It’s virtually impossible to measure the seismic impact The Beach Boys had on popular music. Beginning with Surfin’ Safari, Brian Wilson, Al Jardine, Mike Love, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson and David Marks brilliantly captured what the culture in 1960s California was all about: surfing, cars and girls. Subsequent albums like Summer Days (And Summer Nights) and the incomparable symphonic masterpiece Pet Sounds further illustrated their musical genius and flawless harmonies, leading to a career that has lasted more than 60 years.
Of course, a lot has changed over the last six decades. Dennis and Carl Wilson passed away many years ago, and Brian died June 11, 2025, making Jardine and Love the only living members. But Jardine has done an expert job of carrying on The Beach Boys’ legacy, particularly Brian’s.
He’s currently touring with Brian’s original Pet Sounds Band in support of Pet Sounds‘ 60th anniversary and his latest EP, Islands in the Sun, which arrived last May. Comprised of four tracks, including the timely “My Plane Leaves Tomorrow (Au Revoir)” featuring Neil Young and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ bassist Flea, the project overflows with nostalgia, recalling The Beach Boys’ “Kokomo” era.
Ahead of Al Jardine & The Pet Sounds Band’s show at The Gardens on Spring Creek in Fort Collins on Saturday (July 25), the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award honoree and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee spoke to BandWagon about what he misses most about Brian, the Islands in the Sun EP, singing with his son Matt Jardine and the magic of band leader Darian Sahanaja.
BandWagon (Kyle Eustice): The last time we talked, you were promoting 2010’s A Postcard From California. It’s been that long.
Is that right? I’ll be a son of a gun.
I was lucky enough to catch you during the Pet Sounds anniversary tour. I was blown away by not just you and Brian, but your band and son Matt.
If it was the 50th anniversary tour, that was a Beach Boys show. It was great to hear those voices together again. I could hear Mike singing. I could hear Brian. That was refreshing.
It’s been just over a year since losing Brian. What do you miss most about him?
I don’t have too much time to miss him. I’m constantly singing all his great parts, and producing those great songs on stage is like having him right there. It’s funny. It’s like he’s always been there and always will be.
Do you ever have any emotional moments on stage or songs that are particularly hard to sing in the wake of his passing?
There was one in particular called “Still I Dream of It,” which is a beautiful song. We actually performed it a couple of times, but it’s an emotional tug on me every time I do it, so we stopped doing it.
Brian wanted music to be an “expression of love.” How do you carry that message today?
We perform an album called The Beach Boys Love You, and that album pretty much says it all. We do a lot of the cuts from that particular period in which Brian produced songs with his brothers, so it was more of a family affair. It’s a Beach Boys album, but it’s really a Brian Wilson album. Let’s put it that way. It’s got some charming, beautiful songs on it, and I recommend it highly. We do that after our intermission, generally in the second half.
So I’ll get to see it on Saturday?
Oh yeah.
You released the Islands in the Sun EP last May. It marked your first solo project since 2010. What lit the spark to record new music?
That was something I’ve always wanted to, bring some unfinished things to finished things. It reminded me of the period when we were doing songs like “Kokomo,” and I thought that was a nice vibe. It’s relaxing. So I basically put together a Caribbean, beautiful, relaxing vibe kind of thing. It has good great vocals and I’m very proud of it, but the important song on it right now is called “My Plane Leaves Tomorrow.” It’s really timely because the Iranian conflict has been going on forever and it seems that this is the time for to highlight that one because lyrically and musically, I really like it. Neil Young does a beautiful soliloquy on it. And Flea plays the taps on the trumpet. He does a beautiful job. He’s a really good trumpet player.
I only learned Flea could play the trumpet in the last year or two.
It was pretty amazing. It had a great tonality, a great feel and they give it the emotional impact it needs because it’s pretty powerful lyrically. It’s about going away and and hopefully when you’re leaving your loved ones you don’t say goodbye, you just say see you later until, we all want them to come back. We don’t want it to be forever. I’d like to have people pay attention to that one.
When you decide on a collaborator, do you hear their voice on the song? How do you go about deciding who you’d like to guest with you?
Yeah, you hear it. You hear it in your head like, “Boy, he would sound great on that.” Flea had already helped me out on A Postcard From California, so he was like, “Heck, I can do that. I’d be happy to do that for you.” In fact, he even offered to sing on the album. He just brought his horn with him and played on “Help Me Rhonda.” With this current one, “My Plane Leaves Tomorrow,” Neil had already put his voice on during that period for me just in case I ever got around to finishing it. So I finished it and he’s right on there going “don’t say goodbye” in a beautiful voice, a beautiful tone. He sings beautifully on this. It’s unmistakable.
I was revisiting A Postcard From California earlier and some of those voices we don’t have anymore, like David Crosby.
Oh I know. It’s incredible.
You’ve been fortunate enough to have these guys in your lives for decades. Do you ever look around and go, “Wow, my circle is pretty damn talented?”
Yeah, it’s pretty cool. I reached out to Stephen Stills yesterday to remind him about “My Plane Leaves Tomorrow.” I told him I just recorded a song called “My Plane Leaves Tomorrow.” I was alluding to his famous song about the Vietnam War, “For What It’s Worth” [by Buffalo Springfield]. I expected to hear from him., but he’s like me and doesn’t read his texts anymore. I guess I won’t hear from him. At least he knows I’m here.
Obviously, you have a huge catalog full of hits. I wanted to bring up the songs “Don’t Go Near the Water” and “Don’t Fight the Sea” because you have a passion for environmentalism. What makes you passionate about that?
The environmental impact report is not good. Our population keeps growing every year, and we just have to be more aware of where we put our rubbish, our trash, our oil. It’s pretty challenging being in the 21st century. I sure hope we can get a handle on it. Otherwise, we’re all going to be taking it to Mars.
Isn’t that kind of what sparked “Don’t Go Near the Water” all those years ago?
The real reason was there were phosphates being put into our laundry detergent and in many of our other things. I think I might have had something to do with the change, because I mentioned that in the song, I think somebody listened.
That’s proof of music affecting change. There’s a lot wrong with the world right now, and I think we need to use our voices in every way that we can, as long as we’re not hurting other people. Social media is so divisive. But I think when you get outside and you’re actually with people, most people are good.
That’s a very good point. I agree with you.
What are you most looking forward to about the show Saturday and being back in Colorado?
Hopefully we get there without being flooded out. I’m concerned about the weather. Is it as bad as they say?
We had a storm last night, but it didn’t start until very late. As far as I know, it’s going to be kind of hot.
Is it indoors or outdoors?
It’s outdoors. It’s a really beautiful venue. We were biking by it the other day and it’s in a garden with a little amphitheater next to the river.
So it’s covered?
Yes.
We have a lot of electrical equipment, as you know, so we don’t want to get rained on.
When is the last time you were here?
I don’t remember. It’s been a while. Quite a while. It might have been with Brian. It must have been with Brian. It had to have been. We don’t tour with The Beach Boys. We call ourselves the Pet Sounds Band because it’s the members of Brian’s band.
And Darian was with you at that point, right?
Yes, and he still is. He’s the musical director.
Can you tell me a little bit about what gels between you two?
I asked him to put the band together again because we hadn’t been working. We haven’t worked together since 2022. He’s the guy that puts it all together and hands out the parts to everybody. That would take me forever, and he can do it more quickly and efficiently. We have 11 people on stage and with that many singers it gets pretty complex, but somehow he’s managed to get them all to sing correctly, which is amazing because this stuff is not easy.
No, it’s not. It’s very symphonic. There are so many parts. What’s it like looking over and seeing your son Matt Jardine and sharing these moments with him?
It’s great because he not only sings well, but he plays great. He sets up my guitar rig for me and basically does all the heavy lifting as well as the heavy singing. He’s a big part of the show. Needless to say, Brian relied on him heavily for most of those years on stage. Brian would always nod to Matt and that was Matt’s cue to take the part. Everyone has vocal limitations, but Matt’s been able to overcome that.
I couldn’t believe his range. Those high notes he’s able to hit are impressive.
I know. It’s incredible. Especially that last thing he does on “Fun Fun Fun,” our last song to close the show, he sings that. enormously high part in the key of B. I don’t know how the heck he does it. I’m like, “Geez, don’t blow yourself out.” And then Debbie Shair is Darian’s significant other. I would say, he’s very fortunate because he has Debbie. She has a voice. I encourage her to sing more not less. She when she sings, I think the harmonies are even better. She can do those by range that she doubles. I’m going to have her double with Matt on that last song.
I have to tell you, I spent every single summer of my childhood in Lake Okoboji, Iowa, on a boat listening to The Beach Boys with my dad. That will always be one of my favorite memories with my father.
I remember that lake. I remember it.
Oh, you do?
Heck yeah, we’ve been down there a million times. That name always made me smile.
Photo courtesy Capitol Records
You’ve been touring for all these years and have seen so many people and places. What is the biggest lesson you’ve taken away from all of those experiences?
That’s interesting. Each show has its own challenges, and frankly, just getting there these days is a challenge. A lesson would be to use as few airports as possible. Air travel is getting, and especially now in this strange period of time we’re going through, especially international, very, very difficult. I would say just pack lightly and sing your heart out, but keep your voice in shape. Don’t get COVID like Brian did the last tour. We both got it. It was awful. Get your shots, too. Anything you can possibly avoid. That’s super important because people aren’t wearing masks anymore.
I know you never wanted to live in L.A. Where in California are you?
I’m about 300 miles north in Monterey County, California. It’s beautiful. I’m very fortunate to be here.
Have you been to Chez Jay in Santa Monica?
I don’t recall.
It’s this little dive bar with a big clam in front. Marilyn Monroe would hang out there and all kinds of other celebrities. Dennis Wilson hung out there a lot, too.
Wow! You know something I don’t know!
Find tickets to Al Jardine & The Pet Sounds Band here.
Photo by Steven ‘Stevo’ Rood
