Patterson enlisted his father and Drive-By Truckers bandmate David Barbe for the creation of his newest solo work, Heat Lightning Rumbles in the Distance. Admittedly darker than his mainstream work, Heat Lightening has its roots in a dark period following Patterson's divorce and band breakup. On his website, he calls it "the most intimate and personal record" of his career.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Hailing from Northern Alabama, Patterson Hood is best known for being one of the singer/guitarists (and founding members) of the country rock band Drive-By Truckers. Starting in the early 2000s, Hood began writing music that didn't quite fit into the Truckers' canon, and in 2004 he released his first solo album, the acoustic and very personal Killers and Stars. In 2009 came Patterson's second record, Murdering Oscar (And Other Love Songs), which featured a full band (including his father Dave on bass). Hood's third album is entitled Heat Lighting Rumbles in the Distance, and is set for release on September 11, 2012.

IN THIS INTERVIEW
The name of the album, "Heat Lightning Rumbles in the Distance," actually isn't true, which Patterson's sister told him while working on the record cover. The album is about family and David asks whether Patterson wrote songs for it. The Drive-By Truckers put out two albums in a row and they were on the road non-stop when he started writing a book. He ended up hating the book, but the songs came out of the writing material. The record is divided into time periods - the earlier one from his late twenties, troubled times. In his book, the main character was a broke song-writer and in between every chapter would be a song and several songs on the record he wrote for that. The later period is present-day and more about his family and his older kin passing away. Billy Ringo is a character in the record, who is a fictional version of someone Patterson was friends with who constantly had near-death experiences. "Leaving Time" was written on the day Patterson left for tour and how his wife and kids coped with it. Patterson recently played a few gigs with his dad for the first time ever and loved it.

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Set List:
1201
LEAVING TIME
DISAPPEAR


Recent Release: Lightning Rumbles in the Distance
Release Date: 9/11/2012
Label: ATO Records
Band Origin: Muscle Shoals, Alabama