It’s been nearly 43 years since America rode into the nation’s listening consciousness on “A Horse With No Name” — but the iconic song still resonates today.

The song, which was the folk-rock band’s debut single in January 1972, made recent appearances in “American Hustle,” one of 2013’s biggest films, as well as a Season 3 episode of the wildly popular TV show “Breaking Bad.” It also checked in earlier this year as a reworked tune called “A Place With No Name” on the posthumous Michael Jackson album “Xscape.”

“It’s the gift that keeps giving, as we say,” said Dewey Bunnell, who wrote the No. 1 song. “It’s the song that won’t die.”

Bunnell, who comprises one-half of the duo that makes up America, along with partner Gerry Beckley, was phoning in Monday morning from Oakland, Calif., where the band was set to appear for a pair of shows earlier this week. By week’s end, America will be headlining at the Covey Center for the Arts, with a concert Friday night in Provo.

“We have much more in our catalog than just ‘Horse With No Name,’ ” said Bunnell, “but you end up sort of always being stuck with that first impression of that first hit.”

Indeed. America is also well-known for a string of early 70s hits, such as “Ventura Highway,” “Tin Man,” “Sister Golden Hair,” “Daisy Jane,” “I Need You,” “You Can Do Magic” and “Sandman” among others.

Those attending Friday’s show can expect to hear all those classic numbers, but should come prepared to see a slightly different America show than what long-time fans may have come to expect. Bunnell said that the band typically tries to change its show by 10-15 percent each year, and this tour also has an extra kick with the addition video board accompaniment.

On top of those changes, two long-time touring band members — drummer Willie Leacox and guitarist Michael Woods, who had been with America for 41 and 37 years respectively — both recently retired, making room for some young blood. The two new additions include drummer Ryland Steen, formerly of Reel Big Fish, and lead guitarist Bill Worrell.

“(Worrell’s) a fantastic lead guitar player. He’s really causing a stir, and the audience really likes him,” said Bunnell. “So, needless to say, that’s a shot of energy from two young guys up there and it reflects, I think, in the show. You’ll see that kind of energy. But the show itself, everything kind of centers around the ’70s stuff, the most familiar material. You can’t get away without doing that. And we’ve been fortunate over the years to have quite a few radio-friendly songs, hits or whatever you want to call them.”

America was formed as a trio in London in 1970. Bunnell, Beckley and Dan Peek met in high school in London, where their fathers were stationed as U.S. military personnel at an Air Force Base. Peek was onboard through most of the band’s early success before leaving the fold in 1977.

Bunnell and Beckley, both multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriters, have carried on as the faces of America ever since. It’s been a productive partnership.

“Gerry and I have been very fortunate that we have been together — we’re in our 44th year — straight out of high school,” Bunnell said. “We had all of the trappings of high school, insofar as we were the kind of muso guys. You know the hierarchy in high school — it’s kind of a microcosm of life in general, I like to think. There’s always the sort of preppy guys, and the jocks, bikers and the whatever. So we’ve sort of grown up within the business straight out of high school, so we kind of have that feeling that we’re in this tribe of humans. And we get along really well that way.

“We’re certainly different personalities in a lot of ways, and we’ve always maintained that autonomy individually,” he said. “We do what we do off the road and come together, and I think our strengths and weaknesses complement each other so that one of the two of us picks up the other’s end, you know what I mean? So we get along. We don’t disagree on too many things. As we get older, now we’re in our 60s, there’s always some concern about not filling our calendars too much, but we still have to make a living at this thing.”

Bunnell said the band usually tours in short bursts of 10 days or so at a time, with a handful of days at home in between. That helps alleviate the rigors of constant travel and sharpens focus on each night’s show.

“More than ever, we focus on that show as the big event of every day on the road, where it used to be there were a lot of distractions in this business — especially back when we were (more) popular and stars coming to town and all of that,” he said. “So now, it really is about making that show the best it can be every night, and I think we’re accomplishing that.”

Paul Duerden, general manager of the Covey Center, said the venue is pleased to have America become the latest well-known band to grace its stage in recent years.

“We are thrilled to have America join other legendary bands like Styx, Foreigner and the Beach Boys in performing at the Covey Center,” Duerden said. “The best thing about concerts in the Covey Center is the intimacy of the performance hall. Foreigner put it best, (saying), ‘This is the biggest stage with the smallest audience.’ This is a chance to see the band up close and personal. Personally, I’ve been a fan of America for years and know there are many other fans in the Utah Valley area.”

Bunnell was able to mostly dispel one bit of Utah-related folklore regarding the song “Sister Golden Hair.” The story’s been told around these parts that it was written about dating a Utah woman, specifically a blonde-haired Mormon. (Hence the “Sister” reference.)

“Gerry wrote that song, and we never comment on each other’s songs,” Bunnell said. “I’ve heard him answer who ”Sister Golden Hair’ is when we’ve been together in interviews and he always says, ‘Oh, it’s a compilation of a few different ladies in my life.’ So I haven’t heard specifically Utah, if I have to answer that question. But Gerry was quite the bachelor guy in the day, I don’t know. Like ‘Daisy Jane, fly me back to Memphis,’ people in Memphis will sometimes say, ‘I know that Daisy Jane you’re talking about.’ Gerry’s pretty tight-lipped about naming actual people from his song lyrics — so I’m sorry, I wish I could confirm that for you.”

Other hits aside, “A Horse With No Name” is still the song America is most known for. And Bunnell is fine with that.

“That was the big bang that introduced us,” he said, “and then we won the Best New Artist Grammy that year against a very strong field, including the Eagles, Loggins and Messina, John Prine (and) Harry Chapin. It was big news and, frankly, a hard act to follow. You know, there’s sort of a sophomore jinx that a lot of artists experience coming off an introduction that’s huge, and we were facing that. And fortunately, we’re still here, so more gratitude there.”

Bunnell laughingly pointed out that the song is not without its detractors as well, since it has also shown up on some worst songs lists. He told of the time a friend of the band emailed with the news that “A Horse With No Name” had just come in at No. 3 on one worst song list.

“And then he goes, ‘You got robbed! You should have been No. 1!’ ” Bunnell said. “That was his little cheap joke. Ha ha.”

Some humans, it seems, will still give no love.

AMERICA

When: Friday at 7:30 p.m.

Where: Covey Center for the Arts, 425 W. Center St., Provo

Tickets: $45-$75

Info: (801) 852-7007, coveycenter.org