“It just felt like the natural and right thing to do, creatively,” mulled Webb, an in-demand session player who joined Poco in 2010. “All being from Nashville and all being part of the rusty Young and Poco family, we just had a natural chemistry.”

At Pasich’s suggestion, each member of Cimarron 615 contributed two songs to Brand New Distance. They devoted a day at Nashville’s storied Treasure Isle studio (Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton etc.) to each composition, with the respective songwriter acting as musical director for the session. In a testament to their cohesion and experience, the self-produced collection was essentially recorded live, with minimal overdubs.

“It’s not all just hugs and kisses – we also rub up against each other!” laughed Lonow, long among Nashville’s first-call drummers. “That chemistry is really what makes the great bands.”

Never trite and always honest, Brand New Distance imparts thought-provoking, sometimes deeply personal stories apt to its rootsy cross-pollination of styles. “It’s pretty eclectic, because we brought in two songs apiece,” said Sundrud, a part of Poco from the mid ‘80s to its final incarnation. “There’s definitely elements of Poco; elements of bluegrass; elements of blues.”

Lloyd, who made three hit albums as half of Foster & Lloyd and played alongside Young in the Sky Kings supergroup, brings a oppy accessibility à la Beatles and Big Star to Cimarron 615.

“It’s very much a democracy,” he said. “I don’t see anybody stepping out in some sort of star role. It’s a showcase for the songs.”

With vast experience in their intriguing mélange of styles at the very highest levels, authentically creating these diverse yet consistently sublime sounds is simply in Cimarron 615’s blood. “It’s almost a motor response,” offered Hampton, a recurring “semi-permanent special guest” of the Marshall Tucker Band who joined Poco in 2020. “Everybody’s got a level of familiarity with one another … a level of instinct.”

Brand New Distance may spawn as many as five singles, among them album opener “High Lonesome Stranger,” with its instantly evocative bluegrass harmonies and gone-too-soon story inspired by Gram Parsons and Hank Williams. The mandolin driven “Try Again” could be an update on the classic Poco sound that also channels a more contemporary/poppy REM influence. Meanwhile, the brooding “Cain’s Blood” wrestles with the duality of human nature – good vs. evil; dark vs. light – against an ominously tribal, minimalist groove.

“Full Bloom” is Lloyd’s upbeat, Byrds-esque love letter to the daughter he never had, while “High” is the song that the Grateful Dead’s “Uncle John’s Band” might be playing when gathered in the woods, transcending everyday troubles through escapist Cali country rock. Yet another standout is inspirational, dynamic album closer “City of Angels,” which details the thrills and doubts of a young musician moving to the big city to chase their dreams – a story common to the members of Cimarron 615 and allegoric to so many big life decisions.

With Brand New Distance due in early 2023, followed by a Rusty Young documentary also featuring the band, Cimarron 615 will be performing at Austin’s South by Southwest conference/festival in March and touring coast to coast. “The places that people can go to hear this kind of music are dwindling,” noted Hampton. “I hope we can give those people a home.”

Expect a few favorites from Cimarron 615’s illustrious pasts as well as improvised surprises that only such dues-paid musicians can provide. But the focus will be on Brand New Distance. “This is all of our investment, personal investments. And I really look forward to sharing that,” said Sundrud. “We have all this experience and history to be able to bring something that feels good to the audience.”

In the meantime, Cimarron 615’s astoundingly filler-free Brand New Distance is their ultra-accomplished calling card as a singular new act with a charmingly old soul. It’s a record that lovingly ushers forward a country rock genre too often steeped in nostalgia, offering the tingling interpersonal dynamics and adventurous spirit that only new bands can capture.

“I hope that our unique voice will stand out,” Lonow concluded. “That everyone can enjoy the beauty of the songs, the beauty of the melodies and performances, and at the same time get something deeper from the lyrics and the substance of the songs.”