Butch Walker in Guardian Music “Best Music Memoirs”

“Butch Walker is music’s Clark Kent. By day he’s best known as a super producer for the likes of Weezer, Pink and Katy Perry. By night, he ditches Pro Tools in favour of a Gibson banjo and transforms into a country singing, alcohol swigging, stage diving troubadour.

Drinking with Strangers is a must read for anyone interested in the greasy wheels of the music industry, and more importantly, how to survive it with your dignity intact. Packed full with hilarious highlights, including the now infamous “writing sessions” with a deranged Lindsay Lohan, and the story of how Southgang, Walker’s 80s hair-metal band, sparked riots in communist China, are endlessly entertaining.

Walker, who knows music’s pitfalls better than most, having been picked up and then dropped by numerous major labels over the past 20 years, has managed to carve out a rabid fan base on the strength of his consistent touring, DIY ethics and the merits of good song writing. Drinking with Strangers’ real message is to remind music listeners candidly, that there’s difference between a hit song and a good song.” (Clara Cullen)