Eagles Bassist Says Individual Projects Are Good for the Band's Longevity; Ready to Launch New Solo Tour

Friday, May 18, 2012 5:00am

TimothyBSchmit.comAll four Eagles members currently are busy with their own solo projects.  Both Glenn Frey and Joe Walsh have hit the road in support of new albums, Don Henley reportedly is nearing completion on a collection of country-flavored tunes and Timothy B. Schmit is set to kick off a new series of tour dates with plans for a studio effort of his own on the horizon.

Schmit tells ABC News Radio that having the chance to work individually "is a good thing for the mothership," and healthy for the longevity of the band.

"We're all certain that the reason it broke up in the first place [in 1980] is we didn't take enough breaks from each other and from the pressure of having to do records and tour," the bassist explains.  "So now we know how to do that and, hopefully, we'll be around a lot longer."

Schmit launches a new solo trek Saturday with an appearance at the Cherokee Creek Music Festival in Cherokee, Texas.  He says he plans to play songs from his latest album, 2009's Expando, along with material from the two well-known bands of which he's been a member.

"I do realize I have a pretty long history, and people are gonna wanna hear not just new stuff," he offers.  "So, I sprinkle my set with a little bit of history of both Poco and Eagles and it seems to work out really well."

Noting that Expando was released more than two years ago, Schmit explains that the new tour is not so much about promoting the album as it is about the enjoyment he gets from performing solo.

"I really love doing this and we all seem to have a great time with it," he says.  "I certainly don't do it for the money."

Meanwhile, Schmit says he's "surrounding a bunch of ideas" for his next solo effort, but that he's "right at the tip" of the project.

"I just started recording something just recently, and then I had to leave so I didn't get too far into it," he shares.  "I also have a song that I wanted to put on the last album but…it seemed like a complete unit as it was."

Schmit adds that he plans to focus his full attention on the recording after his solo tour, which wraps up with a June 9 show in Newton, New Jersey.  Visit TimothyBSchmit.com to check out his complete itinerary.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Public Image Ltd. Streaming New Single, “Deeper Water,” Online

Thursday, May 17, 2012 8:00pm

PiL OfficialIt’s been 20 long years since we got any new music from Public Image Ltd., but now the band has returned with a new single.  RollingStone.com will stream “Deeper Water,” the first release from the band’s forthcoming studio album, This Is PiL.

"It was an improv, done in one take,” frontman John Lydon tells Rolling Stone about the track. "It's about bad influences, bad information, bad leadership. There's 'bristled bastards that will lead you to the shore, dash you on the rocks.' It’s a very difficult thing for me to trust people."

This Is PiL is set to hit stores on May 28.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio