– New album available for pre-order on December 15 –
– Immediate Family documentary in theaters nationwide today for a one-night-only event and available everywhere on December 15, 2023 –
– Listen to “Whole Lotta Rock and Roll” here –
With their forthcoming new studio album, Skin In The Game (Quarto Valley Records), legendary musicians The Immediate Family take another step forward in a collective career that solidifies their stature as a renowned supergroup in the truest form. Today, the band shares the lead track, appropriately titled “Whole Lotta Rock and Roll.”
Written and sung by Waddy Wachtel, “Whole Lotta Rock and Roll” effectively encapsulates the mantra this remarkable band has pursued individually and collectively. It’s a song that exudes the power and passion that typify the band’s ongoing devotion to an essential sound these musicians have furthered and formulated so well. An uncompromising example of both frenzy and finesse, this robust rocker lives up to its title courtesy of its determined delivery.
“‘Whole Lotta Rock and Roll’ came to me in a dream,” states Wachtel. “I was sitting with Bon Scott backstage at an AC/DC concert. It was incredible. I was having the best time just talking to Bon, when all of a sudden, my dog’s cold nose touched my back and woke me up. I shouted, ‘Oh no!’ and then instantly grabbed my guitar and started writing. The song came pouring out of me. It went from a pure rock ‘n’ roll dream to a whole song before breakfast.”
Produced by the band themselves, Skin In The Game’s fourteen tracks showcase the remarkably versatile musical skills possessed by all five members of The Immediate Family: singer/songwriter/guitarists Danny Kortchmar, Waddy Wachtel and Steve Postell, and one of the most celebrated rhythm sections in rock history, Russ Kunkel and Leland Sklar.
Skin in the Game will be released worldwide on February 16, 2024, via Quarto Valley Records and is available for pre-order starting December 15.
The album’s thirteen original tracks and one cover tune, “The Toughest Girl in Town,” exuberantly careen from funky rockers such as “24/7/365,” “Confusion” and “Lost in the Shuffle” to gentler numbers, such as “Fragile Heart” and “Catch You on the Other Side.” On “Looking Away,” they effortlessly build the emotional drama by shifting from restrained acoustic guitars to a blast of electric guitar fury. Similarly, the band’s satiric edge can slide from the dark side on “Party at the Graveyard” to the lighter-hearted fun of “High Maintenance.” Sklar and Kunkel’s subtly profound ways of building and holding down a song’s foundation are present throughout Skin In The Game. The album’s title track begins with Kunkel’s drumbeat, complemented by Sklar’s sonorous bass. Together, they bring a gravitas that supports the song’s message that life isn’t just about the money; you need to have heart, soul, pride, and be willing to risk everything – “skin in the game.” The second single, the album’s title track, “Skin In The Game,” will be released in January 2024.
The tight-knit quintet (Danny Kortchmar, Waddy Wachtel, Russ Kunkel, Leland Sklar and Steve Postell) initially rose to prominence working with some of rock’s biggest names, such as Keith Richards, Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, Carole King, Jackson Browne, Stevie Nicks, Don Henley, Billy Joel, David Crosby and Joni Mitchell, to name a few – but now they have reinforced their own identity as The Immediate Family.
The band’s unique, decades-long musical journey is the subject of the full-length documentary, Immediate Family, by acclaimed filmmaker Denny Tedesco (director of The Wrecking Crew). The film tracks the rise and collaborations of this group of legendary studio musicians Danny Kortchmar, Waddy Wachtel, Russ Kunkel and Leland Sklar, through the 1970s and onward, spotlighting their prestigious partnerships and their indelible mark that helped define the sound of a generation. Immediate Family is a backstage tour of rock history, featuring intimate interviews with the band members, as well as memorable stories from some of music’s most iconic performers including Carole King, James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, Neil Young, Keith Richards, Don Henley, Stevie Nicks, David Crosby, Jackson Browne, Lyle Lovett and Phil Collins.
Released by Magnolia Pictures, Immediate Family is in theaters nationwide today for a special one-night screening and will be available everywhere on December 15.
Watch the Official Trailer Now
https://www.immediatefamilyfilm.com/.
With Skin In The Game, The Immediate Family, managed by industry veterans Fred Croshal and David Helfant, have tapped into their magical connection and created a stunning collection of songs.
For more information on The Immediate Family, visit www.immediatefamilyband.com.
