Following up on his album, Edge of the World, songwriter, musician and recording studio owner Billy Bob Thornton is currently putting the finishing touches on his third solo album that is due out in early fall. This new record, which has the working title HOBO, is co-written and co-produced by Billy Bob Thornton and Randy Mitchell. All tracks were recorded and mixed by songwriter/guitarist Randy Mitchell who has worked with Thornton for the past three years. The album is also co-mixed and co-produced by Grammy® award winning engineer Jim Mitchell, who is also known for his work with Guns ’n’ Roses, Slash and Poe.
Recorded in Billy Bob Thornton’s state-of-the-art recording studio, The Cave, Thorton says that, “”The idea of this record is to address the need for people to come to California if you are going to make it, as California is sort of the last frontier in the entertainment business. It is a record about joy, sadness, success and failure — the realization of dreams and not realizing your dreams. Every song has something to do with that theme—it’s a loose tribute to California!”
Jim Mitchell, who has engineered and co-produced with Billy Bob Thornton for the past five years, talks about the creative and technical aspects of capturing Billy’s vocals on the album. “The record has a heartfelt, storytelling, left-of-center, incredible mood to it and creating a sonic landscape to match is exactly what Billy expressed he wanted for its sound,” he says. “Working in The Cave, with both state-of-the-art and vintage recording equipment, I think we’ve nailed the true essence of Billy’s vocals on this record. When he sings the real quiet passages with a low, soft, breathy voice, you feel like he’s singing directly into your ear. And with the more rockin’ songs, he’s powerful, upfront and right in your face creating a dialog between the guitars and vocals. Making the stories come alive is another fun part of my job. I’m extremely proud of this record.”
Thornton, who earned two Gold record certifications and performed on Warren Zevon’s Grammy-winning album, The Wind, recently performed live with Alice Cooper at the historic El Rey Theatre in L.A.
For more information, please go to www.billybobthornton.net/music%20cave.html.
