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song in general. So, I wanna be effective and emotional and say something. And that’s just a
learning curve! I mean 10,000 hours in 10,000 records.
Please tell us a little bit more about the fantastic artwork of "Time Clocks", which was created
by the famous graphic artist Hugh Syme!
JB: I’ve been a fan of Hugh’s forever! I mean, I loved his stuff he did with “Dream Theater” and
“Rush!” The whole album felt a little more proggy to me and I wanted to do it more generalised
concept of the art. You know, and Kevin and I talked about it and he was the one that brought up
Hugh, doin’ the artwork. And I’m like: “That’s a great idea!” Because I just didn’t want that same
treatment to “Time Clocks”, you know, a lot of albums that I have done: Here is me, you know,
against a brick wall holdin’ a guitar. How many ways—different ways—can you hold a guitar, you
know, let’s do something different. So that was pretty much, I think that was a phone-call that I
made: “How many different ways do I have to be made to hold the same f***in guitar? Let’s try
something new!” So, that’s basically what happened.
TIME CLOCKS - TRACK BY TRACK
"Notches"
JB: "Notches!" The song I wrote with my friend Charlie Starr from a band called “Blackberry
Smoke”. Charlie had this great line: “I got miles under my wheels, notches in my walkin’ cane”, so I
came in with this kind of Ali Farka Touré-12-
string-riff. And it’s an odd structure for a song,
but it works and it’s got that big chorus. And
Robert Cray it’s just says it all: “I got miles under my
wheels, notches in my walkin’ cane”, That’s
what you feel when you like 44, it’ll happen to
you.
"The Heart That Never Waits"
JB: This is a song I wrote with James House. I
really love Robert Cray. And I wanted to write
a kind of Robert Cray-song with a chorus. And
I was like, I can’t sing like Robert, I can’t play
like Robert, but it’s my little tip of the hat to
someone who’s been super nice to me and
encouraging, but also, I mean, a musical hero
of mine.
"Time Clocks"
JB: The title-track. I’m glad that I went
through my voice-memories and find this thing called “tc-demo”. And it turned out to be this little
demo I did at the hotel in London two years ago. And I forgot to submit it for the album “Royal
Tea“. It’s got a big chorus and it’s a unique song. And some people see it as “Americana“ But, I go:
“That’s very English to me”! But they can see it as Latvian poker for all I care, as long as they like
it! I think it’s a good song. I think it’s one of the better songs I’ve written in a while.