Frontman Hughes and drummer Jason Bonham decided to continue working together after their previous band, Black Country Communion, called it a day in 2013 when guitarist Joe Bonamassa walked out. And rather than go down the expected route of calling on one of his many famous guitar playing friends, Hughes wanted to bring in someone relatively unknown and who wouldn't leave them high and dry to pursue other projects.

Hughes tells Planetmosh: "Julian Lennon, one of my dear friends, was in LA in February 2013, the day before the Grammys and I was with him. He said 'there's someone here I'd like you to meet, a young man called Andrew Watt from New York city'. Andrew came over and spoke about his love of how this guy plays, or how this guy writes a lyric. I gave him my email and said to send me some music.