"I just wanted to challenge myself. I've been touring and playing piano with Brandi Carlile for two years in her band," Jennings explained of his new Zevon-centric project, in conversation with Rolling Stone. "And I'd really like to woodshed at the piano so much more. I'd been teaching myself a lot, so that'll make this fun and exciting..." He added, "With Zevon, I didn't realize it until I learned all these songs we were rehearsing, was how similar his vocal range and his style logically, the keys he's choosing, is very much a lot like myself." "There's a lot of overlaps with y own life [and his]," he continued. "And I just have such an admiration for the simplicity of his songwriting. The chords and things, it's all very simple, but it's so artistic and biting. Lyrically, he can chop a whole forest down with one word-it's amazing."