Legendary Musicians The Immediate Family Release New Album

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Legendary studio and touring musicians The Immediate Family have released their second studio album. Skin In the Game arrived on February 16, 2024, via Quarto Valley Records. The tight-knit quintet, comprising singer/songwriter/guitarists Danny Kortchmar, Waddy Wachtel, and Steve Postell, drummer Russ Kunkel, and bassist Leland Sklar, initially rose to prominence working with some of rock’s biggest names, including Carole King, James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, Stevie Nicks, Don Henley, Keith Richards, Phil Collins, David Crosby and Joni Mitchell, to name a few. Produced by the band, Skin In the Game‘s 14 tracks showcase their versatile musical skills. The album is available to order in the U.S. here and in the U.K. here.

From the Dec. 2023 album announcement: Launching with the raucous opening track “Whole Lotta Rock and Roll,” the album’s thirteen original songs 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.” Listen to many of them below.

The first single from Skin In the Game was also its only cover tune: an arresting reimagining of Sparks’ “The Toughest Girl in Town.”

“This band has such power. It’s almost like an embarrassment of riches,” states Wachtel. “We just knew we had all moved up to the next level in the group. It was such a great feeling, one that is the real reason all of us do what we do. Sklar adds, “The Immediate Family’s unrivaled musical chemistry comes from years of playing together. We all know each other backward and forward and can play to each other’s strengths in ways that other groups can’t always get to.”

The title track, written by Kortchmar, Kunkel, and Wachtel, begins with Kunkel’s steadfast drumbeat, combined with Sklar’s riveting bass line, which sets the song in motion. The accompanying cinematic video unfolds like a family album and virtual scrapbook, interspersing snapshots of the members’ rich musical history and legacy with studio footage extracted from their current, critically acclaimed documentary, Immediate Family.

The band’s unique, decades-long musical journey is the subject of the full-length documentary Immediate Family by filmmaker Denny Tedesco (director of The Wrecking Crew). The film tracks the rise and collaborations of this group of legendary studio musicians 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 classic rock’s most iconic performers. Immediate Family has been released by Magnolia Pictures and is available on-demand.

Watch the film’s trailer

The film is available to stream or pre-order (ahead of its March 12 release) here.

With the album’s release, there is just one thing left to do. “We can’t wait to start touring again,” Postell shares, “and play this new music for our fans and the newcomers just finding out about us.” Their other commitments with some of music’s biggest stars have made it difficult to find time to schedule their own tour. They have dates scheduled in California and Florida in February with the Cars’ Elliot Easton subbing for Wachtel. Details and ticket info are here. (And listen to more tracks below.)

The Immediate Family Skin In the Game Track Listing

Whole Lotta Rock and Roll
24/7/365
The Toughest Girl in Town
Catch You on The Other Side
Nobody Wants You
Fragile Heart
Confusion
Party at the Graveyard
Skin In the Game
Love Suicide
Looking Away
Lost In the Shuffle
Too Many Irons
High Maintenance