Fastball's Writing New Songs; Scalzo Plays With Ryan Adams

Nashville (AP) - Fastball has begun writing songs for its next album, and anyone familiar with the dynamics within the band will be surprised to hear that singer-guitarist Miles Zuniga and singer-bassist Tony Scalzo are actually writing together this time.

In the past, there would be Scalzo songs and Zuniga songs. But for the first time, the two singer-songwriters are sitting in the same room in Zuniga's new hometown of Nashville to collaborate. So far, two songs have been penned in Nashville and Zuniga plans to return to the band's stomping grounds of Austin, Texas, in the next few weeks to continue writing with Scalzo.

They expect to hit the studio to record the new songs by the end of the year. This will be Fastball's fourth album for Hollywood Records, following 2000's Harsh Light of Day, 1998's All the Pain Money Can Buy (featuring the big hit "The Way"), and 1996's Make Your Mama Proud.
Elsewhere in Nashville, Ryan Adams is in the studio working on his next solo album and has asked Scalzo to play piano on a few tracks, including "Song for Keith" (as in Keith Richards).