The last record (Pretty Strange) seemed to have a narrative concept that might have come through inadvertently whereas this one seems quite deliberate. How did you approach the songwriting on this one...did you have an idea you started with?

The song "Geraldine" was the starting point. I wrote "Geraldine" and developed the rest of the songs/story around the idea of a guy going out to California to get back the love that he has lost. Pretty Strange was all about Chris Peck and I trying to put forth an album of diverse material and making it sound cohesive as a whole. I wanted a CD that was a full listening experience. I was looking to get away from the straight-ahead, cookie-cutter rock and roll format and do something different. With Come to California it was my intention to tell a story. I went back to my full-band format to tell the story of a man's obsession to get back what he can't have. It's a story of love, obsession, addiction, redemption and salvation.

Why did you split up the sixteen songs onto two discs?

The main reason was to make sure people and radio would give a fair listen to the songs in the latter part of the story. I've learned from experience that people (including myself) have very short attention spans and will put another CD in if it's not knocking their socks off. There also tends to be ear fatigue with a long CD. Some of my favorite songs are toward the end of the CD, like "Sunset and Vine," "Gasoline" and "Sunshine." I wanted those songs to get a fair chance at being heard. The second reason is that the story in Part One takes place on the East Coast, whereas Part Two has the main character running rampant on the West Coast. It felt right to have it in two parts. You can take your own personal intermission after Part One. Feel free.

Is the song "Best Suit" about getting married? To Geraldine? It comes across as a fictional narrative but, like all good fiction, are there hints of autobiographical detail?

Yes, "Best Suit" is both fictional and autobiographical. It's about the main character's marriage to Geraldine and my recent marriage to my wife. It's about finally feeling at peace and being able to put down your guard and share unconditional love with someone. Fortunately, I'm married to Debbie and not Geraldine.

In the song "Holding It All Together", who is John Deverlow and, apart from the obvious Big Star reference, is there another reason for referring to Geraldine as "September girl"?

John Deverlow is the overweight, middle-aged, bald guy who you had as a boss at some crappy job. Geraldine is called "September girl" because she was born on September 13th, 1973. She has blue eyes and blonde hair and she enjoys ripping the hearts out of men that she takes a liking to.

Tell me about your paintings on the CD cover.

Painting is just a hobby for me. It's one of the things that totally relaxes me. The time just flies by when I paint. I tried to find a photograph that represented the story, but nothing hit me. So, I decided to paint what I saw in my head. It's amateurish, but I guess it works. I had photographs of things that represented elements of the story for the CD booklet...like fire, water, sunshine, etc., but a week before turning everything over to the printer, I left all the photographs on a train to Long Island. I freaked. My only choice was to paint the rest of the story line, so I did.

One of the paintings references a Warren Zevon song. Are you a big Zevon fan, or how is he an influence here?

Yeah, I am a huge Zevon fan. There's a funny story regarding that. Barracuda member and music critic Robin Wills visited me in New York this past year and he thought that some of the tracks off of Pretty Strange reminded him of Zevon. At the time, I really didn't know much about Zevon except "Lawyers, Guns and Money" and "Werewolves of London." Robin convinced me to listen to a song called "Desperados Under the Eaves" and it completely blewwwwww me away. That song fit both lyrically and musically with what I was trying to capture on Come to California. From then on I was hooked. I went out and bought every Zevon CD I could get my hands on. I really think he's an under appreciated American songwriter. His new album Life Will Kill Ya is fantastic. I'm glad Robin turned me on to him. It really renewed my belief in the American singer/songwriter.

How much time have you actually spent in Los Angeles?

I've been to L.A. many times. I love the place, unlike most New Yorkers, I actually romanticize L.A. My romantic view would probably change if I moved there though. Since I was a little boy I was a Beach Boys fanatic and always dreamed about what it would be like to live there. I love all the flavors of LA, the beach community, Hollywood, etc. It's eclectic.

What is "California" a metaphor for?

At the end of the story, California represents (for the main character) a place of salvation and rebirth, that is until he goes back to the East Coast and tries to make a new start in life, Geraldine-less. All is well until he hears voices calling him back. In the end he can't fight addiction. The leadoff track of the album "Come to California," is actually the last song in the progression of the story. Confused? Listen, it makes sense.