Best known as the original vocalist and founding member of the platinum
selling hard rock band RATT, Stephen Pearcy is set to release his highly anticipated fifth solo album, “View To A Thrill” on November 9, 2018 on CD/LP/Digital via Frontiers. Tuesday, Pearcy dropped another new track from the album ‘U Only Live Twice,’ listen to it HERE.
“View To A Thrill” includes 11 superb RATT ‘n Roll songs written by Stephen Pearcy, together with guitarist Erik Ferentinos, that will surely please fans of his last solo effort, “Smash” as well as fans of his original band, RATT.The tracklisting flows perfectly and takes you on an audio journey through blistering rockers mixed with slower, more measured numbers. Like RATT’s catalog, this is a record that showcases the art of the riff! Erik Ferentinos is truly Pearcy’s secret weapon as displayed by the mind-bending solos on display throughout “View To A Thrill”.
BAND MEMBERS: Stephen Pearcy- Lead Vocals Erik Ferentinos – Guitars, Back Up Vocals, Keys Matt Thorne – Bass Guitars, Keys, Back Up Vocals Scot Coogan – Drums
Best known as the original vocalist and founding member of the platinum selling hard rock band RATT, Stephen Pearcy has announced the release of his highly anticipated fifth solo album, “View To A Thrill” on November 9, 2018 on CD/LP/Digital via Frontiers. Pre-order “View to a Thrill” on CD/LP/Digital and stream the single at this location.
Today, a new song from the album has been made available to stream and download. Get your first listen to “I’m a Ratt” below.
“View To A Thrill” includes 11 superb RATT ‘n Roll songs written by Stephen Pearcy, together with guitarist Erik Ferentinos, that will surely please fans of his last solo effort, “Smash” as well as fans of his original band, RATT. The tracklisting flows perfectly and takes you on an audio journey through blistering rockers mixed with slower, more measured numbers. Like RATT’s catalog, this is a record that showcases the art of the riff! Erik Ferentinos is truly Pearcy’s secret weapon as displayed by the mind-bending solos on display throughout “View To A Thrill”.
With over 15 million records sold worldwide with RATT, there is simply no slowing Pearcydown in the 21st century. Pearcy is an accomplished songwriter with credits on all of RATT’s records throughout the years, including the “RATT” EP, “Out Of The Cellar”, “Invasion Of Your Privacy”, “Dancing Undercover”, “Reach for the Sky”, “Detonator”, “RATT” and “Infestation”. Stephen is also a producer, composer, owner/product creator of “Mic Knuckles” (hands free mic holder), and has also been involved in recording songs for TV, movies, ESPN2, and NHRA Drag Racing Series over the years. He is also involved in sponsoring several top fuel dragsters and funny cars, which he has been doing since the ’80s.
Tracklisting:
1. U Only Live Twice
2. Sky Falling
3. Malibu
4. One In A Million
5. Double Shot
6. Secrets To Tell
7. Not Killin’ Me
8. Dangerous Thing
9. I’m A Ratt
10. From The Inside
11. Violator
BAND MEMBERS:
Stephen Pearcy- Lead Vocals
Erik Ferentinos – Guitars, Back Up Vocals, Keys
Matt Thorne – Bass Guitars, Keys, Back Up Vocals
Scot Coogan – Drums
Founded in 1983 by guitarists Billy Rowe and Fernie Rod, JETBOY continues to crank out their brand of rock n’ roll in the 21st century with the same passion that has existed from the beginning.
And rock ‘n roll is what you’ll get on their upcoming new album “Born To Fly”, which is set for release January 25, 2019 via Frontiers Music Srl. Beginning today, you can watch the video for the album’s title track below!
On the song and video for the title track, Mickey Finn says, “‘Born to Fly’ is just about the feeling of being meant to do something great, and fighting and working to make it happen, never giving up, or giving in and sticking to your guns to do it on your own terms. Remember sometimes greatness comes in small accomplishments. If it feels great to you, then it is great!! We shot the video on two rooftop locations in the southside of downtown Los Angeles, on one long day and night in July 2018.”
This new album – put together by the band’s core of guitarists Billy Rowe, Fernie Rod and vocalist Mickey Finn, alongside former faster Pussycat bassist Eric Stacy and drummer Al Serrato – is the first fully-fledged set of new material from JETBOY since 1990. “The band wasn’t working on any new material when Frontiers approached us. Mickey and I had written one or two songs a few years back, but that’s about it. For myself, I’ve been very into writing music and got very into recording, so I had a good amount of complete musical songs that I always felt could end up as new JETBOY material, and some of it did. But, the majority of the songs on this album were written within a couple of months after we got the offer from Frontiers,” says guitarist Billy Rowe of the writing process for “Born To Fly”.
Rowe continues, “Writing and recording this album came so naturally, there was no struggle at all. We feel it happened at the right time and was meant to be. The spirit of the band has been at an all time high ever since we started this new album. We shared ideas via email and then demoed every song before enteringthe studio. Once we started tracking this album we all felt something special was going on.”
Best described as a blend of edgy rock and roll with a traditional blues based influence, their new album “Born To Fly” is the perfect vehicle to exploit the commanding style of the bands classic rock ‘n roll sound. “The musical inspiration for the “Born To Fly” album came from a life long list of influences from bands we all grew up on from the 1970’s. JETBOY has always approached it’s writing with a simple stripped down, no nonsense rock n roll structure, starting with a great riff and a catchy hook. This album flowed so organically, everything felt like it was meant to be. We’ve also all really grown as musicians, which really helped capture what we feel is some of our best work to date,” states Rowe.
Vocalist Mickey Finn says the “lyrics flowed amazingly fast, with most songs being written in one sitting. My feelings were to stay true to JETBOY’S roots and style, but to also incorporate where we are at today, pleasing old and new fans alike. My wife was the inspiration for “Every Time I Go” and my firstborn son inspired “The Way You Move Me”. Our life struggles as a band and lifelong friends inspired tracks like “Beating The Odds” and “Born to Fly”. “Inspiration from Desperation” covers our political climate in America these days, “Brokenhearted Daydream” reminds us that love is sometimes fickle and hearts get broken, but don’t let it destroy your heart, we have to learn to move on and allow love to come into our lives again. So, all in all, lots of inspiring messages on the record, as well as some good old rock ‘n roll fun and “Party Time” lyrics make it a well rounded listen!
“Born To Fly” is a fine rock record by any measure, hinting back to the band’s ’80s sound and 70’s influences, while adding 30 years more experience to the grooves. JETBOY is ready to fly again.
“Born To Fly” Tracklisting:
1. Beating The Odds
2. Born To Fly
3. Old Dog, New Tricks
4. The Way That You Move Me
5. Brokenhearted Daydream
6. Inspiration From Desperation
7. All Over Again
8. She
9. A Little Bit Easy
10. Every Time I Go
11. Smoky Ebony
12. Party Time!
JETBOY Lineup:
Mickey Finn – Lead Vocals + Harmonica
Fernie Rod – Rhythm + Lead Guitar + Vocals
Billy Rowe – Rhythm + Slide Guitar + Vocals
Eric Stacy – Bass
Al Serrato – Drums
Enuff Z’nuff are the living, breathing example of what a rock ‘n roll group should be. Now centered around bass player and vocalist Chip Z’nuff, Enuff Z’nuff are still alive and kicking with a legion of loyal fans, who can’t get enough of the band’s power pop melded with hard rock stylings. They have proven this once again with the release of their upcoming album “Diamond Boy” which is set for an August 10th release via Frontiers Music Srl.
Today the first single from the album entitled “Metalheart” has been released. It is available on all streaming services as well as an instant download with digital pre-orders. Listen to it HERE.
“This song is about bullying, mentally-abusive relationships. The song provides the answer on how to overcome adversity and move forward from a bad situation,” says Z’nuff.
This record is the first Enuff Z’nuff release where Chip handles all of the vocal duties, which was quite a task, but one he was certainly up for:
“(Singing on the entire album was) very challenging. I’m taking the place of my brother who I consider one of the greatest singers of our generation. The songs on this record are solid as a boulder,” says Chip.
He describes the album as “It’s a fresh new chapter that should have been written a long time ago. Picture David Bowie & The Beatles fighting and Cheap Trick comes in to break it up.”
In addition to Chip Z’nuff, the band features longtime guitarist Tory Stoffregen, ex-Ultravox singer/guitarist Tony Fennell, and Chicago native Daniel Benjamin Hill on drums. Enuff Z’nuff continues to tour and record relentlessly and this new record shows once again what a truly gifted hard / power pop act they are. With no shortage of hooks and awesome songs, “Diamond Boy” is another gem in Enuff Z’Nuff’s crown!
Track Listing:
1. Transcendence
2. Diamond Boy
3. Where Did You Go
4. We’re All The Same
5. Fire & Ice
6. Down On Luck
7. Metalheart
8. Love Is On The Line
9. Faith, Hope & Luv
10. Dopesick
11. Imaginary Man
Band:
Chip Z’nuff: Singer/ Electric bass guitar
Tony Fennell: Guitar
Tory Stoffregen: Guitar
Dan Hill: Drums
Catch Enuff Z’Nuff on the “SiriusXM Hair Nation Tour”alongside Jack Russell’s Great White and Bulletboys. Presales are currently underway and the general on sale is set for Friday June 8th. A complete list of dates can be found below.
+ SiriusXM Presale: Wednesday, June 6 @ 10am local(Password=SIRIUSXM)
+ Ticketmaster Presale: Wednesday, June 6 @ 10am local(Password=ROCKER)
+ Live Nation Presale: Wednesday, June 6 @ 10am local(Password=GOODVIBES)
+ Live Nation App Presale: Wednesday, June 6 @ 10am local(Password=COVERT)
+ Local/Venue Presale: Wednesday, June 6 @ 10am local
– All Presales End: Thursday, June 7 @10pm local
+ Public On Sale: Friday, June 8 @ 10am local
“SiriusXM Hair Nation Tour” Featuring Enuff Z’Nuff W/ Jack Russell’s Great White and BulletBoys:
9/12: San Diego, CA @ House Of Blues
9/14: Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern
9/15: Anaheim, CA @ House Of Blues
9/18: Phoenix, AZ @ Van Buren
9/20: Las Vegas, NV @ House Of Blues
9/21: Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
10/5: Orlando, FL @ House Of Blues
10/6: Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution Live
10/11: Asbury Park, NJ @ The Stone Pony
10/12: Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts
10/14: Huntington, NY @ The Paramount
10/16: Louisville, KY @ Mercury Ballroom
10/18: Detroit, MI @ Saint Andrews Hall
10/19: Grand Rapids, MI @ Intersection
10/21: Fort Wayne, IN @ Clyde Theatre
10/22: Cleveland, OH @ House Of Blues
10/25: Chicago, IL @ House Of Blues
10/26: Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart’s
10/27: Indianapolis, IN @ Egyptian Room at Old National Centre
11/2: Houston, TX @ House Of Blues
11/3: Dallas, TX @ House Of Blues
More on Enuff Z’nuff:
Originally formed in 1984 in Chicago, IL, the band received their big break in 1989 when they to Atco/Atlantic Records. Founding members, Chip Z’Nuff and Donnie Vie were joined by guitarist Derek Frigo and drummer Vikki Foxx and they commenced work on their major label debut. The self-titled album was a monster hit and spawned two evergreen singles, “New Thing” and “Fly High Michelle”. Both received constant airplay on radio and heavy rotation on MTV, spending over 60 weeks in the Top 10. 1991 saw the band release their sophomore album, “Strength”. The album had more of a hard rock overtone and sustained the success achieved on the first album. The band made high profile television and radio appearances on the likes of David Letterman and Howard Stern and were featured in Rolling Stone’s Hot Issue as ‘The Next Big Thing’. The band soldiered on during the new musical climates of the ’90s and went on to release another 12 studio records.
For More Info Visit: www.enuffznuff.com www.facebook.com/EnuffZnuffOfficial
For over three decades, Marq Torien has been rockin’ audiences around the globe as the frontman for Bulletboys. Charismatic, endlessly-energetic, and fearless when it comes to the music he loves, Torien has established himself as an institution in the rock scene. For the uninitiated, Bulletboys exploded onto the music scene in 1988 with their self-titled album. The raw and relentless rock album resulted in two major (and very memorable) hits for the band; “Smooth Up In Ya” and a remake of the O’Jays classic, “For The Love Of Money.” The future looked very bright for the band and they quickly followed up by releasing their sophomore album, “Freakshow,” which featured “Hang On St. Christopher (Tom Waits cover),” “THC Groove” and more. Despite their critical and commercial success, the Bulletboys never rose to the heights of some of the peers. It was a pivotal time in music history as the once flourishing Hollywood metal scene would soon be cast aside. As the phenomena of grunge music quickly took hold, terms like “glam metal” and “hair band” became dirty words and cast a shadow over the Bulletboys and many other bands who didn’t quite fit the mold, robbing them of the credit they deserved as artists and a formidable force in rock ‘n’ roll. As he weathered the turbulent storms of the ever-changing music industry, Torien’s determination never wavered and his passion for the art form he loves grew exponentially.
In 2018, the Bulletboys unleashed the next exciting chapter in their already rich history. A true labor of love, “From Out Of The Skies” was recorded at the Foo Fighters’ legendary Studio 606. A fitting followup to their critically acclaimed 2015 release, “Elefante,” the band continues to elevate their game and waste no time exploring uncharted musical territory. It’s clear at first listen that everyone involved with the project, from the band members to those working diligently behind the scenes, have poured their hearts and souls into the process of bringing this powerful new album to life. Released on March 23rd, 2018 via Frontiers Music Srl, the vivacious and wildly ambitious album is a testament to the fact that Bulletboys are an unstoppable force. Armed with an undeniably powerful back catalog and arsenal of new music, they’re once again ready to take the world by storm with their unique brand hard rock.
Jason Price of Icon Vs. Icon recently sat down with Marq Torien to discuss his passion for creation, the reinvention of the Bulletboys, the making of their powerful new album, “From Out of The Skies,” and what the future holds for him musically!
You’ve become an institution in rock ‘n’ roll. I wanted to start by going all the way back to the beginning. What went into finding your creative voice as a young man?
I come from a very musical background. My family, both my mother and father, are musicians. I think I was born into it! I think I found my voice from singing in different churches, church choirs and singing with my family on my own. I’ve been singing for a very, very long time! I didn’t really learn it, it was just kind of a blessing that I have a natural singing voice!
In the early years of the Bulletboys, I imagine things were moving very fast. What can you tell us about the early days and the moments that had the biggest impact on you?
That’s a really difficult question because when we first started we were constantly working, constantly rehearsing and constantly writing. Then we finally got to the point where the band was number one on MTV and we had a successful first record. It came down to the notion of “Okay, we have this and now we have to push further.” We weren’t happy with the initial success. While we did very well, we wanted to sell millions of records. It was quite a strange time for us because when we came out, music was kind of changing. We came out with this hard rock record when there was a lot of new music coming from Seattle and things were starting to change. I always say we’ve stuck to our guns musically. Back in the day, we never really put a ballad on our record when everyone else was doing that and a lot of people made it with their ballads. Bulletboys was more straightforward and had this punk rock attitude that “We’re not going to do a ballad! We’re just doing a straight out hard rock record!” For all intents and purposes, looking back, I think we would have been doing things differently if we would have but it is what it is. We worked extremely hard to do what we did and to put out great music. We had an amazing village behind us with our management, Ted Templeman, Roberta Peterson and being signed with Warner Brothers. Ted was very educating to us as far as teaching us different things. He would give us little assignments to go read certain books or go see a certain movie; they were things that would open up your mind a little bit more for creative purposes. We were very, very fortunate that we were one of the few bands that got to work with Ted Templeman. That’s still a big thing for me, absolutely!
By all accounts, you are one of the most electrifying frontmen in rock. You bring such a tremendous energy to the stage. That doesn’t happen overnight. When do you feel you really came into your own in that position?
Thank you so much. Ya know, I feel like I really came into my own as of late, to be honest with you. I was recently talking to a really close friend and I was saying I felt like I was always getting shade thrown on me for the fact that the band was very Van Halen-esque or like The Who. We just had this sound, we had Ted Templeman and I had this long blonde hair. After a while, to me, it just became this thing that I wanted people to take me for what I was. I wanted to have my own thing and my own look. I really believe that I’ve come full-circle with the re-invention of the band, I have my own style and people are appreciating that I am who I am. I really think I’ve come into that as of late. The past years and different things that I’ve gone through in my personal life have allowed me to change as a person. I think I have more of a vast feeling of love, passion and forgiveness for people that I didn’t have before. That really empowers you when you’ve come into your own.
It sounds kind of weird but with the band, the four of us, don’t really have any ego. There is none of this rock ‘n’ roll ego. We are more like, “Grab your lunch pail and hard hat!” We’re one of those working bands, so there is no attitude of “Oh, I’m this huge rock star…” We don’t have that at all. We’re not that way. I think it used to be that way for me back in the day a little bit. If I could go back, I wish I could do a couple of things differently but, as of late, I’m comfortable with myself. I feel like I’ve really come into my own with my writing and I have an amazing band that I get to play in with Chad [Chad MacDonald], Nick [Rozz] and our new drummer, Tiny [Biuso]. It’s a really good swirl with this band right now! They let me be me and vice versa. We’re just doing our own thing and being our own personalities. Things have really taken a turn and they are working! The fact that we’ve put out ‘From Out of The Skies’ and, before that, ‘Elefante,’ and people are really loving our record is a blessing to us! In this day and age, the world is moving so fast these days and there is so much music out there. For someone to take time out of life and listen to our music it’s a big thing for us! We’re really grateful that people are really taking to this record!
With that said, I think people really pick up on the authenticity in your writing and within the band itself, so kudos to you!
Thank you! Yeah, it’s pretty simple. In our genre of music, there are a lot of fans who don’t want to let you grow musically. I feel that sometimes, but with us it’s so strange because we’re not really caught up in that whole genre, we’ve been able to reinvent ourselves and we have a lot of new fans. There are a lot of new people who had never heard of us, who are now coming to listen to us and saying, “Wow! You guys are my new favorite band! I had no idea of your past. I’ve just been digging on this new record.”
As you mentioned, Bulletboys have a brand-new album, ‘From Out of The Skies.’ Tell us a little about your headspace going into the creative process. What did you envision and how did the final product differ from what you expected?
Wow! Ya know, I wanted to top our last record, ‘Elefante.’ I wanted to take it to another level. There are so many great bands out there right now that are musically solid and whose musical prowess is at a very high level. For us to try to match those bands or come at it with the same intense prowess, we really had to step up musically. We were very, very grateful and very fortunate that the tribe we have around us were able to help us manifest that. We just put it out there into the universe! We had Dave Grohl step up for us and be a champion for the band! He brought us in to Studio 606 to record this record. That’s a huge thing for a band like us! I don’t think there has ever been a band from our genre who’ve been allowed to come into that studio and cut a record. I really felt that it was a huge blessing from Dave Grohl, who is such a sweetheart and so loving, to have us come in. He heard the demo we did for our record and said, “You guys are taking risks. Come into our studio. You guys should be in here cutting this record.” It was like, “Woooow!!!” [laughs] It was a completely wild moment, not only because we were going to be doing the record at Studio 606, but because the person with the studio we were originally going to record at was trying to give me the best deal, but it wasn’t the best. David and 606 came in and gave us the Bro-bro-bro deal and we are very, very grateful for that! If they didn’t, I’m not sure how we were going to cut this record.
We didn’t have a huge budget on this record. We had a certain amount and that’s all we had to work with. Thankfully, we were able to come into Studio 606, which is hallowed grounds. The music that been cut in there was very uplifting to me and the band. We knew we had to take it to a very, very high level because there are so many great musicians out there putting out great music. We just wanted this little band from SoCal to say, “Listen, HEY! We’re here, too!” [laughs] “We’re right here, too! You might’ve forgotten about us be we are right here, too.” We are very brazen with the fact that we will put this record up against anybody else’s record. We don’t care! We haven’t had anybody from our genre try to step up and do something that is different. We take a lot of heat from a lot of people. I take a lot of heat from a lot of people, but we always just try to spread love. I tell people we are the fun-loving villains! We are the villains and people have made us that, but we are very loving villains! I think the fact that we don’t take any shit from anybody is the reason why we are what we are. I think that’s very rock ‘n’ roll and punk rock. We love our families, we love our friends and we love our fans unconditionally, so that’s where we’re coming from with our thing!
Well, I have to applaud you for that. It’s refreshing to see someone from your genre take risks at this point in their career.
Yeah, it’s not easy, my man. You take a lot of heat from people who don’t understand. You hear, “Why don’t you do this!” or “Why aren’t you doing that?” Like I said, right now, I feel like we are going to the top of our musical prowess. We’re really pushing the envelope from ‘Ten Cent Billionaire’ to ‘Elefante’ to ‘From Out of The Skies,’ we’ve really moved forward in our reinvention process. I don’t like looking back. I have a lot of respect for my past, but I’m a person who lives in the now and for the future. I was always told when I was really young, “If you keep on looking in the rearview mirror, that’s where you’re going to end up!” [laughs] I took that to heart and I don’t want to end up back there! There are too many great musicians who get browbeaten down by the public or critics and they say, “Ya know what? I’m done. I’m giving up. I can’t do this anymore.” It’s not the most lucrative business these days but I’m so excited about this new record, how people are gravitating to it and the accolades we are receiving. It’s been mind-blowing, man! Sometimes when you introduce something new, it’s like, “Okay, get ready for the lambasting!” [laughs] That’s one cool thing about us — Nick, Chad and myself have been together for almost 9 years. We make a lot of fun of ourselves and our situations. We never take things too seriously, so that’s one thing I love about Nick. We could be in the worst situation and he will say something that will have us all falling on the floor laughing because it is what it is!
BulletBoys are alive, well and thriving in 2018!
What challenges did you face in bringing ‘From Out of The Skies’ to life and what challenges lie ahead for you with the release?
There were many challenges! One of the biggest was getting our record label to believe in it. I don’t think they really had the open-mindedness of believing in what we did on ‘Elefante’ to now. They’re a label that really admires the old sound of rock, metal and what have you. Here we are, this punk rock/rock ‘n’ roll/soul/R&B/metal band! [laughs] They’re going like, “Okay, who the hell are these guys?!!! I can’t believe you’re giving us this record!” All of a sudden, they listened to it and it hit them like, “Wow, this is another place that we’re not used to. We’re used to this band or that band.” So, it took some prodding from us and through management to have them realize that we’re not just this band who is a one-trick-pony. One of the biggest things for me, and I’m sorry to be so wordy, but as the leader of the band… To be honest with you, being the leader of the band is not all it’s cracked up to be! You take way more shit than you get love! [laughs] Being the boss is not all that cool! [laughs] There are always difficult decisions to be made. There are so many bands on the label’s rosters and there are a lot of different things happening but, here we are, this band who’s putting out this music that’s quite different than some of the bands on our label is putting out. I think that is very much to our advantage and sets us apart.
I thought I had ‘From Out of The Skies’ completely written, but there were some songs that I wasn’t quite happy with. What I did was go and wrote 3 new songs when I was on the road or traveling. We dropped those songs in. One of them which wasn’t finished, and I kept having issues with was ‘Switchblade Butterfly.’ It’s a very delicate song lyrically and poetically. I wanted it to be right! Lyrically, with this record, I really wanted to convey the feeling of “This is the underdog that never won.” That’s where this record is, and it comes from that mindset. There are so many bands in my genre that have taken off, are huge and are at this high level. We kinda get pushed aside all the time. We’ve done shows with Bon Jovi in the past, but I can’t even get a hold of that guy to say, “Hey, we’d love to come open up for you guys.” There are bands like Gun N’ Roses, who we’d love to open up for but to try to get ahold of some of the cats is very difficult because they are on this other level now. That’s really difficult. I’m hoping, with this new music, that people will actually listen to it and say, “Wait a minute, this record is really stupid good. We should call these guys.” I think that’s what is happening now! Some people are really taking this record and saying, “Wow! These guys are not playing around!” The business is quite different now as opposed to when we started. Don’t get me wrong, we are very grateful for all the opportunities that come our way, but we’d sure like to throw a shout out to those huge bands to check out what we’ve been up to. I know my boy Scott Travis, who’s a very good friend of mine, plays in Judas Priest. We wouldn’t mind opening up for Priest! If some of these bigger bands would give us a shot to open up, we would not let them down. We would blow the roof off the place! That’s one of the thing that my band does! It doesn’t matter who is playing before us or after us, we hold our own! We go out there and throw down! When people see us, they say, “Holy… Are you guys freakin’ kiddin’ me!” [laughs] We’re not the bands from the past. We are in the now and we throw it down. It’s a two-guitar band and I’m playing guitar also. I’ve been playing guitar all my life, so it has a who different feeling now. The band is very aggressive and very punk rock. We go out there and do our thing, so if anybody is listening out there, I wouldn’t mind opening up for some of these bands. Who knows, maybe we’ll give them a little bit of a kick in the teeth — punk rock style! That’s the way we roll!
Another thing I would like to say is that we’ve been trying to play a big festival on the East Coast called the M3 Festival. We’re not allowed to play the M3 Festival for some reason. We’re being kept out of M3, which to us is really sad because we know people want to see us at that festival. The powers that be or what have you don’t want us to play for some reason. Maybe we rubbed somebody the wrong way or something happened. It’s really sad because you get people who have a hold over you and you can’t even go play to the people you want to play for because someone rubbed someone the wrong way. Sometimes, you get to the point where you’re like, “Ya know what man? I don’t need to play that thing.” We’d love to but that’s where we’re at.
BulletBoys — The Self-Described Fun Loving Villains of Rock!
The four of us have kissed a lot of asses and helped along the way as well. Chad MacDonald, my bass player, is one of the most giving people that I know. He’s constantly helping people and is a person who goes out and tries to help other people before helping himself. We’re all like that. We’ve done a lot of different things for different artists, so it would be great that one of these huge artists would open up their hearts and let us come and have a couple of shows and see what happens. Give us a chance! I know there are some new bands out there who’ve said, “Hey man, we definitely want to give you a shot! Come and open up for us!” I don’t care if I get boo’d! Just give us the opportunity! Let us come out there and show what we have! I can tell you one thing; those boos will turn into cheers after they see our band! Like I said, we do not play games! Everyone trips out when they see us and say, “You guys are these fun-loving dudes. You come into sound check and are laughing about this and cracking up about that while tuning guitars. Then, all of a sudden, you guys are on the one… One, Two!!… Then it’s like a bomb explodes! I don’t know how you do it! You have this devil-may-care attitude and then you bring it!” That’s exactly it. When we hit the stage, the stage is ours at that time. I’ve learned that through the years through the labels and people who’ve been around me. They’ve always said, “When it’s your time, it’s your time! Get up there! It’s your stage and it doesn’t matter who’s on the bill — Make it happen!” I learned that at a very young age and we all kind of roll like that! There are times where we’ve driven 10 hours and have to get up and play even when we’re exhausted but we seize the moment. We just got done doing our 14-day UK run. That was amazing! So many people came out and I love being in the UK. The people are so kind, sweet and helpful to us. I really want to thank everybody in the UK for coming out and seeing us. Hopefully, we will be back in the summer.
So, yea, I haven’t really said that in any articles but I’m giving a shout out to any of those big bands out there! Get the Bulletboys to open up for you! Don’t be scared! [laughs] We’ll come out there and do our thing! Yeah, we’re a band from the late 80s but we can play with any band! Shout out to, IMAGINE DRAGONS, put us on some dates! We’ll do it and let ’em have it! Music is music! [laughs]
I really dig your passion for the music. It is your livelihood and it’s how you pay the bills but it all comes back to you love of the art form. I’ll put it simply — What does rock ‘n’ roll mean to you?
That’s a very poignant question. Rock ‘n’ roll to me is about love. It’s about camaraderie. It’s about helping people and having tribes, villages and musical families around you that are uplifting. Rock ‘n’ roll is also a double-edged sword! [laughs] You have to be very careful with the words that you say and the words that you convey to your fans and the public, as well as your friends and family. I would also say that rock ‘n’ roll is alive and well! There are some amazing artists putting out some amazing records right now, and here in The States there are a lot of great rock ‘n’ roll bands. My vision of rock ‘n’ roll through the years has become much more about love than it is a job. I really love rock ‘n’ roll music, R&B music and everything in between. I just love music, period. In the business, I feel like you never truly get to learn everything, so I’m always being a sponge and absorbing knowledge. Every day when I wake up, I’m learning something new or someone is teaching me something different about what’s happening in the now within social media or what have you. It’s always a learning process to me and a challenge! I love to be challenged musically! Being a writer, lyricist and a poet is something that is very challenging to me. To convey feelings, especially my feelings on what I’m going through, in a way that people can understand but have their own take away on what the music I’m writing is about is a great challenge.
In our chat today, you’ve mentioned the reinvention of the Bulletboys and how it has revitalized you as an artist. Is it safe to say you’re already plotting your next steps musically?
Yeah! We’re going to be touring on this record throughout the year and, most likely, throughout next year. We have a lot of different festivals coming up! I’m just continuing to take it one day at a time. I try to look at what I have in front of me but my future, what I see, includes doing some solo records. I have a project that I’m putting together that’s going to be extremely different than The Bulletboys. It’s going to be almost a throwback to the James Brown era. It’s going to be very up-tempo, R&B, dance stuff that will be at a different level! I am working with a couple cats about the idea and it’s going to be in a big band format with horns, backgrounds singers and what have you. I’m trying to put something together like Sly and The Family Stone! That’s what I really want but we’ll see how it goes! [laughs] I just want to do something at that level where you get all dressed up and you’re up there looking rad and the people coming to the shows are completely dressed up as well. You’re up there playing stuff that’s going to make the people get up and dance! It’s a whole different thing that just rock ‘n’ roll music or hard rock and metal! It’s something I definitely can’t wait to explore!
Marq Torien puts his all into his band and continues to blow minds when he takes the stage.
You mentioned how life and your outlook on it has changed a lot in the past several years. What’s the best lesson we can take from your journey?
I think forgiveness is a big word and a huge staple for me. Like I said, I know I’ve gone throughout my life not with chips on my shoulders, but boulders on my shoulders. Those aren’t there anymore. I think that when people do really rotten things to you, it’s something very difficult to do but you’ve got to have forgiveness for these people. If you don’t forgive, you’re carrying around this extra weight, the universe is not going to be able to take you to where you’re supposed to be. I have learned first-hand that if you have too much negativity riding on your back, it’s very difficult to get to where you need to be. In my personal life, I’ve been raked over the coals. I know that’s an old school, grandpa saying but it’s pretty much what I’ve been through! You can’t have hate toward people in your life. You need to fill it with love, passion and forgiveness. I know you’ve probably seen that in a lot of my articles, but I roll that way because I’ve learned it has to be that way! I’m not a religious man but I am a man of faith. I believe in God, Christ and The Holy Spirit. I am a sinner! [laughs] I do things that aren’t necessarily right all the time, but I try to ask for forgiveness and that’s a big part of my life.
My family is a huge part of my life and I used to try to keep them away from this side of things because of the fact that this business isn’t the best in the world. However, now I’ve brought in my family and they’ve been so helpful with everything! They back me up with everything we’re trying to do right now! As you get a little older, you realize you just don’t want to do it on your own all of the time. You realize that you have people who are there for you in a loving and compassionate way. I’ve opened up that door with people. I’ve never been the type of person who goes and asks someone to help me. I’ve always just done it on my own. The fact that we have this team around us right now has been really ingratiating to me. My girl, Dru Atkins, works behind us — for this band and for me. She never really gets the credit that she deserves. She works behind the scenes diligently and has put finances behind the band that we really don’t have and has managed to facilitate the band moving forward. She’s constantly doing stuff for us. So, definitely props to her!
Tiny Biuso, our drummer, made this band complete. I’ve had some people in this band who weren’t necessarily for the band, but more for themselves. I think Tiny is the first drummer I’ve ever been around who has such a huge heart. He’s an amazing humanitarian in addition to being an amazing percussionist! His heart is in the right place and he brings me a lot of joy and laughter. I listen to his advice more than anyone else’s advice. He always has great, positive and uplifting things to say to us. We, as a band, needed that! It really completed the band, as far as I’m concerned. I’ve dealt with a lot of musicians in the past who come into the mix and destroy the family. It’s like, “Wow! What was that all about! What did we do!” [laughs] Now, we have a band where everyone is communicating with each other. For all intents and purposes, we all really care about each other. I know we’re all quirky in our own way and that’s what makes our band work. We all have different likes but at the same time we have the same likes, so it works really well that way. I never forget for a second that I have such an amazing band and amazing cats around me who believe. They believe in the band and in my talent. They are all working very, very hard behind the scenes to make things happen for us!
Also, props to my agent, who keeps pushing for us. We’re going to be doing a huge tour this summer for Live Nation/Sirius Radio, which I can’t really talk about yet because I’ve been sworn to secrecy! [laughs] We’re going to be doing something this year that we’ve been waiting to do for quite a long time. As you know, we’re heading off to Australia in May. We just went to the UK for the first time in 10 years, so we’re getting blessed with a lot of really, really cool things right now! I think the future holds some really great things for the Bulletboys!
I have to thank you for being so open and candid with me today, Marq. I did want to take a second to say, because I don’t know if you hear it enough — Thank you for all you do. You should be really proud of the work you have done and continue to do. Your work brings a lot of people a lot of joy, so kudos to you!
Thank you for saying that to me, Jason. I’ll tell you what, I haven’t heard that from anybody in a long time, so I graciously accept that. I appreciate you saying that! I work really hard to bring you guys stuff that is audibly amazing and visually amazing for your eyes. We’re doing what we do, man and we’re really excited that everyone is gravitating to it! Thank you so much for saying that! It made my whole week! Stay blessed and I’ll talk to you again soon!
For more information and updates on Bulletboys and when they will be rocking’ your town, visit www.bulletboysofficial.com.
In 2016, the classic original line-up of Dokken featuring: Don Dokken, George Lynch, Jeff Pilson and Wild Mick Brown reunited to play the world famous Loud Park Festival in Japan and one exclusive U.S. show in Sioux Falls, SD at Badlands. Fortunately for fans not in attendance at either show, cameras were there to capture the performances and now Frontiers Music Srl is set to issue “Return To The East Live (2016)” on April 20th!
In addition to the live recording, the original Dokken lineup entered the studio together and recorded a new song “It’s Just Another Day,” for the forthcoming release. The band shot a video for the song which can be viewed HERE.
“It is stunning how amazingly and naturally this song came together. George and I just let it flow for the music and Don came in and finished the lyrics and nailed his vocal in record time. Everything just flowed. And the result is such classic Dokken, unbelievable. It’s really a testament to chemistry that doesn’t go away despite the years and all the trials and tribulations. These are the moments I live for,” says bassist Jeff Pilson.
“Return to the East Live (2016)” will be available in the following formats:
* CD/DVD
* Blu-Ray
* Collector’s Box (CD/DVD + T-Shirt) [Comes with XL tee in the U.S., L tee in EU]
* 2xLP Standard 180g Black Vinyl
* 2xLP Limited Edition 180g Green Vinyl (Exclusive to Frontiers’ U.S. Store – Limited to 150 WORLDWIDE)
* 2xLP Limited Edition 180g Red Vinyl (Exclusive to Frontiers’ EU Store – Limited to 150 WORLDWIDE)
* MP3 (audio only)
If the release wasn’t amazing enough, the package includes a brand-new studio track,“It’s Just Another Day” and two acoustic re-workings of classic tracks, from the original members!
After more than a decade apart, Tracii Gunsand Phil Lewis reunited under the L.A. GUNS’ banner and in 2017, released arguably the most critically praised album of their catalog, “The Missing Peace”. Landing at #12 Top Record Label Independent Current Albums, #17 Top Current Rock Albums, and #47 Top Current Albums on the Billboard charts in the U.S., plus numerous international charts, clearly the most important critics, the fans, agreed with the consensus of how truly great their new studio album is.
With a new found energy and the enthusiasm of the then imminent release of “The Missing Peace”, L.A. Guns stormed onto the stage in Milan, IT for the 2017 edition of the Frontiers Rock Festival and took absolutely no prisoners, packing the set front to back with stone cold classics and soon to be classics. This once in a lifetime performance was recorded and will be released on CD, DVD and Blu-Ray formats. The album, which is aptly named “Made in Milan”, will be released March 23rd via Frontiers Music Srl.
This current incarnation of the band has been touring non-stop and the cohesiveness of the unit, not to mention Phil’s stunning and unique vocals and Guns’ mind-bending guitar playing, are on full display here. A must hear and listen for all fans of the band, both new and old school!
Track Listing:
CD:
1. No Mercy
2. Electric Gypsy
3. Killing Machine
4. Bow Solo/Over The Edge
5. Sex Action
6. Speed
7. One More Reason
8. Kiss My Love Goodbye
9. Don’t Look At Me That Way
10. Malaria
11. Never Enough
12. Jelly Jam
13. The Ballad Of Jayne
14. Rip And Tear
DVD/Blu-Ray:
1. No Mercy
2. Electric Gypsy
3. Killing Machine
4. Bow Solo/Over The Edge
5. The Bitch Is Back
6. Sex Action
7. Speed
8. One More Reason
9. Kiss My Love Goodbye
10. Don’t Look At Me That Way
11. Malaria
12. Never Enough
13. Jelly Jam
14. The Ballad Of Jayne
15. Rip And Tear
BAND MEMBERS:
Phil Lewis – Vocals
Tracii Guns – Guitars
Johnny Martin – Bass
Michael Grant – Guitar
Shane Fitzgibbon – Drums
On March 23, 2018, Frontiers Music Srl will release a box set collecting all the solo works of acclaimed Grammy Nominated Composer Kip Winger into one collection. The set will be comprised of Kip’s solo albums, including:
· This Conversation Seems Like a Dream (1997)
· Down Incognito (1998)
· Songs from the Ocean Floor (2000)
· From the Moon to the Sun (2008)
In addition there is going to be a bonus disc (exclusive to the physical edition, while stock lasts), which includes a new previously unreleased song and all of the bonus cuts from previous records
The “Solo Box Set Collection” will be a strictly limited edition of 1,500 copies (worldwide) and include five cds in vinyl replica cases and a booklet with liner notes written by Kip Winger. Pre-order the box set HERE: http://radi.al/KipWingerCollection
Kip Winger rode the wave of the ’80s/early ’90s pop-metal explosion first with Alice Cooper and then in the wildly successful band of his namesake, Winger, before beginning a solo career in the late ’90s. His debut solo effort, “This Conversation Seems Like A Dream”, was released in 1997 and supported with a solo acoustic tour. An acoustic album featuring the new Track “Another Way” and of past favorites, “Down Incognito” was then released in 1999. Winger followed it with his second proper solo album, 2000’s “Songs from the Ocean Floor”, which addressed his grief over the loss of his wife, who had passed away in a car accident shortly after the release of his first solo album. After a long hiatus with his solo work, Kip returned with “From The Moon To The Sun” in 2008; an extensive body of work that includes everything from straight up heavy and dark music to absolutely melodic and beautiful works.
More recently, Winger has enjoyed success composing classical music. Choreographer Christopher Wheeldon created the ballet “Ghosts”, based on a piece Kip wrote, which premiered at the San Francisco Ballet on February 9, 2010. The ballet was a hit and was brought back for a five seasons in 2010. Ghosts will make its Nashville debut in May 2018 with Nashville Ballet. Winger then composed a four-part work entitled “Conversations with Nijinsky”, intended to celebrate the life of ballet dancer and choreographer Vaslav Nijinsky. A recording of the piece performed by the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra on the album “C.F. Kip Winger: Conversations with Nijinsky” entered at number one on thetraditional classical category on the Billboard music charts. “Conversations with Nijinsky” was also nominated in the Best Classical Contemporary Composition category at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards. Winger also recently finished a two act musical, GET JACK,which is currently in development in New York City.
This collection is an unmissable opportunity to get to know in-depth the astounding musical abilities and art of one of today’s musical greats!
TRACK LISTING:
CD 1 – This Conversation Seems Like A Dream
Kiss Of Life
Monster
Endless Circles
Angel Of The Underground
Steam
I’ll Be Down
Naked Son
Daniel
How Far Will We Go
Don’t Let Go
Here
CD 2 – Down Incognito
Another Way
Down Incognito
Under One Condition
Miles Away
Steam
Headed For A Heartbreak
How Far Will We Go
Naked Son
Spell I’m Under
Easy Come Easy Go
Daniel
CD 3 – Songs From The Ocean Floor
Cross
Crash The Wall
Sure Was A Wildflower
Two Lovers Stand
Landslide
Faster
Song Of Midnight
Free
Only One Word
Broken Open
Resurrection
Everything You Need
CD 4 – From The Moon To The Sun
Every Story Told
Nothing
Where Will You Go
Pages And Pages
In Your Eyes Another Life
Runaway
California
What We Are
One Big Game
Why
Reason To Believe
CD 5 – Bonus Cd
Hands Of Love
Monster (European Bonus Track)
Holy Man
Free (Instrumental)
Ghosts
Now And Forever
Kiss Of Life (Demo)
Don’t Let Go (Demo)
Headed For A Heartbreak (Demo 1987)
Hour Of Need (Demo)
Monster (Demo)
Rainbow In The Rose
Blind Revolution Mad
Headed For A Heartbreak (Live)
BULLETBOYS‘ new album, “From Out Of The Skies” will be released on CD/LP/MP3 on March 23, 2018 via Frontiers Music Srl. Watch the video for the new single “D-Evil” featuring guest vocals from Jesse Hughes of Eagles of Death Metal HERE. Of the song, vocalist, guitarist, and founding member Marq Torien says, “Jesse and I had an instant bond when we met and he did an outstanding job collaborating on the song with his vocals a welcome contribution.”
“From Out Of The Skies” was recorded at the Foo Fighters’ Studio 606. “Writing and recording ‘From Out Of The Skies’ was a humbling experience and recording this unpredictable album at the Foo Fighters’ Studio 606 was unbelievable and magical. Dave Grohl’s music got me through a very difficult time, so from day one I knew that we were in the right home to record. I was privileged enough to use one of Dave’s acoustic guitars to record with along with a hand picked drum set by Taylor Hawkins. I appreciate the opportunity to record there,” says Torien.
The BULLETBOYS began as a collection of talented musicians from high profile bands such as King Kobra and Ratt. Using their credentials, they were able to quickly capture the attention of music fans around the world while front man Marq Torien emerged as one of the most underrated vocalists of the era.
The BULLETBOYS formed in 1988 at the very peak of the Los Angeles glam metal movement. With record companies constantly searching for new talent, they possessed a pedigree that most bands would kill for. Unlike the other glam rockers of the day, the BulletBoys were more hard rock and blues fusion than pure hair metal. Thanks to comparisons to the likes of Aerosmith and especially Van Halen, talent scouts came running and the band quickly received their first major label contract. Over the years, they have dominated the airwaves, and remain relevant to this day in heavy rotation on VH1’s “Metal Mania” and Internet (SiriusXM’s Hair Nation, KNAC.COM, etc.) radio throughout the world!
“From Out Of The Skies” Track Listing:
1. Apocalypto
2. D-Evil
3. From Out of the Skies
4. Hi-Fi Drive By
5. Losing End Again
6. Whatcha Don’t
7. P.R.A.B.
8. Sucker Punch
9. Switchblade Butterfly
10. Once Upon a Time
Through the years, Doug Aldrich has established himself as one of the most ferocious guitar players in rock. With career highlights ranging from working with and playing alongside rock icons like Ronnie James Dio and David Coverdale to rocking audiences around the globe with The Dead Daises, his resume is as eclectic as the music he plays. One of his most exciting musical collaborations in the past few years has been Revolution Saints. The band was born from the vision of Frontiers’ President, Serafino Perugino, who for years had hoped to work on a project highlighting Deen Castronovo’s amazing vocal abilities. Having previously worked with all three artists on different projects on Frontiers, having Castronovo (ex-Journey, Bad English), Jack Blades (Night Ranger, Damn Yankees) and Aldrich on board together was a dream come true for Perugino. The band exploded onto the scene in 2015 with their powerful debut album. It didn’t take long for music fans to take notice and start clamoring for more.
With their self-titled debut album already under their belt, Revolution Saints entered the studio to record the new album more familiar with one another and a clear understanding of where they wanted this to go. Once again, the band teamed up with producer/songwriter Alessandro Del Vecchio (Hardline, JORN), who was also behind the boards for the band’s debut album. ‘Light In The Dark,’ due out on October 13th via Frontiers Records, builds off the classic melodic rock style of the debut, however, it also shows the band isn’t afraid to venture into uncharted territory. Inspiring, uplifting, emotionally powerful, and thoughtful, this album WILL be the soundtrack to many a moment in your life.
Jason Price of Icon Vs. Icon recently caught up with guitarist Doug Aldrich to discuss his journey as an artist, the keys to successful collaboration, the making of Revolution Saints’ ‘Light In The Dark’ and more!
When did music come into your life and begin to take hold?
It was early on. I loved the music on the radio when I was a kid and around 9 or 10 years old, I started really getting into that. It was pop music and whatever else my mom decided to have on in the car. Eventually, one summer when I was around 11 years old, all of my friends went away on summer vacation and I was stuck with nothing to do. My little sister had a classical guitar and a book of chords. I picked it up and really loved it! I was just getting through chords and playing through songs. I was just plunking around. I was always trying to earn a little money by doing yard work and trying to earn an allowance. Eventually, I had saved up a little bit of money. I asked my mom and dad if I could get a Sears & Roebuck guitar. It was basically a copy of Jimmy Page’s Les Paul. By that point, I had heard of Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, and Jimi Hendrix and stuff like that was on the radio. They got me that guitar and a little amp. It was very archaic! It had the kind of frets that cut your fingers and a bolt on neck, but I liked it, it made sound and it was cool! [laughs] I started taking some lessons around 11 years old, so it was then when I really started to get into electric guitar.
What went into finding your creative voice as you moved forward?
My older sister had a boyfriend who was into Southern rock and he was always talking about Duane Allman and Dickey Betts, not so much the Skynyrd guys which I found later, but The Allman Brothers, The Charlie Daniels Band, and The Eagles. Those were all big with him – guys like Don Felder and Bernie Leadon. He had a Goldtop Les Paul, a real one. I was probably 13 or 14 at the time when I saved up a little more money and convinced him to sell that guitar to me. My parents owned me a little extra money and I ended up getting it for $300 bucks. It was a ’73 Goldtop. I had never seen a Goldtop before and I though a Goldtop was what I had, which was a Sunburst. Like I said, I had a copy of Jimmy Page’s and I thought that was what they called a Goldtop because it had the big, gold center in it. I remember looking at the headstock and it was a Gibson. I was like, “Cool, it’s a real Les Paul!” I said, “Wow! What color is that?” He said, “Oh, it’s a Goldtop. You still want it?” I said, “Yeah, yeah! I want it!” To jump to the end part of that story, Goldtop’s are my favorite color of Les Paul’s. It’s my absolute favorite! As far as early influences go, Hendrix’s “Purple Haze” was a cool song on the radio at the time, along with “Smoke On The Water.” That was the first rock riff I learned but I learned it in the wrong key. It was the wrong positioning but it was the right kind of sound! [laughs] I couldn’t really play anything from Zeppelin until later but I really loved listening to it. Led Zeppelin “II” was the first Zeppelin record that I got, a bit later. Every time I would see a guitar player at a school dance, I would just be fascinated with the sounds that were coming out of that thing, so I kept practicing. People would show me a lick here, a riff there or how to do a bar chord. It was groundbreaking! [laughs] If you learned a bar chord, oh my gosh! Now, you had unlocked the secret and now you could play anything in any key! Every day there were things like that. Someone would say, “Hey, have you ever heard a wah wah?” I be like, “No. What is it?” They’d say, “Check this out!” I would see it and was like, “Woooow!” Every day was about discovery and it’s still like that! It really is, man.
At what point did you decide to start pursuing your passion for music professionally?
I never actually decided. I still haven’t decided whether I’m going to do it for real or not! [laughs] I just keep my head down and I’m always trying to get my sound better and write a better song. Honestly, to answer your question more properly, I was in school and loved guitar so much that it was the one thing that my parents had leverage over. If I did something wrong or wasn’t doing well in school, they could say, “We are going to take away your guitar.” They never actually did it until one time when I got in trouble when they found a marijuana pipe in my jean jacket. I was in high school and I was probably around 15 years old. They took my guitar and stuck it in the trunk of my Dad’s car so that I couldn’t get it. I just stopped talking. I quit responding. I wasn’t responding to or acknowledging anybody until I got my guitar back. They were really worried about me! They were like, “Can you please tell us what’s going on? We’re really concerned.” I was like, “You just can’t take my guitar away. You can punish me however you want to, but you can’t take my guitar away.” They never did again! They wanted me to go to a boarding school in 10th grade, which was a good idea because it was supposed to make me focus on school and sports and get really into it. However, I took my guitar with me and that’s all I did was play guitar. The school said, “We really like Doug. He’s a good kid but his grades are awful.” So, I went back to regular high school. My senior year, I had gotten a car. I would take my car to school, walk in the front door and walk out the back. We would go over to my friend’s house and we would jam all day long! I did that all through the end of high school. It wasn’t long before I moved to California and decided I wanted to be in a band. I didn’t think about the money part of it. I didn’t think about anything other than just wanting to play. Little by little, I realized I needed to make some money because my parents weren’t going to give me money to just be on my own. I’m skipping some chapters but I eventually got a job teaching guitar. Not only did that help me financially but it helped me with my playing because I had to learn theory to prepare for various kids who were more advanced than me. One thing lead to another, and finally I was in a recording band and that had lead me to talking to you all these years later! [laughs] I’ve never really thought about when I decided to do it. It’s something that never really occurred to me.
Doug Aldrich relentlessly rocks the crowd.
Through the years, you have taken advantage of some amazing opportunities that have come your way. You’ve worked with scores of incredible musicians. Who are the people who have had the biggest impact on your creatively?
In terms of live performance, playing with Dio was a big step for me. I had already played live at that point and people knew my playing a little bit but he brought the best out of me. By watching him, I learned to be confident on stage and not let little things distract you. I learned to get into the music and to play it like I really meant it — play it hard, loud and own it! It’s the same thing with David Coverdale. He’s also that kind of a singer. He commands the stage. Dio and Coverdale command large audiences like it’s nothing! It’s amazing; the things that they say to the audience to make them respond and the way they sing. In terms of songwriting, I would say I learned the most from David because I’ve have written the most with him directly, just him and I, together with acoustic guitars. I was a fan of his from Deep Purple when I was a kid and I loved Whitesnake. I got into the “Slide It In” record first, found the older records a little later and then the ’87 record came out and blew everybody away! Getting that call from David to do a two-month tour and having it turn into 11 1/2 years, where him and I co-wrote 30 songs together, was an amazing experience and gave me a lot of hours to learn, which is great!
You have accomplished a lot over the course of your career in an industry which is constantly changing and evolving. What are the keys to longevity in today’s music business and the secret to your success?
You said, “… in today’s music business…” and that is a key issue because it is very different than it used to be. There aren’t as many clubs these days. If you are in a young band, like I was in the mid-80s in Los Angeles, you could actually make a little bit of money playing in your home town, every week or every couple of weeks. There were a lot of bands doing it. As you would get a following, record companies had money and would grab the bands that they liked. That was one way you could get signed, have a little bit of income and hopefully your record would break. A great example of that was Guns ‘N Roses. Their record broke and it was massive. It wasn’t long before they were opening for the Rolling Stones, headlining and then they broke up! Whatever! But they did really, really well. Now, it’s different. Now, you have the opportunity to record an album in one day and have it reach 1 million people that evening! That’s pretty awesome! We didn’t have that capability before and through that you can get paid. As far as success in the music industry, it’s not so much about many as it is about personal growth, playing with people you like and respect and who like you.
There are two things — the first key is to keep writing songs. You have to keep experimenting, trying to find your own sound and allowing yourself to be influenced by people without copying it. You want to try to make it widespread so you can grab a little influence from this guy and a little something from that guy and it will kind of meld itself into your own style. Writing songs is key. I started a little bit late. I would say that the best songwriters have been doing it since they started the instrument. Of course, you have to play well, that’s a no brainer. The second thing is that you have to be a good person. You need to have confidence, but you can’t be cocky and you have to be aggressive but you have to be patient. It’s a balance! You need to be a cool person to hang with socially. You are going to meet a lot of people, so you have to be a good hang. I found myself working with people, like we were just talking about with Dio, who were very intense. He really wore his heart on his sleeve. You had no problem knowing where you stood with Ronnie because he didn’t bullshit you! He would tell you straight up what he thought and he did that with everybody. It was good because there was no question of where you stood. Working with David was a little different because he was more quiet. He didn’t like confrontation or ever want to have any negative conversation at all. You never really knew what he wanted, so you had to be patient in that situation and let it reveal itself. Eventually, what he is looking for or if there is something bothering him, he will eventually talk to you about it. It might not even be about music, it might be about something personal that is bothering him. You have to be a good hang! It’s important, especially when you are on a tour bus or traveling with people in a Sprinter van, that you get along.
I haven’t had the opportunity to tour with Revolution Saints but we have spent enough time together where we really like each other, we like playing together, and we have a great sound together. We are all different personalities but we have spent enough time together to know each other’s personalities. With that said, I know what would make Deen [Castronovo] comfortable is for me to be calm. Deen is a high-energy guy! He’s similar to Steven Tyler or Tommy Lee where he has a lot of energy. He will throw an idea out there like, “Should we do this? What do you think?” I’ll calmly say, “Okay, let’s think about it. Let’s talk about it.” We’ll calmly talk about it and that’s what calms him down. Jack [Blades] is like the general and he’s been around the block more times than most people! He’s a great voice of reason but sometimes you have to take that youthful energy that Deen has and give it to Jack and say, “Okay, let’s just have fun and kick ass!” For example, we did a show in Italy in April. It was our first show. We were recording the “Light In The Dark” record and we took three days out to rehearse and do this one festival in Italy. It was truly shifting gears in the middle of the creative process to go into the performance process. It was a little nerve-racking but we said, “Let’s just have fun with it! Let’s get our feet on the edge of the stage and do what we do!” I’ve gotta say, most of the time it takes a band a good month before the band starts really gelling, at least in my experience, but we did pretty well for our first gig! There weren’t any major catastrophes or anything! It had a good vibe and overall it was a success, I think. It’s the same thing playing with The Dead Daisies. Playing and traveling with those guys is great. They’re my bros and I’ve known all those guys for years and we’ve played in various bands together. When they were looking for a guitar player, of course, there is a million different people they can call but they called me because we’re friends. Back to Revolution Saints, that’s why Deen called me in the first place. Initially, 3 or 4 years ago, it was his solo record that he was doing. The guy at the record company said, “Who do you want to play with?” He said, “I’d like to have Doug on guitar and Jack on bass because we are friends.” I toured a lot with Journey as part of Whitesnake, so Deen and I became friends on the road. Aside from having respect for each other musically, we got along well just hanging out. One day he had a tattoo party in his room. We all went over there and got tattoos. It was cool, ya know! It was a good hang and that’s important! It’s important for younger guys to be to be encouraging, to be aggressive but patient and to be confident but not cocky.
Revolution Saints – Photo by Johnny Pixel
Let’s talk about the new album from Revolution Saints, “Light In The Dark.” What got the ball rolling this time around and what was different this time around?
I’ll start with the last part first. It was different this time around because since it was a band project now from the get-go, that we would all write. I brought in 5 or 6 ideas. Alessandro [Del Vecchio] had 4 or 5 ideas. Richard Page from Mister, Mister wrote a really awesome ballad. There were a lot more songwriters involved this time around, especially us! Deen co-wrote a bunch of the lyrics and melodies. It’s funny, the song “Freedom,” came about in a unique way. We had been talking about putting songs together and Deen sent me a tape. It was an MP3 of him playing guitar for 30 minutes. It was just jamming without stopping. He would go from one thing to another without stopping, just jamming! He had spent a lot of time at home and, as you know, he had gone through a difficult period personally. He came through it with flying colors! He had some difficulties in his relationship but now him and his fiancé are back together and stronger than ever. Everything is good! So, he has been just riffing at home, having fun, not touring, taking care of himself and getting healthy. He sent me this thing and I was like, “Deen, there are like nine songs in there!” [laughs] I said, “I’m going to take this one riff and develop it a little bit.” That’s how “Freedom” came about. There was another song, “The Storm Inside,” where I listened to what he had done and it inspired me to come up with a chord progression. That inspired the song and he wrote the lyrics and melodies on it. All of that was different than our first time around and a great experience.
The timing came from the record company saying, “Hey, maybe we will think about doing another Revolution Saints album. What do you guys think?” That was conversation that went on for about a year because Deen was getting healthy and Jack is always touring and busy with Night Ranger. I had been working with The Dead Daisies. It was so hard for us to find time together off the first record. We got some really good offers for tours but schedule-wise we just couldn’t get it together. I said, “I’m into it but let’s see if we can all get together.” We all agreed to do it in April. We said, “We’ll do this and then we’ll do the festival for Frontiers. It’s just one show. We’ll go over there together and track it together.” We all blocked out that 2 or 3-week period during which we fine-tuned the songs, cut the basics and did the show. I didn’t know what the exact release date was at that point. I was on the road and had done basic guitars but still needed to fine tune them, when the record company called and said, “Look, Doug, we need this stuff yesterday!” I was like, “Nobody told me!” [laughs] I didn’t know what the schedule was and I had no idea! They said, “We need those guitar parts, man! You’ve gotta finish up!” I was all over the world with this stuff. I would be on the bullet train in Japan, on the tour bus at the end of the night, trying to figure out how I wanted the guitar parts to go. I would basically record direct guitars and re-amp it at home so that I had the same amp set up as I did in Italy. FInally, I got it done and it comes out on October 13th!
Was there anything you wanted to try on this album that you might not have been able to in the past?
The previous thing, like I said, was a project from the start and original was intended to be Deen’s solo record. The songs were written for Deen in a very Journey-esque way. My goal at that point was to try and put my stamp on those guitar parts and kind of rewrite them. I basically hit every song fresh and took the basic idea of the song and put my stamp on it as much as I could without rewriting the song. With “Light In The Dark,” I really wanted to have that same kind of sound but the songs needed to be written. The first record had been pretty successful so I wanted to make sure that we not only had a strong record but to also have some twists and turns. I was thinking, “What should we do? We need some songs that sound like Revolution Saints like “Light In The Dark” or “Ride On” but we also needed some different stuff like “Freedom,” “Storm Inside” or stuff that goes a little deeper. We had some great songs like “In The Name of The Father,” which was a great song on the first record. There were a few ballads that were really cool like “You’re Not Alone.” For the new record, we got this ballad from Richard Page and it was a slam dunk! It was just one of those songs, you know? It’s beautiful. “I Wouldn’t Change A Thing” is the name of it. It was pretty cool. It’s a keyboard song and, of course, I could play on acoustic guitar but I was happier to go, “Let the keyboards breathe. Let it be keyboards and the band comes in…” I started to realize the song had potential for a huge melody on the solo section and that became my focus. Guys like Neal Schon, David Gilmour, and Brian May have written these solos that people can remember forever. They have so much feel, attitude and melody. That was what my goal with that one was. Overall, I just wanted the record to be a little deeper and that was my focus this time around.
You’re a guy who always has a ton of irons in the fire. Where do you see yourself headed musically in the future?
Like I said, I’m always searching for my sound. I’ve been writing with some friends, just to do some experimenting. I love pedals and I love experimenting with all of those. If you look on YouTube, a buddy of mine named Pete Thorn has a YouTube channel where he shows different pedals every day! It’s so cool and you think, “Wow! I want one of those!” I was looking for a delay, so I called him up. I said, “Pete, which delay should I get?” He said, “Dude, there are so many! You have to try them all!” I was like, “Ahhck!” [laughs] So, I was doing this writing session and I brought a little pedal board up with me. It basically got down to the point where I said, “I can get so many sounds out of this particular guitar and amp without any pedals.” I have to say, I’ve really been digging that, man! Your guitar sound gets to the amp so much more purely than going through 5, 6 or 7 pedals! I’m basically in a mode where I’m rethinking my whole thing right now. I’m rethinking everything from songwriting to playing. Of course, I’m going to work on The Dead Daisies new record next month and I have some stuff together already for that but I want to see how I can improve on that project. I really respect people like Joe Bonamassa who is always pushing the envelope with what he is doing. He’s always creating new sounds for himself in his own way, working with different people, keeping his chops up and he is always on the road. I’m on the road a lot but I can’t really be on the road anymore than I am because I have little kids and a family, which I get homesick for. I would just like to keep writing and have bands like Revolution Saints. It would mean a lot to me if we could do some live shows. My goal, right now, is for The Dead Daisies to make the best record they’ve ever made. I’ve got a third band, which I’m involved in at the moment. It’s called Burning Rain, which is a pet project I’ve had with a great singer named Keith St. John. That is more of a guitar oriented, 80s, Whitesnake-y, bluesy kind of thing, so it is really different than The Dead Daisies or Revolution Saints. Revolution Saints is melodic rock and Dead Daisies is more straight up, kick-ass rock ‘n’ roll! Burning Rain is something more bluesy and in between all of that. I really enjoy doing it all right now because for so many years I was 1000% dedicated to Whitesnake and only focused on that. I’m really digging having different flavors of the pie right now! [laughs] I see myself learning is basically what I wanted to say. I’m just trying to continue to learn and get better!
What’s the best lesson we can take away from your journey as an artist?
I think one of the best lessons is not to get frustrated if it doesn’t come to you right away. I’m definitely a late bloomer. I’m not an Yngwie Malmsteen or a Reb Beach. Reb Beach is just one of these guys who just picks up his guitar and does his thing and that’s it! I really have to work at it. If I don’t play guitar everyday, my chops go, man! I really have to work hard. Sometimes you get lucky and something will happen fast but if it doesn’t, don’t give up. Do it because you love it and not because you feel like you have to, you want to make money or feel pressure because you think your girlfriend’s going to like you better if you’re in a band or something! [laughs] You just have to do it because you like it and keep working hard at it. It will pay off eventually. Like I said, I’m a perfect example of a late bloomer. I didn’t get into Dio until my late 30s and now I’m in my 50s. However, I still feel like I’m in my 30s, just starting off and still trying to figure it all out! So, the best advice I can give someone after looking at my career is to don’t stop and keep going! Even if you have a day job, don’t stop playing. I have a lot of buddies who are great musicians who have day gigs and they have the opportunity to play on the weekends at the local bar playing covers and putting their own spin on it. I also have friends who don’t play out but write songs and place those songs in movies and TV shows. They make pretty good money doing it. The sky’s the limit. Just keep going!
Awesome! I appreciate your time today, Doug. I can’t wait to see where the next leg of the journey takes you!
Thanks, Jason! I really appreciate it! Take care and we’ll talk again soon!
