Photo by Joshua Black Wilkins

The Black Crowes guitarist on his new solo album, his band’s future and his newfound confidence.

Brave New Ideas

In the last year, I started putting together some songs – I’m always writing, whether it is for the Crowes or another project. When I decided to make [my second solo album Through a Crooked Sun ], I started writing more and these songs flowed out. When that happens, it feels so much more fulfilling – as if all the songs are part of a uniform idea. Writing is a brave experience for me. Sometimes it can be a struggle when you’re trying to fit in certain ideas and they’re not working. And, this time, I felt great about the whole experience.

Building a Band

I’m always reticent to take the spotlight and wasn’t sure if I should give [this project] a name. Ultimately, I decided to release it under my name even if I get uncomfortable about it. In the beginning, it was me and [drummer] Joe Magistro, who played on my last solo album and, toured with the Crowes. I wanted a real band feel for this album and my agent recommended Particle’s Steve Molitz who I was familiar with. So Joe, Steve and I started working on some demos for the record in Upstate New York. I also wanted the album to have that live feeling – so we recorded almost everything live when we went in to make the album. The only exception was the bass, which I played and overdubbed myself because Sven [Pipien] from the Crowes and Jack Daley were both busy. Warren Haynes came by and played on some stuff we had demoed at his house and I tracked down John Medeski, who the Crowes had played with on H.O.R.D.E. tour, but who I had never worked with. [Guitarist/producer] Larry Campbell and [jazz arranger/pianist] Karl Berger also came by to play on some tracks.

Reluctant Leaders

I was reluctant to be the lead singer on my first record in 2004 but it was a necessity. After being sheltered in the Crowes for so long – since I was a teenager – and not knowing how to go about things, it was a difficult time. At first, I put together the band Hookah Brown and hired a lead singer but that band fell apart. I started trying out new singers until Screamin’ Cheetah Wheelies’ Mike Farris talked me into singing those songs myself. I was reluctant: I always wrote songs for Chris [Robinson] or someone who had a voice more suited for a big rock song. I was trying to conceptualize myself vocally, so I tried to tailor more of a Pink Floyd-y kind of vocal for these big riffs. I was experimenting – I didn’t really have it down, but it was a great learning experience. By the time I started making Through a Crooked Sun, I understood my voice: where it sits, what works and what my lyrical stumbling blocks are. For a while, I was getting nervous about the lyrics and I tossed around the idea of working with some outside lyricists. I always have a conceptual idea about what I wanted these songs to be about, but I felt that I couldn’t put the pen to paper in a sense. But, with this record, it hit me and these lyrics started coming.

Newfound Confidence

The Crowes’ break is a chance to have everyone go off and do their own thing for a little while – take a breath and be with families and hang out. Since we have been at this for so long, our roles in the Crowes have changed. I think the band has gone through this shift of what it is: in the early ‘90s, it was a rock and roll band and it was a great rock and roll band. I think that’s where we shine. We’ve gone through these identities over the years where we’ve stretched our wings – trying these things, approaching music differently. We’ve always tried to make different albums – from Shake Your Money Maker to Southern Harmony [and Musical Companion] to Amorica to Three Snakes [and One Charm] to Lions – in order to cover as much ground as possible. Then, breaking up, doing the solo thing and getting back together – all those experiences – in a way culminated in Through a Crooked Sun. The more things you try, the more confident you get.