Having conquered crippling anxiety disorders that forced him off the drum throne of superstar rock bands like The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Pearl Jam, drummer Jack Irons is back with his first solo album, Attention Dimension. Jack, who recorded in various home studios over the course of five years, says, “The whole process of making this record allowed me to begin to be healthy again.”

A highlight of the extremely eclectic album is a steel drum arrangement of Pink Floyd’s “Shine On You Crazy Diamond,” featuring Les Claypool on bass and vocals by Eddie Vedder. Other former bandmates putting their imprint on the album include Pearl Jam’s Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament, Chili Peppers bassist Flea, and Eleven’s Alain Johannes (who mixed the album) and Natasha Shneider. “Having my friends’ support helped me feel like I could pursue a career again,” Irons says. “I was very isolated for a long time. To reconnect with all of these people was a huge thrill.”

Ultimately, Jack looks at Attention Dimension as a way of redefining and reintroducing himself. “With this record completed, I feel like I can make music like this all the time now,” he says. “There was a fine line between creating and working through anxieties within the creative process. But I feel the most balanced when I’m just playing and really into it.” Advertisement