Blue Élan Records LLCRita Coolidge kicks off a brief run of West Coast tour dates tonight in Modesto, California, in support of her recently released studio effort, Safe in the Arms of Time.
The album is Coolidge’s first collection of original tunes since 2005’s And So Is Love. She tells ABC Radio that her goal for the new record was to recapture the “honest and organic and raw” feel of her early records.
Safe in the Arms of Time features tunes contributed by various songwriters, including one co-written by her one-time boyfriend Graham Nash and renowned session drummer Russ Kunkel, and another on which Rita collaborated with ex-Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers drummer Stan Lynch. Rita also co-wrote two songs with acclaimed blues artist Keb’ Mo’.
Coolidge reveals that the Nash-Kunkel co-write, “Doing Fine Without You,” was the first song she chose to put on the album, noting that “there was something about that song that kind of spoke to me.”
As for the song she and Lynch wrote, “You Can Fall In Love,” Rita says it’s about how no matter your age or where you are in life, “there’s so much to be gained from just letting go and opening your heart, and just falling in love.” The song was inspired by Coolidge’s own life, as she recently rekindled a romance with her college sweetheart.
As for how she feels about Safe in the Arms of Time, Rita says, “I love this record. I think it’s…my favorite record because I still love listening to it.”
Besides her West Coast dates in July, Coolidge has a variety of other U.S. shows scheduled through a January 27, 2019, concert in Santa Clarita, California.
Here are all of her upcoming shows, according to RitaCoolidge.net:
7/6 — Modesto, CA, Gallo Center for the Arts
7/7 — Livermore, CA, Bankhead Theatre
7/8 — Folsom, CA, Harris Center for the Arts
7/13 — Phoenix, AZ, Musical Instrument Museum
7/14 — Pasadena, CA, The Rose
7/15 — San Juan Capistrano, CA, The Coach House
9/14 — Plymouth, MA, Spire Center for the Performing Arts
9/15 — Arundel, ME, Vinegar Hill Music Theatre
9/27 — Minneapolis, MN, The Cedar Cultural Center
9/28 — Baraboo, WI, Al. Ringling Theatre
10/13 — Monroe, MI, Monroe County Community College
10/14 — Kent, OH, Kent Stage
1/17/19 — Park City, UT, Egyptian Theatre
1/18 — Park City, UT, Egyptian Theatre
1/19 — Park City, UT, Egyptian Theatre
1/25 — Agoura Hills, CA, The Canyon Agoura Hills
1/27 — Santa Clarita, CA, The Canyon Santa Clarita