"Mercury Nashville chief, Luke Lewis, has inked a joint-venture label deal with Island Def Jam Music Group to form Lost Highway Records. Among the new label's upcoming releases is a debut album from actor-director Billy Bob Thornton with Marty Stuart (as producer).

Lewis referred to Thornton's concept album as 'Southern Gothic' with 'story songs' that come close to spoken word. 'It's going to surprise people if they expect it to sound like a country record,' Lewis said. Thornton has been working with Grammy-winning country artist Stuart on the album. Stuart's score to the film All The Pretty Horses, which Thornton directed, was nominated for a Golden Globe award."

By Tamara Conniff