(BHM) Drive-By Truckers co-founder Patterson Hood has shared the second song, "The Pool House," from his landmark new solo album, Exploding Trees & Airplane Screams, arriving via ATO Records on Friday, February 21, 2025.
"The Pool House" was originally inspired by a night I spent at a creepy rental," says Hood. "A literal pool house for an apartment complex that I rented cheap for the night during a solo tour. It was off-season and the pool was dark green and filled with algae. The whole thing was creepy and as I'd had a couple of drinks, my mind was definitely wandering, conjuring up some macabre sh*t. I wrote most of it during lockdown and demoed it then on my home rig.
"I later recorded it with Nate Query (The Decemberists) playing upright bass and Dan Hunt (Neko Case) on drums. I played piano, guitar, vocals, and a trashcan as percussion on the bridge. Then I had Kyleen King do her magic adding viola and layers of strings (from her own arrangement) to it and the great Steve Berlin (Los Lobos) played flute, which he knocked out of the park. He had come by the studio to put some sax parts on some songs and I mentioned wanting a flute for this song. He asked me what kind of flute part I was thinking of and I said, "something like what Christ Wood would play in Traffic." He just smiled and said he'd see what he could do.
"It's one of the weirdest and most twisted tracks I have ever recorded and I'm really thrilled with how it all turned out.
"Frances Thrasher (Heaven4TheYoung), who painted the album cover, also does incredible and creepy stop-motion animation and has made me a super cool video for the release using a vintage dollhouse and her own amazing skills and talents."
Produced by Chris Funk (The Decemberists, Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks) at various studios in Hood's current hometown of Portland, OR, Exploding Trees & Airplane Screams marks the singer-songwriter-guitarist's most expansive and ambitious extracurricular effort to date, supported by a stellar cast of friends and fellow musicians including Waxahatchee, Brad and Phil Cook (Megafaun), Kevin Morby, Wednesday, Brad Morgan and Jay Gonzalez (Drive-By Truckers), Steve Berlin (Los Lobos, The Blasters), David Barbe (Sugar, Mercyland), Nate Query (The Decemberists), Steve Drizos (Jerry Joseph and The Jackmormons), Daniel Hunt (Neko Case, M Ward), and Stuart Bogie (The Hold Steady, Goose).
Drive-By Truckers' Patterson Hood Shares First Song From First Solo Album in 12 Years
The Blues: Corky Siegel - Symphonic Blues No. 6
Quick Flicks: The Million Eyes of Sumuru
Bob James & Dave Koz - Just Us
Judas Priest Star Suffered Brain Damage From Stroke
Poison In Talks For 2026 40th Anniversary Tour
Pink Floyd Preview 1968 Classic from Pompeii Concert Film
The Flower Kings Release 'Burning Both Edges' Video
Fu Manchu, Monster Magnet Off Shoot Volume Announce U.S. Fall Tour
Dawes Stream 'Time Spent In Los Angeles (For Altadena)'
Watch Tarja's 'Diva (Live In Bucharest)' Video
Commoner Release 'Change Of Heart' EP