Samuel J Fell, Journalist

Over a career spanning almost four decades, Michael Franti knows how important it is for music to bring us all together.

Over the past few years, Andy Golledge has slowed down and learned to love himself, which, as it turns out, is a recipe for creative success.

Passion, love and a lack of fear defines The Black Crowes’ first album of original material in 15 years. Rich Robinson details how it all came together.

We are ready.

"The song has the idea, and I'm just putting my ability to that idea, I'm giving the song what it wants, and that's my sound."

"We're trying to do a different thing, and we're involving a much larger community of musicians that we'd been influenced by..."

"If you're gonna have sex with an animal, always make it a horse."

"With the first record, we'd barely been a band... we just literally pulled together all the ideas we had and threw them all at the wall."

"Some of the earlier records that were popular or successful to me sound so subdued and mild compared to our live show."