Billy Bob Thornton

Billy Bob Thornton was a working musician long before he became famous as a screenwriter, director and actor known for keenly realized roles in Sling Blade, A Simple Plan and other films — and long before his offbeat, often public exploits with wife Angelina Jolie landed him in the tabloids. Last year, Thornton released Private Radio (Lost Highway), a low-key, character-driven song cycle CD of gritty, self-described "Southern hippie music" that was thoroughly drubbed by critics and mostly ignored by everyone else. He recently spoke to CL from his Los Angeles home.

Creative Loafing: Your schedule seems pretty hectic.

Billy Bob Thornton: Man, I've been so durn busy. I was just over in Europe on tour. We've adopted a son from Cambodia and I was over there while my wife was working in South Africa. Now that I've been back here in L.A., I've been living the vampire life in the studio. We've done about 12 songs so far. I've been in a songwriting frenzy lately.

Is it sort of a sequel to the first album?

Well, this new record is about the journey inside myself to find enlightenment. A lot of the situations I've found myself in, I've put myself there, so it's about finding what you want.

You've been doing a little family history research lately, haven't you?

Yeah, we traced it back and found that a lot of our people came from Georgia to Arkansas. It's funny, I was talking to my mother on the phone last night and we noticed that we both have an affinity for Georgia. It's just always been a place we are drawn to.

You have a lot of local music ties here.

Yeah, the first movie I ever directed was a documentary on Widespread Panic. Vic [Chesnutt] was in Sling Blade, you know, and I go even further back with Bruce Hampton. I've known him since the late '80s. [Capricorn Records'] Phil Walden introduced us. He said, "You've got to know this guy." Bruce always has such great musicians around him.

How did the European leg of the music tour go? You played the Cavern Club in Liverpool. As a big British Invasion fan, that must have been a treat.

When we got there, the vibe was so heavy. Gerry Marsden of Gerry and the Pacemakers came to see the show, so of course I was nervous as hell.

How did the crowds react to seeing an Academy Award-winning actor?

There's always gonna be curiosity seekers. I'm prepared for it. I've been playing music since I was a kid. I was a roadie, even, so I've paid my dues. The shows have been going great.

People are quick to label an actor doing an album as some kind of William Shatner vanity project.

Yeah, but Kris Kristofferson is someone I mention when people try to put that "movie deal" on me. I always say I've seen him do some fine work as an actor and he's one of the greatest songwriters of all time. Can people compare him doing a movie to Britney Spears doing a movie?

You and Kristofferson both have raw, very non-commercial voices.

I could have put a choir on my record to drown me out, but the songs are personal and real and honest. If I was gonna do a vanity project, I'd have made a far more commercial record than this.

I'm sure people are quick to make assumptions about your sincerity.

Well, you're a serious music person, but I do get that from these morning-drive DJs and stuff. They are also the ones that say, "Hey do you really have an electric chair in your house?" We don't, by the way.

I wasn't even gonna ask you about that. But, now that you mention it, I'm pretty disappointed, frankly.

I always say [that] if even 5 percent of the stuff you hear about us is true, we'd probably lead an exciting life. If you followed us around for a few days, you might be bored.

Billy Bob Thornton plays Fri., May 24, at EarthLink Live, 1374 W. Peachtree St. 9 p.m.

$24.50. 404-885-1365. www.earthlinklive.com.??