- bassist Todd Kerns
While the real world continues to speculate and debate what might happen at the Guns N’ Roses Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction in April, Slash is behind closed doors working on his next solo album.
The guitarist and his touring band - Myles Kennedy (Alter Bridge), rhythm guitarist Bobby Schneck, bassist Todd Kerns (Sin City Sinners, formerly of Age Of Electric), and drummer Brent Fitz (formerly of Theory Of A Deadman) – have been holed up at Barefoot Studios in LA with producer Eric Valentine getting ideas together and songs down on tape.
“13 songs ready to record,” posted Slash a few weeks ago. “3 already done. 2 more to finish writing before Dec. 12 on the record, 6 bonus trx, Woohoo!”
Now, Slash’s bassist Todd Kerns checks in with an update.
“We are somewhere in the area of 5 songs in. I’ve lost track,” writes Kerns on his blog. “We play the songs together live off the floor capturing guitars, bass and drums all in one pass. If there’s any glaring mistakes, they are repaired and we move on to the next. The pace has been about one song a day, though we’ve managed to fall off that pace here and there. The riffs are fat and huge and heavy. Slash plays solos live off the floor that are epic and as impressive as anything in his catalogue. And that’s a formidable one.”
“It’s been fascinating working with Eric Valentine,” Todd continues. “Every day I come in and the drums are in a different part of the studio. He’s big on different sounds for different songs. The kick drum sizes change, Myles and I change guitars and amps all the time dependent on the track. The only constant is Slash. Les Paul and Marshall. All you need is an American guitar and a British amplifier and you can take over the world. Slash has a very specific, distinctive sound, and it would be a mistake to have him playing a Strat or a Tele. Slash needs to sound like Slash. The funny thing is I have a feeling that even if he did have a completely different set up going it would still sound very much like him.”
Kerns explains that their studio work is being documented.
“After a while the studio turns into Das Boot. A group of dudes trapped together day in and day out,” he says. “To add to the surreality of it all a documentary camera crew follows our every move. Not sure what is to come of this footage. Dvd? Documentary? Blackmail material? Who knows? The camera crew have now become part of our Island Of Misfit Toys.”
The bassist does offer one comment on the upcoming GNR induction, saying “GNR are going to be in the Hall Of Fame, as they should be! No KISS, Rush or Deep Purple (wtf?) but GNR definitely deserves to be. It’s gonna be a big year on Planet Slash. Hall Of Fame, new album, big tour etc etc etc. Very exciting indeed.”
For more, check out Todd Kerns’ blog here.
Slash Slash – By The Sword
Made In Stoke – 24/7/11 DVD
See also:
Guns N’ Roses: Slash has not RSVP’d for Rock Hall induction
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