Nashville, TN. (Sony Records) - Two-time Grammy winning singer-songwriter
Kenny Loggins has recently released his latest solo album, 'How About Now.' The album is among the inaugural slate of titles which debuted as part of the launch of the Spotlight
Music Series; an innovative line of adult contemporary music from 180 Music, that is available nationwide exclusively through the retail chain Target. The series' primary focus is new music from legendary artists.
'How About Now', recorded in Ojai , CA and Nashville, TN, finds the Grammy-winning, Oscar-nominated Loggins in peak form, with his warm, expressive singing as instantly recognizable as ever. The album also firmly anchors him in the soulful singer-songwriter tradition that's underscored every phase of his career, and is the pure essence of how it began.
'When I finally went on the road with Jimmy Messina again for our 30 year reunion tour, I rediscovered the kind of music I was making as a kid; music that had acoustic guitar at the center, and a certain level of joy and simplicity to it,' Loggins said. 'I started to think about what it would sound like if I was making my half of a Loggins & Messina record today-that's what I aimed in the making of this new album.'
One of 'How About Now's' highlights is a stripped-down, updated version of the 1973 Loggins & Messina smash hit, 'A Love Song.' For the new album, Loggins reworked it with a group of young Southern California-based musicians.
'When I realized I wanted to re-record 'A Love Song,' I knew I needed to come up with a innovative way to go about it.' Loggins said. 'It really helped to have musicians in their 20's working on it with me; they had a fresh set of eyes and ears, which helped give the song a whole different sensibility.' The only track not specifically written for the new album, 'A Love Song' still brims with the sweet melodies and authentic emotions that has made it a timeless favorite.
Another stand-out on the album is the title track 'How About Now,' a prime example of Loggins' ability to powerfully connect to listeners with songs defined by unvarnished emotion.
'I feel like that song is the emotional center of the record,' Loggins said. 'You can have a great day, a great life, but what about today? I titled the album after this song because, overall, it's a record about healing, growing, moving on, and a vision of where I want to be. I've always felt that my best songs – 'Celebrate Me Home,' 'Danny's Song,' 'House At Pooh Corner' – were, like this one, about what mattered to me most, things that touched my heart.'
In total, 'How About Now' features twelve original songs – eleven new compositions plus 'A Love Song' – co-written with Richard Marx, Mike Reid, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Rachel Proctor, Gary Burr and other collaborators.
Leading up to 'How About Now', Kenny Loggins has generated hits spanning three decades with over twelve albums exceeding Platinum status. In 1980, Loggins was honored with a Grammy award for 'This Is It' in the Best Male Pop Vocal Performance category. His stellar songwriting was honored in 1979 with a Grammy award in the heralded Song of the Year category, for 'What A Fool Believes;' the Doobie Brothers classic he co-composed with longtime friend and fellow artist Michael McDonald. Loggins' solo hits also include 'Whenever I Call You 'Friend',' 'I'm Alright' and the Academy Award-nominated hit, 'Footloose.'
