Butch Walker built his reputation with hard-hitting, self-produced rock albums marked by a bright, polished sound. When he set out to make Afraid Of Ghosts, an LP partially inspired by the death of his father, he decided to forget about perfection and aim for a more visceral, acoustic feel. The songs on Afraid Of Ghosts were written over the course of a year, then recorded with Ryan Adams and his band in a four-day burst of creativity. It’s the first time Walker worked with an outside producer. Walker will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our brand new feature on him.
Walker: Speaking of my boots. I pretty much sleep in my boots. I am a man of many pair, but I always gravitate toward my Red Wings. My friend NikkI Lane dabbles in vintage clothing when not touring and singing for the masses, and she hits me up anytime she finds a pair of 13-inch (I know; don’t laugh) boots that are gonna look right on my weird-ass body. She got me my favorite and most comfortable pair of Red Wings that were from the ’70s, I believe. I have re-souled them three times already. Redwings made our motorcycle gang (Lucky Riders) all a pair of beautiful new, all-black models, and I haven’t taken them off since. Sneakers are not my game, unfortunately. Some guys can pull them off. I just look like a dick from Entourage if I try to rock that look. Too young for me, I guess. Old-man style for me, nowadays. And you’re talking to someone who wore parachute pants in the ’80s. 🙁
Video after the jump.