Dewey Bunnell is a veteran singer-songwriter, guitarist, and founding member of the rock group America. He took time out from his busy schedule to talk about their latest endeavors.
Their best-known tunes, which also include “I Need You,” “Ventura Highway,” “Don’t Cross The River,” “Tin Man,” “Lonely People,” and “Sister Golden Hair” were cornerstones of 1970’s Top 40 and FM rock radio.
Their material encompassed an ambitious artistic swath; from effects-laden rockers to oddball medleys to soul-bearing ballads, America displayed a flawless blend of disparate genres and styles as wide-open as the great American plains.
Congrats on the 55th anniversary tour… Are you excited? What can we expect?
It‘s another milestone of course, and I’m grateful to still have the ability and opportunity to take the band out on the road, and play the music we produced over these many years for so many people!
You are also the subject of a new documentary… How did that come about?
I suppose it goes without saying that after a career this long, a documentary would be inevitable for posterity.
Our manager, Jim Morey, coordinated with the head of production at Highway West Entertainment, David Breschel, and producer Jack Piatt to begin filming live show footage and interviewing us in late 2023 as we were contemplating an extended hiatus from touring after the Covid quarantine for 16 months.
Then, it was a matter of mining the past for film and video clips and recordings to create a timeline of our career.
What inspires your music and songwriting?
There is no specific topic that inspires me, but I lean toward elements of the natural world and the sights and sounds of daily life.
How does it feel to be an artist in the digital age? (now with streaming, technology, and social media being so prevalent)
We have so much music at our fingertips now, and it certainly makes editing easier!
Our music is so much easier to access by all generations. But I suppose in many ways I am somehow anchored in the “old days” of analog tape recording and vinyl releases historically, but the digital world has benefits.
What do you feel is the key to longevity in the music business all of these decades?
Writing original music is essential to finding a niche in the music business I think. And then it is a matter of playing live and establishing a following.
We have never stopped touring, except during COVID, and that helps keep us in the light.
What is your advice for young and aspiring artists?
The same answer as above would apply!
What does the word success mean to you? (My favorite question)
For me, I remember feeling very successful when we actually got signed to a recording contract with Warner Brothers Records back in 1971 and recorded that first album!
Whether or not recordings have sold over the years, I have always felt successful just knowing the work is out there for posterity!
What would you like to say to your fans about the tour and the new documentary? (What’s the one thing you want them to get out of it)
Performing live is a uniquely different experience every night for the band, working in a different venue with different acoustics and a new audience.
Consequently, every show is its own event shared with the live audience. The documentary is hard to be objective about, but I am very pleased with it as an overview of our career!
To learn more about the rock band America, check out their official website, and follow them on Instagram and Facebook.
