Gut Reactions

No-nonsense rock journeyman Mark Lanegan is once again collaborating - this time with former Afghan Whig Greg Dulli. He tells Tony Clayton-Leahow The Gutter Twins came into being.

Once described as the Leonard Cohen of grunge, Mark Lanegan is one of rock music's boho mavericks, a man equally at ease with punk - "When I heard Anarchy in the UK,"he once said, "it suddenly all made sense.I knew who I was" - its offshoot legacy Screaming Trees, Queens of the Stone Age) and its tangents. Not in the mood to shoot the breeze, Lanegan keeps his comments strictly on point. If he's enjoying himself, he certainly isn't letting on . . .

Why did you and Greg band together as The Gutter Twins?

"Greg and I are friends, we enjoy playing music together; we played on each other's records before, and we just wanted to make a record totally with each other. Simple as that."

Did you have any preconceived notions as to what the music was going to be like?

"When we went into the studio first, we had no songs, but we came out with a couple. There was no informed decision as to what the next step after that would be. We never really talked about the direction, we just let it organically take shape."

Did the music develop naturally without any forethought?

"Absolutely correct. We wrote about half the record totally together, and the other half we separately brought in songs, but always with the other guy in mind. When we were writing, we thought it best not to bring along any songs we had been previously working on - all the songs are written specifically for the record. We set aside time just to write them before they were recorded."

Who is the audience for the album - a cross-section of yours and Greg's?

"We never really discussed that. Or thought about it, in fact. It was basically writing and recording music to please ourselves. Once that was done, that's all we wanted. Of course, it's always a bonus if anyone else likes it."

What is the work ethic like between you?

"We work fast and economically. And we'd know each other well enough for there to be a small amount of mutual critiquing, but that's what you want in a collaborator. Being good friends, there is a great amount of trust, so there was no problem in throwing anything out for consideration. I mean, what you want is for the other guy to tell you if it's good or bad."

The band name - a pun on Mick'n'Keef's Glimmer Twins?

"You know what, it was just a response to something that was asked me by an Italian journalist, and I was just kidding around with my answer. I'm sure the Stones thing is where it came from, but I can't say I consciously ripped it from them."

What do you each bring to The Gutter Twins?

"Greg and I bring our separate unique experiences to it. They dovetail in the music and songs. I've been blessed in the area of collaboration, I guess - my new album with Isabel Campbell (Sunday at Devil Dirt) is out in a few months and then we'll tour that - and I enjoy all of them."

The Gutter Twins play Dublin's Ambassador Theatre tomorrow. Their album, Saturnalia, has just been released through Sub Pop