Val McCallum has spent more than two decades as Jackson Browne’s sideman and co-writer, and has played guitar for artists including Lucinda Williams, Sheryl Crow, Randy Newman, and many more. Yet his own music has remained one of Los Angeles’ best-kept secrets.
Born into Hollywood royalty, McCallum has always seemed more interested in the song than in the spotlight. While his guitar playing helped define some of the most celebrated recordings of his generation, his solo records arrived quietly. Even after Phoebe Bridgers covered his song “Tokyo Girl,” McCallum remained largely under the radar.
His new album, As If We Didn’t Know, may finally change that. What began as an unlikely songwriting collaboration with Berlin-based lyricist and producer Rudi Maier evolved into a fully realized artistic partnership, with Maier shaping both the record’s sonic world and its lyrical voice.
Recorded in Los Angeles with friends and collaborators including Jackson Browne, Z Berg, Michael Landau, Greg Leisz, Jay Bellerose, Mitchell Froom, and Larry Goldings, the album blends the grace of classic Laurel Canyon songwriting with the emotional immediacy of modern indie folk.
For longtime admirers, it’s the record they always suspected Val McCallum had in him. For everyone else, it is an introduction long overdue.
