CG: So, your new album is called Golden State. Tell us about the title. What does it mean?

Gavin: Well it's the freeway to and from Gwen's house -- The Golden State freeway. When I was in LA that what I would drive back on after I was done recording. So I liked the idea that it was the freeway to and from Gwen. But I always like thing to have layers of meaning and I just loved that it was like a state of euphoria or state of bliss. A golden state - sounds lovely doesn't it?

CG: It totally does. What were those drives like?

Gavin: I would listen to classical music. After a whole day of rock, I just love classical. Not really big, bombastic opera or huge orchestras. I like much smaller chamber, strings - like really spacious and mournful. You know, Beethoven. And I like Strockhausen. I do like that avant-garde stuff, like Philip Glass. I'm not even a snob about it. I just like music that can transport you.

CG: Your songs have a lot of layers too. Does Headful of Ghosts have an underlying meaning?

Gavin: Yeah, I think it's like voices of reason. It's so easy to feel displaced: half my time is spent around the world chasing Gwen, and the other half is spent chasing my band, like the line "where is my head, where are my bones" -- floating in space, not knowing exactly where you're meant to be. It's ironic because there are no such things as answers. It's just dealing with things and going though them.

CG: How do you deal with things?

Gavin: I just hold my breath and go through it like when I was a kid. England is a little bit more brutal than America in certain ways. When we'd go swimming they'd douse us in freezing cold water to clean us before we went in the pool. I don't know what they were trying to get off of a 5 year old, but it was this kind of shivering horrible ahhh! All the kids would run from it. But then of course we'd get to the pool and it was real fun. So I learned early on that you have to go through the pain to get the pleasure.

CG: Like making an album.

Gavin: Yeah you can find yourself answers. Like if some one pisses you off, if someone's done something really bad to you a really great way of dealing with that kind of pain is to write them a letter. You can burn the letter once you've written it, but you put it all down -- say, "that's how I'm feeling" -- and then it's done with. It's harder for me because I have to re-sing that letter every night. I keep going over old ground. But as they say, that's showbiz.

CG: Well at least you'll always have your dog (with him in photo--so cute!) as a loyal best friend.

Gavin: Winston is the love of my life! He's 13 now -- he's a sheepdog. As a musician, I would never have chosen to have a dog because it's kind of irresponsible. But Winston changed my life. He's made me a better person -- and man.

CG: More so than Gwen has?

Gavin: Oh she definitely has and does, but it's different. Before Winston I was really way into hanging out, clubbing, and ingesting too many things -- I'd party for 3 days running. I was a lost, crazy boy. But when I got him, I started having to come in and take care of him. So he disciplined and structured me. He changed my life.

CG: Good Boy! Uh, we mean Winston -- not Gavin!(although of course he's a very good boy too.)