Finger Eleven Country Side-Project Album Coming

07/10/09 4:19pm

by Kate Harper (CHARTattack)

Blackie Jackett, Jr. — the alt.country band featuring Finger Eleven guitarists James Black and Rick Jackett — will release their debut album, Whiskey And Tears, on Aug. 18 through Smokin' Mule/Wax Records.

Black sings and plays acoustic guitar in the band, while and Jackett plays... the banjitar. Seriously. Black and Jackett are accompanied live by guitarist Jim Reid, bassist Tino Zolfo, drummer Neil Angus Macintosh and back-up vocalist Sandra Dee, whose vocals can also be heard on Whiskey And Tears.

You can hear three songs from Whiskey And Tears on Blackie Jackett's MySpace page.

"This project really developed organically," Black says. "Rick and I would jam on the bus when we were on the last tour with Finger Eleven and something would slowly develop into a song and we'd take it from there. It's been a really great experience working this project from the ground up and we are very excited to see where we can take it from here!"

In February, Black told CHARTattack Blackie Jackett, Jr.'s music is influenced by artists like Townes Van Zandt, Hank Williams, Merle Travis and Kenny Rogers.

Here are the songs on Whiskey And Tears:

"Livin' Without You"
"Whiskey And Tears"
"Stuck In Rewind"
"Dorothy"
"I Choose You"
"Wherever I Roam"
"Boozin And Loozin"
"You And Me"
"Cryin"
"The Day That Never Comes"
"Left Me With This Song"
"Married To The Highway"
"Burned (F**k Me)"
"Fly On"