Many things are marvelous about Butch Walker, in addition to the trio with whom he made his name.

Since the band's demise, the former Marvelous 3 singer has written and produced records for the likes of The Donnas, Avril Lavigne, Bowling for Soup and Simple Plan. Currently, Walker is in the recording studio with Pink, helping the pop-rock queen assemble her next record.

However, the singer/songwriter/producer hasn't spent all his down time on other people's projects. In September 2004, Walker released "Letters," a solo album on Epic Records. This summer the singer plans to tour with Avril Lavigne, but before he hits the road for that tour, he wants to make a pit stop in Middle Tennessee.

Butch Walker will play Exit/In, 2208 Elliston Place in Nashville, tonight.

Walker took the time to chat with The Daily News Journal last week about his new record, his solo tour and his upcoming dates with Avril Lavigne.

"I didn't sleep well last night," comments a tired-sounding Walker from the other end of a crackling phone line. "I'm a paranoid sleeper because I'm a control freak. I can't sleep and let someone else drive. However, I can drive and sleep really well."

Other than being a bit sleepy, Walker says the rest of his life is just fine.

"Things are going pretty well," he says, still sounding a bit drowsy. "I'm alive and I'm on tour in support of my CD 'Letters.' I'm playing a club tour and I'm playing to a lot of caring fans every night, sometimes over-caring fans. Evidently I'm the guy now to call for producing, and I have the opportunity to work in several genres. I like that."

Walker's love of many musical genres is apparent in "Letters." A marked departure from the snot-pop that garnered success for Marvelous 3, "Letters" combines a series of stark, mature messages with often low-key melodies.

"It's more mellow," says Walker of the record. "I'm a mellow person now. It's not as jumpy as my music once sounded. I spent years growing up under this umbrella with no one letting you stray from this one set of influences. What happens when I hear something last week that influences me?"

"Letters" seems to be the answer. Gone is much of the attitude that made Marvelous 3 famous, but the meticulously crafted song lyrics fans have come to expect remain a glistening staple.

A seemingly mindless ditty called "Sunny Day Real Estate" kicks the record off, and Walker says he hopes the number sets the tone for the rest of the album.

"It's just a little vocal thing I did to give the record finality," says the writer. "It felt like a great way to start the record and was actually the start of another song, but I hated the rest of it. I wanted to give the record a positive feel. I didn't want people to think, 'There he goes, doing another rock record.' I wanted this record to go to a happy place."

Walker admits folks may be a bit surprised with the new tone in his music, but he maintains the change is basically a natural progression.

"I had more success with the rock side of things, but that's not always where I wanted to be," explains Walker. "I grew up on rock and punk, and now I have different things to be p——d off about. If I wrote about those, I would be crucified. I've come to terms with never labeling anything as selling out. People just change."

When Walker recorded "Letters," he could have had no idea he might have to explain the new take on his music on such a large scale. The singer went into his home studio and made the record without having a record deal or much idea how he would get the product to his hoards of fans.

"I did the record, and I didn't think I was ever going to sign a major label deal again," recalls Walker. "I planned to release it through one or three inde labels that approached me. I was about to go down that path. I didn't go to Epic so much as Epic came to me. It ended up working out."

Epic Records not only agreed to release Walker's "Letters," but essentially gave him his own imprint under the Sony Records umbrella. (Sony owns Epic Records.)

"They're letting me do what I want to do by my own rules," says Walker. "They're like, 'It's obvious you can produce and write and people love you, so go ahead.' It's called Power Ballad Recordings and it's going to start later this year."

However, the acquisition of the record label does not mean fans should expect Walker's music to revert back to earlier versions. The singer/songwriter explains he's taking great pains to distance his latest music from the image that once made him famous.

"I was happy when 'My Happy Ending' was a hit," says Walker. "I don't want to bite myself, but a lot of times radio likes simple, silly songs, but I never wanted to be known for that. Other people record the songs I write like that and do well with them. I wish it wasn't always like that. Not that I didn't enjoy writing the tongue-in-cheek songs. That's just not what I want for myself.

"I want what all the other guys want," continues Walker. "I want things like love and a career as a songwriter and a producer. I want to go out and find other talent. I want the best of all worlds."