While many folks are counting down to the Rage Against the Machine reunion at Coachella this Sunday, guitarist Tom Morello has plenty to keep him occupied in the meantime as this week marks the release of his debut solo album, 'One Man Revolution' -- an entirely acoustic endeavor with roots steeped deeply in the tradition of troubadours from Woody Guthrie to Bruce Springsteen. Needless to say, it was quite a feat for the axe-wielding rocker.

"Becoming the Nightwatchman was the greatest artistic leap I've taken since I learned to play guitar solos," Morello tells Spinner. "Having the courage to take the microphone, take pen in hand and write music that is as uncompromised as anything I've been a part of in my entire career ... I don't have any credentials as a singer or a lyricist. My only credential is my sincerity."

Delving into the world of lyric writing for the first time, Morello surprised even himself. "I was able to explore parts of my psyche that are even more dangerous than I might've feared," he says laughing. "What surprised me about my own lyrics is that they didn't come from a conscious place. I guess I would've imagined myself to be a more didactic lyricist than I turned out to be. There are no songs on the record called, 'I'm Against George W. Bush' or whatever. There are lyrics that say, 'There's a sign along the highway, but it's too dark now to read.' I don't know where that came from."

The Nightwatchman will also be appearing at Coachella this weekend with a solo show on Saturday. Between that and Rage, Morello is beside himself. "That's a pretty awesome weekend," he says. "To be very deep, I started playing guitar when I was 17 years old. I got my first record deal with the pre-Rage Against the Machine band in 1989, and that many years later to be playing what is probably the most exciting musical weekend of my life ... I feel very lucky."