BY MIKE METTLER

“For me personally, I like the singer/songwriters who tell stories,” says Walton Goggins, and if anyone knows how to get into a character and tell a story and tell it damn well, it’s him. In Season 4 of Justified, out now on Blu-ray, Goggins’s character, the perpetually morally challenged Boyd Crowder, found redemption in the arms of love — specifically with the feisty and unbendingly loyal Eva Crowder (Joelle Carter). But Boyd also found that such deep love can come at a terrible price. Hmmm… that scenario sounds like a few lines pulled straight out of a U2 song or two, doesn’t it? And that’s quite fitting, since, according to Goggins, one of the iconic Irish band’s albums “changed my life.” Earlier this year, Goggins and I discussed things like shooting in high-def, long-term character development, and his love of music on Sound & Vision’s website, but here we get to dive even deeper into his musical inclinations.

Mike Mettler: You know a lot about how to find the right rhythms for your character on Justified. And speaking of knowing what the right beats and tones are, I have to ask you about music, since I know it’s important to you.

Walton Goggins: I’m a big lover of music. My partner [Ray McKinnon] and I have made four films for our company [Ginny Mule Pictures], and music plays a very big part of that. We enjoy the process of taking people through the cinematic choices.

For me personally, I like the singer/songwriters who tell stories. There’s a guy whom I’ve been listening to a lot lately, Micah P. Hinson. The dude is fantastic. And another guy named Damian Jurado. They’re both incredible storytellers. And I also love Dave Alvin, who has both appeared on and had his music featured on Justified. [Executive Producer] Graham [Yost] is a fan of Dave’s. There’s just so much great music out there… so much great music.

Mettler: Then you must also love artists like John Prine and John Hiatt.

Goggins: It’s funny you say that. I’ve been a fan of John Prine’s for almost 20 years. I did a movie for Billy Bob [Thornton], one he did after Sling Blade [1996] called Daddy and Them [2001], back when people carried CDs around with a Discman. And Billy Bob said, “Walt, thanks for coming down. All your stuff is going to be with this songwriter that I doubt you’ve ever heard, but his name is John Prine, and we’re all gonna go out to dinner.” And I said, “Wait a second, dude. I brought three CDs with me, and they’re all John Prine.” So it was one of the biggest treats of my life to work with John on that film since I’m such a big fan of his music.

Mettler: Do you remember the first album or single you bought with your own money?

Goggins: Yeah, I could go back to [Queen’s] “Another One Bites the Dust,” this 45 I bought back in like the 3rd grade. But I think the album that changed my life and really brought me into music was U2’s The Joshua Tree [1987]. And only after exploring all of the new music did I turn my head around and start looking backwards, and I got into all of these people who have been around for so long like the Motown artists and Otis Redding, and I have to thank my mother for a lot of that.

Lately, I’ve been listening to a lot of Louis Armstrong and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band down in New Orleans. Oddly enough, my [infant] son is really attracted to things like bluegrass and Django Reinhart. He likes things that are modern as well as things that are old. It’s so curious for me to discover the same music through my son’s eyes. But that’s what parents do: We pass down music.

What else? Well, are you a fan of Tinariwen? Let me give you this one — it’s an African band that does amazing world music. I mean, wow. I first heard them on Tom Schnabel’s Rhythm Planet, which I love listening to on Sundays on KCRW [in Los Angeles]. And do you know Smog?

Mettler: Oh yeah, I sure do. Damn cool Drag City one-man band.

Goggins: Smog is fantastic. “Rock Bottom Riser” is one of the most saddest and most graceful songs ever written. I put that song on, and I’m weeping.

Mettler: Do you put certain songs on to get into character?

Goggins: I do, but I try to stay away from that on the day after I get to work [i.e., at a studio or on location]. Whenever I’m working on a project, I will go to Amoeba or download a bunch of albums from that era. And Amoeba is a very special place, isn’t it? You don’t have anything like it in New York City [both laugh], but you have so many other amazing things.

Billy Bob Thornton Daddy and Them Damian Jurado Dave Alvin Ginny Mule Pictures John Hiatt John Prine Justified Louis Armstrong Micah P. Hinson Otis Redding Preservation Hall Jazz Band Queen Ray McKinnon Rock Bottom Riser Sling Blade Smog Sons of Anarchy The Joshua Tree The Shield Timothy Olyphant Tinariwen U2 Walton Goggins