How the Beach Boys’ Al Jardine Took Brian Wilson’s Advice for ‘A Postcard From California’
Al Jardine is a founding member of the Beach Boys and the solo artist behind A Postcard from California. Here’s what we know about this album from 2010 — and why it’s just now available on streaming platforms like Spotify.
Al Jardine premiered his solo album ‘A Postcard from California’ in 2010
After his run with the Beach Boys, Jardine released music as a solo artist. His first album, A Postcard from California, initially debuted in 2010. Some of the Beach Boys returned to work on this project — Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Bruce Johnston, and David Marks.
Special guests on Postcard include Alec Baldwin, David Crosby, Dewey Bunnel and Gerry Beckley of America, Flea, Glen Campbell, John Stamos, Neil Young, Stephen Stills, and Steve Miller.
The album includes 15 original songs, most notably the title track, “Don’t Fight the Sea,” “A California Saga,” and “Looking Down the Coast.” There are also new versions of Beach Boys hits like “Help Me Ronda” and “California Dreamin’.”
‘A Postcard from California’ is now available on streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music
In 2021, Jardine’s “Waves of Love 2.0” debuted on Spotify. Due to some approval complications from featured artists, it took years for A Postcard from California to be available for streaming. In 2022, this album finally joined Jardine’s other music available on Spotify.
“I can’t believe it’s been twelve years since Postcard came out, and I thank everyone involved in the production and creation of this album to help me get my songs out there,” Jardine said in a statement.
“Brian’s advice to aspiring young songwriters has always been ‘finish your songs,’ so I took it to heart, and I hope everyone who has listened to A Postcard from California feels my excitement and enthusiasm for this great land and sea of ours and our need to protect it forever,” he continued.
This collection was already available to the public, with Jardine performing some concerts separate from the Beach Boys. As a result, the artist thanked fans for their support “over the years.” He added that it’s “greatly appreciated, and I will continue to dedicate Postcard to all the pets we love and who love us back!”
Al Jardine was a founding member of The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys were formed by brothers Brian, Carl, and Dennis Wilson, with their cousin Mike Love and friend Jardine. Together, this band carved a unique place in the surf-rock scene.
The band received awards for albums like Pet Sounds. Songs continue to earn millions of Spotify plays decades after their release. The Beach Boys’ version of “California Dreaming” was used in the Netflix original series Stranger Things. The artists also appeared as guests on the sitcom Full House, with Mike Love returning for more episodes.
Now, music by the Beach Boys (and solo artist Jardine) is available on major streaming platforms.
