Blues Traveler have long been considered an enigma. They have reached the highest levels of mainstream appeal and pop culture saturation since their self-titled debut in 1990, but have also topped the indie music charts and found their place in the jam band history books. They are somehow capable of achieving mass appeal without losing an ounce of their jam band cred...if there is such a thing, masterfully balancing compelling and dynamic live shows with well-crafted studio songwriting. The band is now preparing to release their ninth studio album (the 12th record in their catalog), called North Hollywood Shootout. In a recent interview with Billboard, the band discusses their songwriting style, revealing they write many of their songs on stage.

Like most jam bands, they set aside a good portion of their set for playing around and trying new things. Sometimes these jams result in ideas that will later be developed into full-length songs. Such is the case with their latest album. Blues Traveler has been playing about a half-dozen of their new songs whilst on the road, pleased with the level of energy naturally instilled in the tracks since they were born out of live jamming.

They will be spending the summer on the road in a 'hey, remember the 90's?' tour with Live and Collective Soul. Blues Traveler will be headlining their own full-scale tour later this year following the release of North Hollywood Shootout on August 26th. The record was produced by David Bianco, recorded over the last couple years, and will be released on Verve Records.

There is currently no official track listing, however the following songs are rumored to be included on the record:

Beacons
Borrowed Time
Forever Owed
Orange in the Sun
How You Remember
Love Does
You, Me and Everything
Free Willis, Ruminations From Behind Uncle Bob's Machine Shop

For the full Billboard interview, click here