Ness, who's been fronting Social Distortion for three decades, released his debut solo album, "Cheating at Solitaire," in 1999 to pay homage to the classic country, blues, rockabilly and folk that shaped him as a songwriter. That record scored a modern rock hit with the Bob Dylan-penned "Don't Think Twice."

Later that same year, Ness put out "Under the Influences," a collection of cover tunes further showcasing his love of American roots music. The artists to which he pays tribute on that record include Hank Williams, Marty Robbins and Carl Perkins.

Last year, Ness took Social D on the road to support the band's first career-spanning hits album, which surfaced in June and broke into The Billboard 200. The retrospective, titled "Greatest Hits," covers three decades worth of material, from the early punk track "Mommy's Little Monster" to the 2004 radio hit "Reach for the Sky." The set's tracklist includes '90s mainstream singles "Story of My Life," "Ball and Chain" and "I Was Wrong," in addition to the band's cover of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire." It also includes the new song "Far Behind," which reached the Top 20 on modern rock radio charts.

Social Distortion's most recent studio album, 2004's "Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll," marked its first collection of new material since 1996's "White Light, White Heat, White Trash." Ness has told various reporters that the band expects to drop a new record this year.