Rock legends The Doobie Brothers released ‘World Gone Crazy‘ on HOR Records recently, their first new album in over ten years. Produced by Ted Templeman, their producer throughout the 1970’s, the new album combines vintage Doobie Brothers harmonies with the latest recording technology, keeping the sound both classic and fresh. “It’s the best thing we’ve done musically in forever,” says founding vocalist Tom Johnston in a recent interview with Billboard.

The album features standout tracks like single “Nobody,” a remake of a song from their 1971 debut album (watch the video above), ballad “Far From Home,” “Don’t Say Goodbye” with guest vocals from former member Michael McDonald, and “I Know We Won,” a duet with legendary musician Willie Nelson. A special deluxe edition of the CD includes a 30 minute, career-retrospective DVD, featuring interviews with the band members and footage from the band’s nearly 40 year career. Both editions are available now in stores and online, with a special deluxe bundle that includes a tour t-shirt available at www.DoobieBrothers.net.

I had the chance to speak with Pat Simmons from The Doobie Brothers about things such as his feelings on the new album, re-recording ‘Nobody’, and the goals he has lined out for himself. You can read about that below.

What made you go into the studio now – ten years after your last album – instead of anytime in the past decade?

We just hadn’t thought about it until it reached this point. It was a mixture of the songs, the direction, the producer, the time, and the budget all coming together at once. There just wasn’t enough of each one prior to this.

How did you reconnect with the classic “Doobie Brothers” sound?

I think through the writing, mostly myself and Ted. We wrote all the songs on the record, and I co-wrote with Tom on a lot of the songs.

What were your feelings going into the studio for your new album?

Just general enthusiasm. We were really excited and interested to see how the process was going to go.

How did the idea to re-record your first single ‘Nobody’ for the new record come about?

That was Ted’s idea. It was one of the early things in the studio that we worked on. We recorded the first version in 1970 and was the first song he worked on with the band. He just wanted to go in and do a better job at recording it and I think he really improved on it. Its ten times better. We had a good time. It was just a nostalgic thing for us.

Are there any artists you haven’t worked with in your career that you would like to?

I think Paul McCartney is one that everybody mentions. I would love to work with him, and to work with Paul Rogers.

Do you have a set routine in your creative process – is it music first, or lyrics first?

Music is normally first for me but I do write lyrics for ideas. Sometimes I’ll come in and borrow from the lyrics I have already written down, and improve on them and use them.

For your new album, did you have a lot of material to choose from or did you basically start from the beginning?

We had a lot of material to choose from. Some were finished and some were in progress. We wrote songs to express ourselves thoroughly and I think we accomplished that.

What genres do you pull your musical influences from?

Me personally, I love the blues and traditional music in terms of acoustic guitar playing. I listened to a lot of BB King, Albert King and Freddy King growing up. Jerry Miller from the band Moby Grape was a huge influence on me. Chet Atkins, Jimi Hendrixs, James Taylor, George Benson…

What are your future plans for promoting your music and new album?

We have a lot of gigs lined up. Television – we are in the process of doing a live video shoot, playing new material with some special guests. A series of benefits closer to Christmas doing acoustic sets and earning money for charity. Special shows, small intimate shows, showcasing our new material. I’m in the process right now of trying to do a USO trip for the troops. I’ve done it before but never with the band and I think it would be great. We just got back from doing a 16 gig tour over the course of 20 days in Europe, and we have a couple of weeks of shows in the US left.

What are some of your long-term goals that you have lined out for yourself?

To continue writing songs. Coming up with interesting ways to present music and be creative.

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