The Beach Boys Preview Their First New Song in Two Decades
The Beach Boys have unveiled a clip of “That’s Why God Made the Radio,” the first single off their reunion album that’s due to hit shelves this summer. The group split in the late 1990s and toured in separate camps, occasionally firing off nasty lawsuits at each other. Last year, they decided to put the acrimony behind them and reunite for a tour. They’ve spent the last few months at a Los Angeles studio working on their new album.
“It’s a sentimental thing for me,” says Brian Wilson. “We’ve been together 50 years – that’s a long time.” Adds Mike Love, “Conceptually, the album is not going to be anything outlandish or silly, like Smiley Smile. It will be like the Beach Boys circa ’65. I’m trying to write lyrics that fit the music without making it sound like you’re writing from a hospice.”
The tour starts tonight in Tucson, Arizona and hits the New Orleans Jazz Fest this weekend.