December 6, 2001 – Dishwalla are building on the early success of their million-selling debut album and single "Counting Blue Cars" (Billboard's "Rock Song of the Year," 1996) with Opaline, due April 23, 2002. The album's first single "Somewhere In The Middle," is set to hit airwaves March 4. Produced by Gregg Wattenberg (Five For Fighting), Opaline will be released on Los Angeles-based immergent Records, with which Dishwalla have entered into a joint venture deal whereby they share all profits and ownership of the master recordings (a scenario the group preferred over the standard major label deal).

At clubs across America, Dishwalla -- JR Richards, vocals; Rodney Browning Cravens, guitar; Scot Alexander, bass; Pete Maloney, drums; and Jim Wood, keyboards -- have been previewing material from Opaline. Next up for the group: a tour of West Coast clubs beginning December 9 and wrapping December 21 with a show in their native Santa Barbara. "We've been out doing shows across the country, playing to some hardcore fans and really getting inspired to be out in front of people again," says JR.

"Opaline's about the cleansing and healing processes," says frontman JR. "I think the themes are pretty universal -- going through things and hitting walls and falling down and getting back up and trying something else until you find happiness or the right situation. And we've done all those things, and are happy to be in the place we are now. Even if it's a song that comes across a little melancholy, it's still got a positive upswing to it." Opaline's song titles underline the album's recurring theme: the human spirit will always prevail over life's setbacks. This is particularly illustrated by "When Morning Comes," a song JR wrote the day after four UC Santa Barbara students were killed in a car accident. "I went to the site the next morning and found a memorial already there with flowers and candles in the street. I realized that even in times of tragedy, the beauty of life never seems to be forgotten," JR says.

Tour dates are as follows:

DATE	CITY	VENUE
Fri 12/7	Tucson, AZ	The Rock
Sat 12/8	Phoenix, AZ	The Mason Jar
Mon 12/10	San Francisco, CA	The Bottom of the Hill
Tue 12/11	San Jose, CA	The Usual
Wed 12/12	Santa Rosa, CA	The Last Day Saloon
Fri 12/14	Seattle, WA	I-Spy
Sat 12/15	Portland, OR	Berbati's Pan
Sun 12/16	Eugene, OR	Wild Duck
Wed 12/19	San Juan Capistrano, CA	The Coach House
Fri 12/21	Santa Barbara, CA	Velvet Jones