Lone Eagle

Timothy B. Schmit Flies Home to His Roots on Leap of Faith.

- Vinnie Demasi

“PEOPLE OFTEN ASK ME FOR ADVICE about pursuing a career in music, and the one thing I consistently tell them is to always remember what inspired you to become a musician in the first place,” reflects Timothy B. Schmit.

For Schmit, best known as the bassist/vocalist in country-rock pioneers Poco and multi-platinum mega-stars the Eagles, that meant returning to his acoustic and country-folk roots. Despite his high-profile rock gig and a sideman career that has seen him tour with Toto, Jimmy Buffet, and Ringo Starr, as well as perform on hits by Boz Scaggs, Bob Seger, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Steely Dan, Stacey Q, Richard Marx, Jars of Clay, and many others, Schmit is a folkie at heart.

Starting with his 2009 solo release Expando, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee began playing and composing more on acoustic instruments. After the Eagles gave what appears to be their final performance at this past year’s Grammy Awards—a tribute to founding member Glenn Frey who passed away in January—Schmit has carried on, focusing on his latest solo recording, Leap of Faith [Benowen]. On the album’s 12 countrified earthy gems, Schmit handles acoustic guitar and bass, as well as ukulele, 4-string tenor guitar, and other stringed oddities.

Leap of Faith seems to have had quite a long gestation period.

It was written and recorded in spurts for a couple of reasons. The first was that I wanted to write the entire thing myself, and I’m not particularly fast at that. More so though, I was on the road a lot with the Eagles, and even when I would get off the road, it would take me a little while to get my bearings and begin to get into the mindset for writing and recording.

You’re best known as a bassist, but you played a lot of the guitar on the record.