The Strawbs' John Ford Between a Rock and a Hard Place

By Editorial Staff | Published: Jun 16, 2026 3:16 PM EDT

The Strawbs' John Ford has announced that he will be releasing his new album "Between a Rock and a Hard Place" on July 24th. Glass Onyon sent over these details:

John Ford's 50+ year career has traversed psychedelia with Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera, progressive folk with The Strawbs, eclectic rock with Hudson-Ford, punky new wave with The Monks, and even '30s-style music hall with High Society. An Englishman in New York since the mid-'80s, Ford launched a solo career spotlighting his melodic gifts and multi-instrumental prowess in power pop and acoustic-based rock settings. For his latest album, the eternally youthful John Ford presents Between a Rock and a Hard Place, a lyrically reflective and musically energetic set.

"As a songwriter the subconscious can bring forth ideas that you may not even be thinking of day to day, but looking back on stages in my life, songs like 'The Last Goodnight' and 'Lilacs and Hollyhocks' certainly reflect that," Ford comments. "I think everyone at some point in their lives have been between a rock and a hard place."

John Ford seamlessly integrates two cover songs into Between a Rock and a Hard Place, including the album's first single, the Tom Petty-written "Walls." Ford: "Somehow, even though a great Tom Petty fan, I had never heard his 'Walls' song until I heard the Glen Campbell version on the radio. I thought, I can do a decent job with that." The album's second non-original is a deep cut from another legend: "George Harrison's album Brainwashed had some great songs on it, and I hope I did 'The Rising Sun' justice." Uniting Petty, Harrison, and Ford is their mutual love for Jeff Lynne's productions, an influence heard throughout Between a Rock and a Hard Place.

John Ford has been an on-and-off member of The Strawbs since writing and singing the band's biggest hit, 1973's "Part of the Union." He rejoined the Dave Cousins-founded Strawbs for the band's final two albums in 2021 and 2023 before founder and leader Dave Cousins' passing in 2025. "I dedicated this album to Dave Cousins because I was working with him and Blue Weaver right up to the time he was hospitalized. Dave and I had co-written songs on the last two Strawbs albums and I did send him 'Lilacs and Hollyhocks' for verses but had to finish the lyrics myself. We had our ups and downs over the years, but we fortunately ended on a good note."

Between a Rock and a Hard Place is John Ford's first solo album to be released through traditional, worldwide physical retail distribution. The CD format includes an exclusive bonus disc of 21 career highlights, introducing fans to songs they might have missed from Ford's self-released albums. "I signed on to Iconoclassic Records because they surprisingly had a great knowledge of my previous work and suggested we have a best of bonus CD with my new release."

Between a Rock and a Hard Place (CD and Digital, Iconoclassic Records ICON 1096)
1. Between a Rock and a Hard Place
2. The Last Goodnight
3. Land of Dreams
4. Walls
5. Always
6. Lilacs and Hollyhocks
7. Since You've Been Gone
8. The Ship and the Sea
9. Who Turned the Lights Out
10. In the Dead of Night
11. The Rising Sun

The Best of John Ford 1998-2026 (CD Exclusive Bonus Disc)
1. Poor Boy Running
2. Movin' On
3. Acoustic Sunrise
4. Strange Universe
5. I'm a Chameleon
6. Kissed By the Sun
7. Don't Blame Me
8. Together Apart
9. Natural High
10. Another Tradition Broken
11. Bread and Fishes
12. Love Is a Highway
13. Big Hit in India
14. Life in a Foreign Town
15. What Am I Going to Do Without You
16. Back in England
17. When Did I Ever Let You Down
18. Christmas Rendezvous
19. Cry Me a River
20. Poor Man's Son
21. You Can't Keep Me from Singing