Al Jardine got to know Brian Wilson when the two of them played high school football together in Hawthorne, California, and he started off as a founding member of the Beach Boys in 1961 -- the only one who wasn't related to Wilson by blood. Jardine remained with the Beach Boys until Carl Wilson's death in 1998, and he's spent much of the time since then recording and performing with Brian. Today, Jardine releases a new surprise solo EP called Islands In The Sun, and one of its tracks features Neil Young and Flea, two other legends who made big impacts on Californian music.
Islands In The Sun is the first new Al Jardine solo record since 2010's A Postcard From California, and he co-produced it at his home studio with Stevie Heger, his collaborator on that LP, and with Jeff Peters, a sound engineer who's done a lot of work with the Beach Boys and Brian Wilson. The EP has a title track, but it's not a Weezer cover. Instead, it's Jardine doing his best to recreate the Beach Boys' "Kokomo" vibe, with help from fellow Beach Boy Bruce Johnston and a choir of kids from three local elementary schools.
But you're probably not here for "Islands In The Sun." You're probably here for "My Plane Leaves Tomorrow (Au Revoir)," a song about being afraid to ship off to war. It's got vocals from Neil Young and trumpet from Flea, both of whom recorded their parts in 2010, when they both guested on different songs from A Postcard From California. Jardine recently finished the track, and you can give it a listen right here.
Al Jardine wrote both "Islands In The Sun" and "My Plane Leaves Tomorrow." The EP's other two tracks are rewritten adaptations of the Coasters' Leiber/Stoller classic "Smokey Joe’s Café" and "Crumple Car," a track from the Big Wednesday soundtrack. Below, stream the full EP and check out the upcoming tour dates for Al Jardine And The Pet Sounds Band.
TOUR DATES:
7/04 - Lake, MN @ Mystic Amphitheater at Mystic Lake Casino Hotel
7/18 - Cohasset, MA @ South Shore Music Circus
7/23-24 - Phoenix, AZ @ Musical Instrument Museum
8/23 - Des Plaines, IL @ The Des Plaines Theatre
8/24 - St. Charles, IL @ The Arcada Theatre
9/05 - Atlantic City, NJ @ Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa
9/07 - Concord, NH @ Chubb Theatre at Capitol Center for the Arts
The Islands In The Sun EP is out now on Jardine Tours/Universal.
