Rusty Young never planned on making a solo album. In fact, he’d been flirting with retirement. But sometimes, fate has other plans. The longtime Poco frontman found himself back in the studio, crafting a deeply personal record that celebrates his musical journey, the friendships that shaped it, and the fans who made it all possible.
“It took a year to write the songs for this album,” Young explains. “But it worked out exactly the way it was supposed to.” The record, which he recorded at Johnny Cash’s historic cabin in Hendersonville, Tennessee, carries that same warm, lived-in feel that made Poco such a beloved band. “There’s a lot of vibes in that room,” he says of the legendary space where Cash and June Carter used to escape from the world.
Young’s career has been one of perseverance. When Poco’s lineup kept changing—losing members to massive acts like the Eagles, Loggins & Messina, and Buffalo Springfield—he doubled down. “As people left, that just made me more determined to keep Poco together,” he says. “We didn’t have our first hit until ten years after we started, after Richie [Furay] and Jimmy [Messina] were gone.” Despite the departures, he kept the band going, writing hits and keeping the spirit of Poco alive for over five decades.
One of the standout tracks on his solo album is My Friend, a heartfelt tribute featuring guest vocals from Furay and Timothy B. Schmit. “They had to sing that song,” Young says. “It’s about all of us—how we started out, broke as hell, stealing ham sandwiches from the Troubadour, and now, 50 years later, we’re all still out here making music.” But he also realized it was about more than just the band. “When I play it live, I look out and see the Poco fans—the ‘Poconuts’—who’ve been with us all these years. That song is for them too.”
Despite its nostalgic heart, the album doesn’t sound like a relic. “The production has that classic feel, but it doesn’t sound dated,” Young notes. He credits the team at Blue Élan Records, who first approached him about doing a solo album after a show with Jim Messina. “I went home, wrote a couple of songs, and sent them off. They said, ‘Are you still interested?’ And thankfully, they were.”
So, is Rusty Young really retired? Not quite. “That went out the window,” he laughs. “But if this is what retirement looks like, I’ll take it.” And for longtime Poco fans, that’s music to their ears.
Listen to the interview above and then check out "My Friend" below!
