THE SHINS - SHINS FRONTMAN WROTE ALBUM NEXT TO CRACK HOUSE

THE SHINS frontman JAMES MERCER found the inspiration to write the US band's third album WINCING THE NIGHT AWAY when he lived next door to a crack house. The songwriter decided to move out of his Portland, Oregon residence when his living situation turned dangerous. He says, "I did finally move when the police started raiding their house and the neighbours blamed it on me. "They were threatening to kill me, drive-by shoot my house, all that stuff." Mercer realised it was time to leave when his neighbours stole the master copy of The Shins' debut album OH, INVERTED WORLD. He adds, "They broke into my house and stole the most important thing I've ever done, the thing that changed my life. And it kept going downhill from there."