Page 66 - Rolling Stone - India (December 2019)

Alter Bridge axeman
Mark Tremonti at Rock
on the Range 2017.

You’ve been going pretty nonstop since the The Last Hero (2016) had this loose theme Campbell. Songs like “Godspeed” was written by
release of Year of the Tiger, right? around heroes. What about this one? Mark [Tremonti, guitarist] for a friend of his, it’s
It’s been busy. It’s been good as a musician and With this one, there’s not a concept. There’s a about loss. “Indoctrination” is about a really bad
a recording artist, to be in that position where you narrative that runs throughout the songs that’s cult leader [laughs] with a really dark track. So
have the opportunity to express yourself in these really a manifestation of where I am personally, yeah, not all the tracks are uplifting and positive,
various things – you can’t take that for granted. in my life and my spiritual growth as a human. I certain tracks explore different emotions as well.
With that said, it’s a lot of work, it’s a lot of things think that I’ve really discovered trying to integrate It’s got such an apocalyptic tone on songs like
being on and being prepared. I think you just get a certain amount of mindfulness into my life and “Indoctrination.” Why are you drawn to it?
into a certain workflow and you get accustomed to really trying to be present. Using that to harness Mark and I have always been drawn to the
it. It’s been a good run. stress and anxiety. It’s really about how as I get darker side as writers. We like exploring that
They’re all slightly different beasts, these older, how I’m retraining my perspectives in heavier side of music. If you’re writing music that
projects. How have you learned to switch gears? viewing life. It’s a much healthier place to be. That’s has elements of that, if you lyrically are trying to
I like the fact that everything is different. If where these songs come from. keep it super positive and hopeful, often times it
each project were very similar, it might become But then there are tracks that have nothing doesn’t really fit. The way I look at it, if there’s a
very redundant. The fact that all three projects are to do with that. “Native Son” [is about] feeling body of music and I’m trying to put lyrics to it, I
such different offshoots that you want to step back out of your element, which is actually inspired have to write a script that’s appropriate for that JASON SQUIRES
and count every experience as fresh. That’s very by something that I got from reading [American music. And so if you listen to “Indoctrination,” it’s
important. academic and mythology professor] Joseph really spooky and moody and dark and so the lyrics

66 | Rolling Stone | December 2019