He went under the knife late last summer - and four months later he was in action with drummer Jason Bonham, guitarist Andrew Watt and producer Dave Cobb.

And the experience led to the writing of a song that's so unusual it didn't make it onto the album. Hughes tells Billboard: "For some reason I wasn't frightened. I felt like I was going to be okay - but I'm still supremely grateful to be here. For me still to being this at my age, with what I've been through with drink and drugs�