Though he's been a first-call songwriter and producer for artists ranging from Weezer to Pink to Hot Hot Heat for some time, Butch Walker has never had more to write about than he does right now. In recent years he has witnessed the birth of his first child, lost his home (and recording masters) to Malibu wildfires, and turned 40. Appropriately then, Butch's new album 'I Liked It Better When You Had No Heart' (One Haven Music) is about beginnings, endings, and the long journey in between. The album, featuring eleven new songs co-written by Walker and his songwriting partner Michael Trent, will be released exclusively on vinyl on February 2, followed by a cd/digital release on February 23.Unlike Walker's previous, critically acclaimed solo works, 'I Liked It Better' was recorded quickly and collaboratively, with his band The Black Widows. "We literally went into the studio the day after our tour ended," recalls Walker. "So the wheels were greased." The album was recorded mostly "live" over just five days, using first and second takes. Strings were subsequently added at Abbey Road Studios in the UK, providing some of the album's most interesting textures.
The songs on 'I Liked It Better' range from the anthemic first track "Trash Day," perhaps the catchiest-ever meditation on the absurdity of modern life, to the poignant closer "Be Good Til Then," a lullaby to his young son that imparts some advice "my dad would have given me if he could have put it in a song," says Walker.
Likewise, the album reflects a broad swath of Butch's favorite music including the country-tinged work of songwriters like Gram Parsons and Kris Kristofferson, and the gold-standard '70s pop of ELO and T. Rex. It's an improbable combination that sounds completely natural in Butch's hands.
Butch Walker recently completed sold-out, multi-evening runs at LA's Hotel Cafe, and Joe's Pub in NYC, performing a different album from his back catalog in its entirety each night. Upcoming residencies in Chicago (January 5-8 at Schuba's) and Atlanta (January 13-16 at 7 Stages Theater) all sold out in 15 minutes. He will tour extensively in support of 'I Liked It Better When You Had No Heart' in 2010.
