Page 67 - Rolling Stone - India (December 2019)

Slash (right) and
Kennedy.

record just because of how much time we generally obviously had an established bond and relationship
have between albums. with each other. Once that initial phase did blossom
For example, if we end up making it a seven or into an actual band, a musical democracy… time
10 song album, with the hope of releasing the rest was needed for that, building our trust and not just
of the tracks in a year or something, it could end up as people but in the creative songwriting process
conflicting with a different project one of us would and band decisions. Since Blackbird [2007], I
be about to release. You kind of have to think about would say we found a sound that works for us and
that, when you have these different projects. it really hasn’t changed much. It’s really important
From the time Alter Bridge was formed to maintain a certain amount of communication
with these three guys from such an already and respect each other.
internationally acclaimed band like Creed to Changing gears a bit here, but what’s your
now, how would you say the band dynamics have favorite Slash memory? When was the first time
changed over albums? you saw him without glasses?
If you compare when we first started playing [laughs] I think the first time I saw him without
together and One Day Remains – they [Tremonti, his glasses would’ve probably been on the bus
bassist Brian Marshall and drummer Scott Phillips] one day when we were traveling somewhere. He
always sits in the same spot and I came on and
walked by and thought, ‘Oh shoot, he didn’t have
“It’s been good as his sunglasses on!’
There’s a lot of funny memories. He’s got a great
had to accommodate that. Where it came from was a musician and a sense of humor. Often, he’ll just come up in the
actually a Netflix documentary I saw about a cult middle of a show, we’ll be playing and he might just
leader. It’s amazing how much film and books will recording artist, to come up to my ear and make some funny comment
inform how you write lyrics and where you get your about something. If you see him… any time you
ideas from, which is helpful. be in that position see me burst out laughing, that’s probably what
All your albums have always clocked in near happened. He’s got a very dry sense of humor and
the one-hour mark, some of them going a bit where you have very funny.
longer. Do you ever think about that considering You’ve got the Walk the Sky tour with
it’s 2019 and people’s consumption habits have the opportunity to Shinedown in Europe coming up now. What’s
next? Any India offers?
changed? Or am I sounding like a record label
FABIO DIENA/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM about that when we were trying to figure out the these various things – be absolutely great. I know we have fans over there,
Not to my knowledge but I would love that, it’d
marketing guy right now?
express yourself in
[laughs] It’s a good point. We talked a bit
so I would love to get back to India for sure.
What’s coming up next?
sequencing to this record, about how we’d recorded
14 tracks. People’s consumption is much different
We go all the way up to the European tour
you can’t take that
to Christmas and then we have a month off in
now compared to when I grew up. But I think
we chose to continue with a more of a traditional
January which is good. We’ll probably power down
for granted.”
approach to sequencing and the length of the
for a little bit.

Rolling Stone | December 2019 | 67