Since helping found Social Distortion in the wake of the late-'70s punk explosion in L.A., Mike Ness has developed into one of the scene's more recognized and respected figures.

As singer and guitarist for Social D, Ness has always been openly reverent of folk and blues music, drawing as much inspiration from such artists as Johnny Cash and Hank Williams as he has from the Clash or the Sex Pistols.

Social Distortion has been on hiatus since the release of 1996's "White Light, White Heat, White Trash," which spawned a minor hit with the single "I Was Wrong." Since then, Ness has spent his downtime writing songs and working on material for his first solo record.

The resulting album, the just-released "Cheating at Solitaire," finds Ness stripping down to his folk, rockabilly, and country roots, all the while keeping true to the passion inherent his punk-rock past.

Shortly before the release of "Cheating at Solitaire," Ness stopped by MTV's Times Square studios to perform an acoustic cover of Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice." MTV News had a chance to sit down with Ness to discuss the various vintage styles found on his new record, his "Solitaire" collaborations with Bruce Springsteen and Brian Setzer, and the future of Social Distortion.