Richie Sambora and Orianthi Announce Debut LP, ‘Radio Free America’
Richie Sambora will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tomorrow for the 30 years he spent in Bon Jovi, but he's also looking toward the future. He and his girlfriend Orianthi, calling themselves RSO, will release their first album together, Radio Free America on May 11.
“I think these songs are about just being human,” Sambora said in a press release. “People have more in common with each other than they think. Ori and I have had the chance to see that up close, in front of millions of people around the world, for many years. It’s ingrained in us as songwriters, that desire to transcend language and genre, to play for people, entertain them, and write songs that can be the soundtrack to their lives.”
Produced by Bob Rock, Radio Free America was recorded in the studio built into the house the couple shares. The LP features guest appearances by guitarist Orianthi's former boss Alice Cooper, Doors guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer Abe Laboriel, Jr. from Paul McCartney's band.
RSO have already given the public a taste of the music. On Valentine's Day, they released "Forever All the Way" and a cover of Sonny & Cher's "I Got You Babe," and back in September, they gave us "Masterpiece," which appeared on their Rise EP.
Sambora will play with his old bandmates at the Rock Hall this weekend for the first time since 2013. Earlier this week, he said the rehearsals were "wonderful, it wasn't awkward. The chemistry came back very quickly; it’s matrixed into our muscle memory at this point. If you’re on the road performing and touring for 30 years, [the Rock Hall] is just another cycle – and it’s a good one, so here we go.”