From Idea to Reality

Cocaine Train wasn’t just a song being born – it was the birth of a new identity. After decades with Inmehead, the story reached its end and something new had to rise. Fred Hollow became the name, and the train the symbol: a journey without brakes, a rush and a fall, but also a way forward.

Writing the Song

The track was written with the same rawness as its theme – unforgiving, stripped-down, and grounded. Acoustic guitar and bass laid the foundation, while drums and choirs drove the pressure forward. Peter Johansson, long-time partner in crime, contributed with acoustic bass and banjo. The rest – performance, production, mixing, and mastering – was carried out by Fred himself, inside the beating heart of The Burning Cow-Bar, Studio & BBQ.

Recording & Mixing

The studio is a patchwork of analog grit and digital precision. The sound ran through classic rack gear like the Warm Audio WA273 and DBX EQs, patched across color-coded patchbays, and captured in Studio One. The mission was clear: to craft a dirty outlaw sound scarred by life itself, yet sharp enough to cut through.

Making the Video

This is where the real grind began. Many think you type a prompt into an AI and boom – you’ve got a finished video. Reality? Cocaine Train took over 100 hours to create. Nearly 600 different files – still images, overlays, quotes, and video clips – were generated, discarded, and reworked before the final vision came together.

The locomotive, the smoke, the feeling of unstoppable motion – it took countless attempts to get the AI to understand. Then came the long editing sessions in Filmora 14, stitching all the pieces into a coherent story. AI was just the tool. The real work was the human eye, ear, and patience.

The Message Behind the Train

Cocaine Train is more than music. It’s a metaphor for a runaway journey – addictions, breakups, restarts, and life on dangerous tracks. The outlaw life leaves scars, but that’s exactly where the truth lives.

What’s Next?

Cocaine Train is only the first station. The next chapter for Fred Hollow is already on its way – but you get to help choose the title:

• Prison of Whispers
• Gallows of Hope

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