America is eying its first new album in over a dozen years. Set for release next month in celebration of the band's 50th anniversary is Half Century, an eight-disc box set containing hours of rare archival studio recordings consisting of alternate mixes, demos, and rehearsals, including several previously unreleased tracks ranging from 1970 to 2000.
Co-founder Dewey Bunnell spoke to Goldmine and shed light on the band's future recording plans, explaining, “It’s never off the table. We’ve never said no. It’s all just a matter of timing and having the material. But we haven’t looked each other in the eye and said let’s do it, let’s make one this year. Probably next year will be more realistic because this year we’re focused on everything about the 50th anniversary.”
Unlike partner Gerry Beckley, who's seemingly always working on solo projects between America tours, Bunnell admits he's not that prolific a songwriter as he was during the band's '70s heyday: “As life goes on, suddenly you have families that add the usual distractions. So I don’t go into my little office and start strumming as much as I used to by any means. But Gerry has to get that stuff out. He has a home studio, so he’s always come up with hard drives full of digital information and songs.”