Alberta Cross Singled Out Week: Final Day

Money for the Weekend / Pocket Full of Shame Musically speaking, this track was inspired by Mr. Keith Richards. I was reading a book about him, and it went into detail about the tunings that he used to use. When I wrote the main riff using one particular tuning, it reminded me of a Stones song. In the end, though, I think it seems more inspired by The Stooges, but lyrically it covers something entirely different.

Driving With Myself This song was the product of a jam session in Woodstock, NY when we lived there last winter. We stayed at an art hotel in the mountains that dated back over 100 years -- it was very literally in the middle of nowhere. Technically speaking, it wasn't even supposed to be open in the winter. We just convinced them to let us practice and write with our gear set up in the lobby and living room. I wrote a lot of this track on keys while Alec played guitar and Sam played keys as well. All the while, Austin and Terry came up with the groove.

Many times when I write music, it just comes out of me, and I'm not completely sure what it's about til a bit later down the line -- its kind of this out of body experience. "Driving With Myself" was like that, but now I know that it was written about being an outsider.

This track was also recorded at Electric Lady Studios. I remember that I used an old Wurly keyboard that the the Stones used on Sticky Fingers. That felt pretty special.

Rolling Thunder This song is actually the oldest one on the EP. I wrote this tune on the piano just after returning to London from my first trip to New York. I remember that Terry and I really wanted to move out there, but financially it was really impossible at the time. We recorded this song in the middle of nowhere Wales. I remember that the only company we had out there was a group of sheep that constantly stood outside the cottage and looked in at us. I'm sure they thought we were weirdos. It was like Withnail and I.