Since they first coughed down the track, trains have inspired artists, writers and musicians, from Arlo Guthrie's "City of New Orleans," to Peter Mulvey's new CD, "Ten Thousand Mornings."

Mulvey, an alternative acoustic musician, self-recorded his latest project on a platform of the Boston subway system (called "The T"), and not surprisingly, the familiar sound of train ramble is in the background of a few cuts. "These sounds are not studio mimicry but, rather, rare flashes of bloody good timing," writes Mulvey on his web site.

Mulvey recorded the album between June 2001 and March 2002, basically whenever his touring schedule led him to the East Coast. His typical recording regiment included a 5:30 a.m. start time, and he usually played for four to 12 hours.

Considering the long hours Mulvey spent playing and recording in the underground jungle (he recorded over 80 songs, only 12 of which appear on the CD), it may have seemed like a 10,000-hour project, but the album title actually refers to the number of people who pass through the subway station every morning.

"I quickly learned that, down there, ego fails. Charm fails, will fails, gimmicks fail. The only thing that succeeded for me (and then only sometimes) was immersion," says Mulvey. "Immersion in the moment and the music."

"Ten Thousand Mornings" is Mulvey's seventh album, and unlike the others, is a collection of cover songs. He is obviously deeply connected to the songs on this album, which range from Leo Kottke's "Running up the Stairs" to Gillian Welch's "Caleb Meyer." Mulvey's vision, courage and talent enabled him to bring a new element to each recording, creating an overall sound that's powerful, soothing and surprising.

After spending time in Ireland and Boston, Mulvey is once again living in Brew City, and in between tour dates, he recently chatted with OnMilwaukee.com about living life outside of the mainstream and recording music underground.

OMC: How/when did you first get the idea to record an album in a subway station?
PM: I have always loved playing in the subway and the street. I lived in Ireland for a while, and when I moved to Boston, I played in the subway to make ends meet.

OMC: What do you like about playing in the subway?
PM: It's so immediate and you don't have to deal with traffic (like you do when you play outside) ... all you have on your side is whether you're singing well or not. Plus, I always liked performing in raw spaces.

OMC: How did you decide to record an album of cover songs?
PM: A guy from my record label heard me singing an Elvis tune, and he asked me if I knew any more covers, and I realized I knew at least a couple of hundred.

OMC: You recorded more than 80 songs in The T. How did you decide which ones to cut and which to keep?
PM: At the time it seemed obvious, but it so easily could've been a completely different record, or three or four records.

OMC: What is it about trains and subways that inspire so many singer-songwriters?
PM: (Laughing) The money ... Seriously, it's a great way make a living, build an audience, learn to sing for people and pay the rent.

OMC: Do all of the songs you chose for the record have something in common?
PM: The one thing they have in common is that I feel like I actually bring something to them, you know, as opposed to my getting up there and doing a James Taylor song just as James Taylor would do it.

OMC: What do you try to achieve when you cover a song?
PM: It's what you try to achieve when you create your own songs ... When Nick Lowe writes a song he goes and rents a little hall and sings it over and over until it feels like a cover to him. That's the best way to approach a song: As if it's outside of you. Music is not something you possess, it's something you access ... Unfortunately we writers get way too precious about our stuff and then all sorts of things prevent us from singing the songs the way we should. I'm trying to shed that kind of connection to my material, and that's one of the beauties of cover songs: There's nothing to shed. The other beauty of covers is that there are so many to chose from. I have written hundreds of songs, but there are thousands of amazing songs already out there.

OMC: Elvis Costello's "Oliver's Army" was an interesting choice. Why did you choose to cover that song?
PM: I have always liked that song a lot. Maybe it's because I'm the great grandson of an Irish immigrant. I like that fiery angry sentiment, and it seems appropriate. Once again we have "Who are you? Where are you from? Do you wear a turban?"...But getting back to Elvis, I could have done a tune off his first or last album.