The guitarist and songwriter had written and recorded three songs before he realised he was creating Alone in Bad Company.

“I had put down a couple of ideas and after a while I went to record a new song and got excited and added more instruments,” he said.

“It developed its own head of steam and after mixing it I was really happy with it. So I went and listened to earlier songs I had done and found I really liked how they sounded. The basic gist was sounding good and I was on my way before I knew it. I was three songs in before I realised this (album) was taking shape.”

Lang wrote, recorded and mixed the album himself over a two-month period. It is a step away from his usual recording sessions.

“Normally I get a band in and record over a week then mix it over a big block of time. This time, did all myself song by song,” he said.

“It wasn't as intensive a block of time as usual. I would record and mix a song over a day and then do another song a few days later.

“I don’t really believe in demoing a song. It’s better to record them and do it for real. So I put the mic up and sketch out the idea and see how the song holds up.

“It can take listening to it before I know how (well) it’s going.”

Lang heads out on the road this weekend to start his Alone in Bad Company tour.

He will perform at the Golden Vine in Bendigo on March 24 before heading to Ballarat the next day.

“There’s a good audience of music-appreciating folks in Bendigo and the blues festival has helped cultivate that,” he said.

“I’ve played at the blues and roots festival once but have played in Bendigo and towns around it quite a lot.”

Lang has been performing solo for 27 years after picking up a guitar while watching AC/DC and Led Zeppelin perform on television.

“I got bitten by the rock and roll bug but I had heard people like Bob Dylan and Ry Cooder before that.

“I just fell in love with that sound and it set the foundation to have a crack at (songwriting). 

“Once I started writing songs and performing, it took on its own flavour.”

Since his early days of writing Lang has mastered creating songs with substance.

“I probably have a better strike rate now to know what’s workable and what's not,” he said.

“Something might go over well with audience because it has fast guitar and flashy licks but in the light of day it’s not much of a song.

“There was more of that early on but I still play a few songs from my first album.”

Jeff Lang is at the Golden Vine on Friday, March 24. Tickets are $25.