With the release of summer anthem, feel-good classic “West Coast Eyes,” the Southern California-based roots rockers Robert Jon & The Wreck have announced Ride Into The Light, their seventh studio album, out August 4th via Joe Bonamassa’s Journeyman Records. Packed with blistering blues-rock and sun-soaked Americana ballads, Ride Into The Light is as high-octane as it is soul-stirring, proving that rock and roll is thriving in 2023. Reinvigorating their traditional production process, The Wreck teamed up for this release with the legendary producers Don Was (John Mayer, Bonnie Raitt), Dave Cobb (Brandi Carlile, Chris Stapleton), Kevin Shirley (Iron Maiden, The Black Crowes), and guitar maestros Joe Bonamassa and Josh Smith (Marc Broussard, Eric Gales, Joanne Shaw Taylor). The resulting album finds the band reaching a new level of musicianship and songwriting prowess, delivering a fresh take on Rock & Roll while evoking classic artists like The Allman Brothers Band, Eagles, and Lynyrd Skynyrd.
To celebrate the announcement, Robert Jon & The Wreck have released the album’s newest single “West Coast Eyes,” an instant classic that evokes the pure joy of summertime love. Produced by Bonamassa and Smith and featuring the renowned session keyboardist, Jeff Babko, the song was written in Nashville, TN while the band was on tour last year.
“We met with the legendary Tom Hambridge (Buddy Guy), who’s written songs with a lot of great artists,” shares frontman Robert Jon Burrison. “A few weeks later we went into Sunset Sound in LA with Joe Bonamassa and Josh Smith as our producers…[and] it evolved into a bit of tribute to the LA session musician scene through the years, combining elements from a few different decades and wound up being a really fun sonic experiment. Joe and Josh were also great to be around, providing a lot of fun musical suggestions and of course some top-notch vintage guitar gear!”
Ride Into The Light includes the four tracks from the band’s very recent dynamic EP release One Of A Kind, which received rave reviews from all over the world and helped catapult the band’s awareness into new heights. These tracks were produced by GRAMMY-Award winners Don Was and Dave Cobb, One Of A Kind showcases Robert Jon & The Wreck’s wide range and dynamic sound, from the instant rock and roll classic “Come At Me” and the captivating, Americana-infused “Who Can You Love,” to the outstanding riff-driven roots rock tracks “Pain No More“ and “One Of A Kind.”
Robert Jon & The Wreck have had a very productive year so far with several new studio tracks released as well as their first-ever concert film Live At The Ancienne Belgique which dropped in April. Recorded during their sold-out show at the Ancienne Belgique in Brussels, Belgium on June 29th, 2022, the live CD/DVD set captures the Wreck amid their longest-ever tour – 67 performances in 75 days across 9 countries. The night was nothing less than spectacular, featuring a setlist that spanned the last decade of their prolific career, from their 2013 debut to their 2022 release.
Prolific songwriters with a wealth of new material who refuse to be constrained by traditional release strategies, the band’s new partnership with Joe Bonamassa’s Journeyman Records affords them the opportunity to work with the world’s top producers and release a steady stream of high-quality singles on an ongoing basis, cutting through the industry chaos and ensuring new music is accessible to fans as intended.
Reigning from Southern California, Robert Jon & The Wreck take the Southern rock sound from the east coast and make it their own. Since their inception in 2011, these native Californians; Robert Jon Burrison (lead vocals, guitar), Andrew Espantman (drums, background vocals), Henry James Schneekluth (lead guitar, background vocals), and Warren Murrel (bass) have been electrifying audiences all over the world with their soaring guitar leads, rich vocal harmonies, and memorable tunes. Recently, keyboardist Jake Abernathie joined the band as an official member as they continue to tour and record in the studio. Simply put, it is difficult to ignore when these talented musicians take the stage.
Ride Into The Light – Album Track listing
1. Pain No More
2. Who Can You Love
3. Come At Me
4. One Of A Kind
5. Bring Me Back Home Again
6. West Coast Eyes
7. Don't Look Down
8. Ride Into The Light
