AMERICA--GERRY BECKLEY and DEWEY BUNNELL--will celebrate the January 16, 2007 release of their CD HERE & NOW that night with a performance on the “Late Show With David Letterman” featuring special guest Ryan Adams. 

BUNNELL says “Ride On” is “the closest thing to a rocker for me on this album.  Ryan Adams plays a real retro guitar on it and Ben Kweller plays a little electric piano ala Ray Manzarek of The Doors. I also do a solo at the end; it’s my only electric solo on the record.” He adds: “‘Ride On’ is a retro-sounding song that has a Sixties psychedelic feel. Adam [Schlesinger] added some ‘sha la la’ vocal pads things to the pre-chorus that drew it into a little more of a pop vein from it being just a jam song. The theme is about pushing on…it’s a rallying song.” 

            HERE & NOW will be released as a double CD (Sony/BMG Burgundy Records) with one disc of new material and a live CD recorded at XM’s studio encompassing their massive hits like “A Horse With No Name,” “Sister Golden Hair,” “Ventura Highway,” “Tin Man” and others.  In addition to Schlesinger and Iha, special guests appearing on the new material 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.