to sign legendary multi-platinum artists and release new titles in conjunction with an innovative marketing campaign that will promote the artists through traditional and non-traditional channels.