Richie Kotzen's journey is one that reads like the ultimate rock 'n' roll story—one filled with serendipity, raw talent, and an unwavering pursuit of artistic evolution. From his early days landing in Los Angeles in the '80s, to playing alongside legends, to becoming a multi-faceted musician whose career has spanned decades, Kotzen’s path has been nothing short of remarkable we met up with Richie in early October to look back at his career over the last 4 decades also the brand new album :Nomad" and what the future holds.
The interview in print form is below if you would prefer to watch or listen then both the video and the audio are here on the website.
Before we get into the conversation lets take a brief look back at the life and times of Richie Kotzen.
The Early Days: LA in the 80s
When Richie Kotzen arrived in Los Angeles in the mid-'80s, the city was the epicenter of the rock scene. Legends like Guns N' Roses were just on the verge of superstardom, and bands were playing nightly at venues like the Rainbow Bar & Grill, Starwood, and Gazzarri's, where the sound of the Sunset Strip was electrified by the rising tide of hair metal and hard rock. For a young, ambitious guitarist like Kotzen, the scene was a playground—a proving ground for talent, and a place where destiny seemed to wait around every corner.
Kotzen was already a technically gifted guitarist by this point, well-versed in shredding with the speed and precision that was in vogue at the time. However, his style wasn’t confined to just the shredding mindset of the day. While other guitarists were busy focusing solely on virtuosity, Kotzen's musicality, phrasing, and ability to weave emotive solos set him apart. It wasn’t just about how fast he could play; it was about feeling and nuance.
Back then, he rubbed elbows with rock 'n' roll royalty, witnessing firsthand the formation of bands that would go on to define the era. Guns N' Roses, in particular, was beginning to gain momentum. Kotzen was in the mix during the '80s when many of these future superstars were just starting to make a name for themselves. He often found himself at legendary venues like the Rainbow, where the likes of Slash, Axl Rose, and others were creating the magic that would soon catapult them into the stratosphere.
The Transition: From Shredder to Rock Star
By the late '80s, Richie Kotzen's talents had attracted attention beyond the local scene. His first big break came in 1989 when he joined the hard rock band Poison. Though Poison was known for its glam image, Kotzen’s guitar skills stood out as a major asset. His time with the band came at a critical juncture, when they were already successful but were looking for a new sound, and Kotzen brought a level of musicality and sophistication that was a bit more mature compared to the usual glam rock formula.
His tenure with Poison was short but impactful, and it made him a household name in the rock world. However, after his departure in the early '90s, Richie continued to carve out his own path. Unlike many of his peers, he was never content to simply repeat the formula that had made him successful. Instead, he sought to push the boundaries of his craft, and as a result, he quickly became known as one of the most versatile musicians of his generation.
The Winery Dogs and a New Era of Music
As the '90s progressed, Kotzen’s career took him in several directions. In the early 2000s, he focused on his solo career, exploring different genres, from rock to blues to jazz. It was during this period that his musical identity truly began to evolve, embracing the fusion of hard rock, blues, soul, and a more progressive style of playing that would define his work in the years to come.
In the 2010s, Kotzen found a new sense of creative fulfillment with The Winery Dogs—a supergroup consisting of Kotzen on guitar and vocals, Billy Sheehan on bass, and Mike Portnoy on drums. The band combined classic hard rock with elements of jazz, blues, and progressive rock, allowing Kotzen to fully showcase his multifaceted musicianship. The Winery Dogs became a critical success, and their albums garnered both commercial success and respect from the music world.
The project allowed Kotzen to tap into his songwriting and vocal abilities in a way he hadn’t before, giving fans a new perspective on his talents. The band's self-titled debut, released in 2013, and its follow-up, Hot Streak (2015), proved that Kotzen’s blend of virtuosity, soulful melodies, and songwriting was more powerful than ever.
Smith/Kotzen: A Unique Collaboration
In addition to his work with The Winery Dogs, Kotzen teamed up with Iron Maiden’s Adrian Smith in Smith/Kotzen, a collaboration that allowed him to explore even more of his musical range. The partnership between Smith’s classic rock pedigree and Kotzen’s modern sensibilities was a perfect blend, creating a sound that felt both timeless and contemporary.
The duo released their eponymous album in 2021, which was praised for its eclectic mix of styles, from hard rock to blues to progressive rock. The album captured the unique chemistry between Smith and Kotzen, blending their distinctive sounds into a cohesive and powerful body of work.
Nomad: A New Chapter in Kotzen’s Career
And now, in 2024, Richie Kotzen is back with Nomad, his latest solo album. This record is another evolution in Kotzen’s already diverse discography. Known for being a restless artist who’s never satisfied with doing the same thing twice, Nomad showcases a more mature and introspective side of Kotzen. It brings together his signature fusion of blues, rock, soul, and jazz, but there’s a sense of refinement in the songwriting and performances that speaks to his years of experience.
The album marks a return to the solo spotlight for Kotzen, giving him the space to further explore his voice—not just as a guitarist, but as a singer, songwriter, and producer. It's a reflection of the journey he's been on, from the young shredder who arrived in LA in the ‘80s to the seasoned musician and artist who has come into his own over the past 30 years.
Legacy and Influence
Looking back at his career, Richie Kotzen stands out as one of rock music’s true polymaths. He’s a virtuoso guitarist, a soulful singer, a gifted songwriter, and a seasoned bandleader. His ability to blend genres and transcend musical boundaries is a testament to his versatility and his refusal to be confined by any one style or sound.
Through his time in Poison, his work with The Winery Dogs, and collaborations like Smith/Kotzen, Kotzen has created a body of work that resonates with fans across generations. Whether shredding on the guitar, delivering emotionally charged lyrics, or crafting grooves that stick with you long after the music ends, Richie Kotzen has proven time and time again that he’s one of the best at what he does.
As he continues to push forward, with Nomad as the latest chapter in his career, it's clear that Kotzen has no intentions of slowing down. His music remains as fresh, relevant, and thrilling as it ever was, and the world is ready to see what’s next for this rock icon.
tim caple
I wanted to start by just delving a bit into the backstory of your life, because you've always been a performer ever since you were a kid appearing in your family's front room on the fireplace, on the hearth there, performing. This is where the seeds were planted for this career in music.
RK
Yeah, yeah, you know, that's what it was. You know, I was one of those kids that liked to jump around and pretend I was a rock star at a very young age. And somebody in the family said, well, you know, there's a piano there in the living room. Why don't you get him some lessons? And so like many kids, I didn't really take to it. You know, I didn't like the formality of it, you know, and the kinds of things that
lady was teaching me. And so it didn't really take very well. maybe a year or two later, I saw an electric guitar at a yard sale and I thought that that's it. That's more my my speed. you had to persuade your father though, didn't you? Because he was like, listen, you didn't do anything with the piano. If I buy you the guitar, are you going to be playing it? That's right. Yeah, that's right. And that's exactly what happened. And
I had to convince them. So ultimately, they bought the guitar that day, was something cheap. And so we went to the local guitar teacher and he said, listen, I can teach your son, but I can't teach him on this because it's not playable. We didn't know what we were buying, of course. so then later on, we went to the music store and got a proper instrument.
TC
A Gibson Marauder was it not ?
RK
That's right. Gibson Marauder.
Yeah, a Gibson Marauder and it was a maroon colored guitar. And that was what I learned on until they realized, okay, you know, a couple of years in, they realized that I really took well to it and they got me something much nicer. They actually went to the store to buy me as a present for Christmas, a Les Paul. And the guy that worked at the store convinced them.
to buy this Yamaha, which is the guitar that Santana played at the time. It was the SG-2000. They made a 2000, 3000, and I ended up with a 3000 as well a few years later. But I was almost a Les Paul guy, but it didn't go that way.
TC
It was a mic stand, wasn't it? and a small PA. That was the first bit of kit that you actually had
RK
Yes thats right
TC
So the singing gene.
was also there from a very early age
RK
Yeah, what happened though, what happened was that I was always, when I got into working with people, like my first band, I met a kid who was a few years older than me and we made it, we formed a band at school and his singing voice, he was more evolved than I was as a singer. although I did sing,
He was better than me, so I just kind of would defer. And then after that, that band sort of expanded and the other members that came in were really, really strong singers. so, you know, I was out of the five people that were in the group, I was the weakest singer. And so I, you know, I didn't really focus on it very much. And then once that disbanded, then I started taking singing
more seriously and then obviously it became a priority for me.
TC
Tell me, did you ever find that photograph of you dressed up as a rocket with the long black hair
RK
It's somewhere, you know, I think I feel like it's somewhere in this house in a collage that I might have hanging somewhere, you know? Yeah, yeah. feel like it's somewhere closer than I may realize, but I haven't gone looking for it.
tim caple
So tell me, you're growing up in a house, it sounded like it was a house full of music. But it was interesting because your mother was the rock lover in the house she'd seen Hendrix, she'd seen the Stones and she'd seen the Beatles. And it was your dad who was into the Philly soul music.
RK
Yeah, he was more into, you know, Percy Sledge and the soul, you know.
You know, the soul tunes, R &B songs, and my mom was a rocker. Neither one of them played instruments. No one in my family that I'm aware of were musicians. Although my great grandfather, he came from Italy to Pennsylvania when he was 16. And somewhere along the line, he bought a guitar. And it was an acoustic guitar. And my mother said he played Italian folk songs for her.
So I guess he was somewhat musically inclined, but I didn't grow up around musicians. It's just something I gravitated towards.
TC
That first gig that you went to this was a big thing because Stevie Wonder is a legend so getting to see him as your first gig was a special day and then following that with George Benson
again, another incredible talent so you had, as your first intro into live events, two huge acts. What effect did those have on you?
RK
Thats right, the first two concerts that I remember going to were those two. I mean, separately, they were not on the same bill.
I remember going to see Stevie Wonder and it was in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. The stage turned in a circle. then shortly thereafter, we saw George Benson. And it must have been around the Talking Book album, or maybe it to have been a little bit after that. But that album was a really important album for me as a youngster. And then obviously, George, that was a very impactful.
concert and then shortly after that, a few years later, I got into more heavier music and I became an Iron Maiden fan.
TC
Yeah, wasn't it? Allentown, the gig that you saw them on that tour.
RK
Yes so we went to the Allentown Fairgrounds, which is in Pennsylvania and not far from where I was born. was born in Reading, so it's neighboring town. And we saw, I saw Iron Maiden.
And that was my first proper hard rock concert.
TC
Then you get a considerable break remember its a a completely different time, completely different era. no social media, no internet, no nothing. So for you to get featured in Guitar Player magazine in the spotlight segment at 17 years of age was a significant achievement
especially considering all of the amazing players that are out there. Somebody clearly saw something very special in you at a really early age.
RK
Yeah, and I was very lucky. that person's name is Mike Varney, and he is a very important figure in the guitar community. discovered Yngwie Malmsteen and Paul Gilbert and many
many great, extraordinary guitar players. And there was a movement at the time, back then there was a movement in the rock guitar community that Shrapnel Records was at the front of. And so to get recognized or even signed, getting recognized was the column you're talking about in Guitar Player Magazine where they, every month they take three guys from around the world and they feature them. So I was featured there, like you said.
which was really something that was amazing, an amazing thing that happened for me. And then ended up making a record, a couple of records for the label. So that was the path. And for me, that was a way out of, despite the fact that I wasn't far in distance from Philadelphia, which was a major city, I was a kid and I was an hour's drive out in the farmland.
It was a great opportunity to get worldwide recognition. I was very fortunate for that, but I also worked very hard for it. I was persistent in sending the music there. And when I thought there was a chance to make an album on the label, I would send music every week. He would get something new from me because I really was focused on getting to a point where I could make my own record. was my, always my goal was to
write and record and release my own music my objective was never to join someone else's group. I always wanted to either write the music, get the deal, make the album and go play live against the album. So that was my objective the whole way through.
TC
The vocal influences, you mentioned Mike Varney.
It was he who suggested you go away and record a Free song. So you did. You went away and did" Fire and Water." The influences, not only Paul Rogers, but Rod Stewart and this might surprise a few people as well. Terrence Trent Darby was another one.
RK
Yeah, that was, you know, so when I on my second album, I knew right away that I did not want to make another instrumental record. knew that during the process of making the instrumental record, I became very aware that this is not the kind of music that I want to make. Because prior to that, I was in a band that we were writing together and I was writing songs, I was writing lyrics with the,
Well, I wrote the lyrics on my own and then I gave them to the guy to sing. And so we made this EP back then before I got my deal. So then I'm in this world making this instrumental music and quickly realizing, well, this is a whole other thing. I don't I don't feel super passionate about instrumental music as I thought I would. So I told the I told Mike Varney, the head of label, I really want to make a record where there's singing, you know.
And that was him who said, well, that's fine. He said, but if you're going to do it, I think you should sing. So he was the one that encouraged me to take the singing more seriously. And so then it was about, well, what do you like? Who do you like? Well, I like the way I like early Rod Stewart. I like the way Paul Rogers sings. And so I tried to emulate those guys, but you brought up Terrence Trent Darby. That was one of the first times where I heard someone sing and it just floored me.
It blew me away because it had all the soul stuff that I grew up listening to. But there was this edge to it, this rock, aggressive edge. And that was probably one of the first guys that I really tried to emulate when I was really young, when that record came out. I think that came out in 89 maybe.
TC
He had the massive hit to me, Sign Your Name.
RK
Yeah, right.
he changed his name, speaking of names, he changed it to Sonanda Maitreya, but he and I have become friends, which is very, very interesting because I remember, you know, when he, shortly after that record came out, I moved to LA, Interscope signed me to a major deal and they moved me to Los Angeles when I was 20 or 21. And I walk into my friend's house,
And he was sitting on the sofa and it was a huge star and a huge influence. I was, I was like, my God, what is he doing here? You know, my friend had just gotten the gig playing guitar behind him. Stevie Salas, who you probably have heard of. Yeah. We are great friends and we, you know, we'd see a lot of each other back then. And I walk in and he's sitting there and I got in this like frenzy and I ran back to my car and I had
I was carrying with me for whatever reason a couple of the demo tapes that got me signed by Jimmy Iovine and Tom Wiley that got me signed to Interscope. And so I ran in with the tape. I started talking to Terrence and I said, here's my tape. And I told him how much of a fan I was. And it was such a crazy moment, but it really changed me. Is that he took the tape and he looked and he goes, why you want me to have this?
And he handed it back to me. said, I'm not going to listen to it. And even if I did, it's not going to change anything for you. And I looked at him. I was like, right, right, right. Yeah, right. I get it. So I put the tape away and we sat there and watched the national, you know, was lions feeding, you know, on TV, the geographic channel, which is what Stevie would always watch before we'd get ready to go out to the, to the club, you know, cause that's why I was there. We were going to go out, you know,
and so it was just this crazy moment of like, yeah, you're right. There's no reason for me to play this. I mean, if you hear it, you like it, you do, you don't, whatever, nothing really shouldn't matter. It shouldn't matter what you think. You know what I mean? Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely. And so, you know, it's like people want to give, you you give the tape, you know, like, listen to what I'm doing. It's like, well, why? Why should, why do you want me to hear it? If I don't like it, you know, it's perfectly possible that I might not like it.
then you're going to hate me and think, you know, it's personal, it becomes personal. And if I do like it, what, I'm not a record company. I'm not an A &R executive. I can't do anything for you. You know, the business is effed up enough, you know, trying to be an artist and do things for yourself. I wouldn't know what to do. So anyway, it was just this kind of aha moment of like, yeah, I don't really need to play this for anybody. All the headlines were about this amazing guitar.
tim caple
As a songwriter as well, you were emerging and some people might not know this and others might have forgotten about it you ended up getting "Fever Dream" included on the soundtrack for Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey. Now, again lot of people might not remember the film or have a clue who Bill and Ted are, but at the time that was a massive
worldwide box office smash hit. So how did you feel when you have one of your compositions in the band? And did you ever get a chance to play with the Wild Stallions?
RK
Well, no, I'll tell you what happened. So that was right around the time where Interscope bought my contract from Shrapnel. Part of the deal was I would agree to give Shrapnel one more instrumental record, which is the record Electric Joy. Now, a lot of people don't know that that record
Normally, I wouldn't have made that record, but that was done in order to fulfill an obligation and move on to the major recording contract in which I was going to make a record that I was singing on. know, the carryover of fever dream. And so the song dream of a new day was on the fever dream record. Interscope had the soundtrack rights. So if you see the soundtrack, you'll see on there. Kiss is on there. I think Steve Vai might be on there.
a lot of major acts and then you'll see my name on there, which I was relatively, you know, unknown outside the guitar community. So that was a great opportunity. I remember I went to the premiere and did the red carpet with Edgar Winter. Edgar Winter and I shared a limo. Nobody knows this. See, this is new stuff coming out. We shared a limo because he and I were writing together for my Interscope record.
So I was writing with Dwayne Hitchings who wrote, You Think I'm Sexy? Robert Hazard and I wrote a lot of songs together, which four songs we wrote. He wrote Girls Just Want to Have Fun for Cyndi Lauper. And then Edgar and I wrote a song called Head Over Heels that is somewhere, somewhere in an office, probably who knows where. And so we went to the premiere together, did the red carpet, and then we actually performed that night. And I performed
free ride in Frankenstein, I believe it was. And, and that was the night that I met Eddie Van Halen for the first time. And I have a picture hanging in my hallway with the three of us, Edgar Winter, me, Eddie Van Halen. And that was like a real like, you know, I had just moved to LA. So that was a real welcome to Hollywood. And the other thing I remember vividly, I remember getting out of the car with with Edgar Winter. Keanu was already on the red carpet.
And I walked up, I was standing behind Keanu Reeves at this point, and he was wearing a brown jacket. I remember exactly what he was even wearing. a couple people knew who I was. And I heard my name yelled, and I turned, and they took a few pictures of me. And I remember my record company executive making fun of me. says, you look like a deer in the headlights. Because I just had this look of bewilderment on my face, because here I was throwing in the mix.
And somewhere online, think I've seen that picture come up now and then I'm wearing a very funny jacket. Anyway, that was a really, that was an awesome memory. And the very beginning, you know, that was me coming to LA and I didn't come to LA like looking for work. came, I came in, you know, right at the top of the food chain, you know, behind the scenes, course, but it was just real surreal, you know, very interesting.
tim caple (19:17.677)
it's amazing really, because you've been in LA for not very long. You turn up find Terrence Trent Derby, sat in your house, you're on the red carpet were you beginning to think, this is all bit easy? Everything's falling into place.
RK
It's a very good point you're making. What I noticed, what I was putting together up until that point, and it wasn't until the end of 90s. No.
It wasn't until the end of 94 where I realized where I had some cold water thrown on my face. But what it was was I thought if I work really hard, as long as I really keep working hard, good things will happen. And so, you I worked really hard in my early teens to learn the guitar. And then I worked really hard to get noticed by Shrapnel. And then I really focused on my singing. And then I really focused on songwriting. And then I got the major recording contract with Interscope.
because of all that work and the focus on songwriting. was the songs that got me the deal. wasn't anything other. There were two songs I had. There was a song called, Got a Fire and a song called Angie, which later I put on a record many years later. But those songs and the Fever Dream album got me my deal. So it was always about the songs. And then it was that experience. That deal went south. So there was some turbulence.
after that, they dropped me from the deal. But I immediately got back on my feet with Geffen. I signed to Geffen and put an album out in 94. And so, you know, it was a little turbulence, but where it really came to a screeching halt was that Geffen album after it was made. And we put our heart and soul into making it, you know. This is Mother's Head Family's reunion, yeah.
Yeah, after the record was made, John Cullodner was the guy that signed me who was very important to Aerosmith. when Aerosmith, he was in all the videos too, was the guy in white, all the videos and the beard. When Aerosmith moved to Sony, they took John along. When John went to Sony, he didn't take me along. And so I was stuck in a time where, know, Kurt Cobain had just committed suicide. I mean, there was
a lot of turmoil, a lot of heavy stuff. you know, my album was just kind of swept under the rug. You know, it just like, well, I had nobody at the label saying, well, wait a minute, you know, I signed this kid, we're going to do this, that and the other. was just like, you know, all right, we got big problems here. We got to figure out our next direction. And so, you know, that happens to a lot of artists where you get a major recording contract, you make a great record and something out of your hands happens.
And it just kind of, and I remember sitting with one of the guys at Geffen saying, listen, I'm sorry, we're going to let you out of your contract. and we're going to print a couple of copies to release it, to fulfill our side, but we're not going to market it. And unfortunately that's what happened to me. So all through the nineties, you know, it was really rough. So this whole impression of coming into LA with a bang, maybe I did, but then I had a good solid, you know, 10 years.
And the thing that was really strange was that I had accumulated a lot of money because the Interscope deal, the Geffen deal, the Warner Brothers publishing deal. So I was kind of set up, you know, where I didn't have to hustle financially. However, career wise, it was fucking depressing. I couldn't get arrested. And then finally the internet came along and I was like, okay, I can release my own music.
And I can do it my way and I can have a voice out there. And that's when everything started kind of like I got the plane off the ground again, you know.
TC
You tasted the you tasted the mega band life of with Poison.
RK
And there's that I left that out. Of course, there was that.
TC
The the the story I loved about that was the fact that you used to have the covers band that you were playing when you were growing up.
when it came to Poison songs, it was the one band you refused to play because they were so uncool.
RK
Ha ha ha
I can't believe you brought that up. know, it was a very interesting thing. the time with the cover band, you know, I was, you I was really into the guitar at that point. mean, was in that 85, 86, whenever their first album came out, I was listening to Alan Holdsworth, you know, and so and Steve Morris with the Dixie Drags. So I wasn't interested in any of those, you know, you know, any of those kinds of bands from that era. You know, it wasn't just, you know, Poison. It was any band that was in that genre. Yeah, right. Because I was like I said, you know what I was listening to. So fast forward, you know, five years later, no, six years later, if it was 85, 86, well, whenever it was, let's say five, for argument's sake.
I'm in Brett's house, you the singer from Poison. And, it was Interscope. They were the ones that said, Hey, listen, he's calling us. We're dropping you. We're letting you out of your contract because I was at creative odds with my record company. And I was very stubborn at 20 years old. And they said, okay, we're going to let you out of the contract. And their attitude was you're going to get another deal, but you know,
you're not going to make the record we want you to make. So we're to let you go. But before, before you do anything, go out to Brett's house and have a meeting because he's been calling about you. And that's exactly how I ended up in Poison.
So I went to his house and once I started speaking with him about music, I realized, wow, actually I have a lot in common with this guy. He's a Pennsylvania guy. Yeah. And the bands he was talking about were bands that I liked. You know, he was talking about the Allman brothers and some
soulful rock and roll. And then he said to me, you know, really, I'm not looking for a guy to come here and play a lot of notes. I need a guy that can write with me. You know, he said, you know, CC was a songwriter. I'm a songwriter. He's talking about himself. And he said, and I can, know that you're a songwriter and I think you would be a good fit for where I see my band going. So at that point, then I, then I was intrigued, you know? And so that's how I ended up
in the band. so the songs that are on that album, there's a couple songs on there that I had written previously that I brought in and he embellished upon. Stand being one of them, Fire and Ice being another.
TC
There were a few problems at the audition. you had a problem with the amp didnt you
RK
oh my God.
I had a 50 watt, we still have it too. works now, but I had a 50 watt Marshall. It wasn't a plexiglass panel, but it was right when they switched off of it. So it still had the same, that same kind of sound, you know, the four input. It's a great sounding amp and I showed up with it and immediately smoke started coming out. And then they wanted me to play some of their songs, obviously. And the truth of the matter was, you know, I was pretty cocky back then at my age.
It's not cocky, but confident. So when it came time to learn the songs, I don't think I even picked up the guitar. I think I played it. You know, I was living in L.A. and I had a place and I played the song on a loop. You know, the four songs that they wanted me to learn. I played them on loop and I could hear. I know what I know what this is you know, there's a riff there. I know what I can tell with that. And picked up the guitar once or twice just to reconfirm.
And so I walked in the audition feeling like, know, I know this, I got to hear it on the radio. I know how it goes. Well, once I get in there and start playing it, I'm like, you shit, that ain't where the bridge goes. There's another, there's another verse here, you know, that I start messing up. And in my mind, I'm like, my God, I'm really fucking up this audition. The amp went up. I don't know their music properly. So then he says to me, well, you got some originals. And the way I remember is I played him.
stand because I had that that was written that song was written and then when I got in the band he wanted to change up the lyrics and the verses and so we did and then I think he and I added a bridge to it coming into the solo but that you know chorus verse I had my own set of lyrics that I think I use my lyrics to this day when I do this song or maybe I use a combination who cares who knows but anyway that was that was played and then I played him the verse
and chorus to what became Fire and Ice. I'm convinced that that was the moment that he was able to go to the other two guys and convince them that I was the guy. Because I don't think they were convinced at that point. I think they said, who is this fucking clown? The amp blew, he doesn't know what's going on. Get him out of here. But no, Brett went to bat for me. And then I remember I was rehearsing with him for two weeks, learning stuff, writing, messing around. And I didn't know if I was in the band or not.
And here's the other bit I'll tell you that I never told this, which is very funny. we're sitting, had their own room out in the valley and we're sitting there and Brett starts and all right, well, let's have a conversation. Now I don't know it, but he's going to tell me that I have the gig, but I don't know that he starts talking and the way he's talking. I started anticipating that he's going to tell me it was a nice lunch and I'll see you later. So I interrupted.
I said, hey, listen, I said, I know I'm probably not your guy, you know. So I started getting ready to pack my shit up and leave. And he goes, no, no, wait, wait, wait. That's not what I'm saying. What I'm saying is how do you feel like about headlining arenas and making millions of dollars? That was his quote to me. And I'm looking at him like, huh, you got the gig. You're in the fucking band. I said, he's finally. So you're in the fucking band. all right. Well, everybody hug everybody. And that was it.
But yeah, that's a story I never told. Hopefully, people are interested in that.
Now, if the numbers are right, and I was counting these earlier on, Nomad, which is where we're at today,
will be the 90th album that you have featured on since "Arthur's Museum"that EP back in 1988. So that includes obviously the collaborations and compilations and the odd live album here and there. But 90 albums is a significant body of work were you aware of the number?
RK
No
And here's the thing that's really interesting on the outside, it must seem like I'm always doing something. The fact of the matter is, I go months without even touching the guitar, without even doing anything musical. know, I'll be outside planting a tree or, you know, building a shed or screwing with a miter saw, putting up crown molding somewhere in a room. But it's very interesting. That's an interesting number.
TC
So the album, fusion, this word that is bandied around an awful lot. it's almost like seeking this holy grail, the ability to blend multiple genres into basically one being. Now, many people have tried to do this over the years, and most of them don't succeed. But you plainly do
eight tracks, 35 minutes, it has absolutely everything. So what is your secret to making this fusion actually work?
RK
Well, that is a mystery. And that has been a beautiful thing for me and a nightmare for me. Where it has been a nightmare is in certain
aspects of dealing with record companies early on where, you know, I hear things like literally, your voice, you sound too black. That's something that was said to me when I was very, young. Wow. Yeah. Some very crazy, crazy shit. And so this business of me being influenced by Soul R &B and then also having a hard rock side for me feels completely natural.
You know, at the core of what I'm doing at the very base of it, everything is stemming from a soul funk sort of thing. So Funkadelic, Sly and the Family Stone, you know, and a few others. It's stemming from that. That's the root of my writing. And then everything branches out into maybe I'll be a little jazzy. I like to play loud, so there's the rock thing.
the rock music that I like is stuff that is influenced from the stuff I just described. So if I like a rock band, like the Black Crowes for me, love that. I understand where they're coming from. I love what Lenny Kravitz does. There's a list of a certain kind of rock music that I connect with. Another kind of rock music, I don't. It it goes completely over my head.
It doesn't make me move my head. I don't want to move my body when I hear it. It's just like, you know, so it's just the makeup of by listening to what I listened to when I did, when I write, that's what comes out. It just comes out that way. And so I have this pendulum swing, you know, I can get a little heavy, you know, like my song, cheap shots that opens the record, you know, that's about as hard hitting as I'll probably get, you know.
and then, you you'll hear a song like Nihilist that ends the record, where I'll kind of go into this almost progressive rock thing, because I do have a bit of that in my DNA as well, you know. So there's a pendulum swing. What you probably won't hear is a real, you know, straight up country thing coming out of me. You know, you probably won't hear pedal steel in my music you won't hear an accordion in my songs, you know, but.
you might hear some horns here and there like I did previously you know,It's not a mess. It's not some random potpourri. It's actually a very defined thing. Sound is what I do. And the beautiful thing about the Nomad album, from my taste, is the album was created onto itself. I didn't know I was going to release it on a major label. I didn't know any of that.
I just was making something for me. I was making something for myself that was in me and I wanted to hear it come out of the speakers in a certain way. And that's what I did. And I listened and I like, yeah, that's what I was thinking about. That was in me. That was dreaming about this. And now it exists and now I can share it. And there you go. It's that, I hate the word organic because it's, what the fuck does it even mean? But it's simplicity in it is what I just described.
TC
From a musical consumer's point of view, for the people that go out to buy records, and I still go out and buy stuff, the album really is this sort of festival of musical fusions and the beauty is that you could listen to this 10 times in a row. And on every song, you'll hear something different each time you listen to it.
you might pick up on the lyric or you might pick up on the guitar or suddenly the bass will become more prominent or it will be the groove. So literally every time you listen, you hear something new.
RK
Awesome. Well, I thank you, man. I mean, I think, you know, I really, I dig what your, your, your perception on it. It really, what you're saying is all I could ask for, you know, as far as someone talking about the album, how do they see it? You know,
I really appreciate that because that, you know, it's just my little vision. You know what I'm saying?
it's eight songs. It's not I'm not out there trying to do anything other than, you know, get this stuff out so I can say, yeah, let me hear it back. You what I mean? That's all it is. As you're playing again on everything that's on there again, there's a big pressure on you to match the quality of each
input, so the lyrics have got to be as good as the voice, they've just got to be as good as the drums, there's got to be as good as the guitar.
TC
How do you cope if one of your personas is having an off day? How does one part of you tell the other, this isn't good enough or this is brilliant?
RK
Ok so this whole thing, this perception of perfection is just a perception because to me it's about
the progress of the situation and not about the perfection of it. Because that's where you get something that ends up being untrue. Because you're not perfect. No matter how hard you tweak yourself, you're never perfect. You're a person and people have imperfections. So the music is the same way like the other day, I was listening to Nomad.
because I made a music video for it. And I pulled up the Pro Tools session and I just wanted to hear the guitar soloed for a second because it's been over a year since I played it. And I'm listening to the guitar track and I'm like, shit, there was like a couple things that I played that were flubbed. Now you don't notice it when you hear the entire picture, it works and it has a vibe and it has a feeling. But if you isolate something, you're like,
shit, I didn't really finger that chord perfectly on that one moment. And, but you hear that on records. You can hear that, you know, on Van Halen records, you know, the greatest guitar player ever recorded in rock and roll. So, you know, that perfection thing, it, what's perfection to me is the emotion, the emotion that I feel when I sit back and say, wow, wow, I got to hear that again.
And then I'm like, fuck, that's bad ass. That's done. Don't touch it. It's done. That's the perfection. It's not, the drums are perfectly aligned and that's madness. I mean, that's ridiculous. know, that's people that do that stuff. I want to smack them in the back of the head and say, yeah, what about the song? Is the song any good? You know, I mean, you know what I mean? And so to really go deeper into that.
And I know I've got probably another guy that I'm making a late here. I don't want to stop talking to you because this is a great, you're really pulling this out of me very well. But, you know, the most important thing in the music that I make is not the guitar. It's not the drums. They're all very important, but it's the bloody lyric. What am I saying? What am I singing about? Who is this character? What, you know, what's the story?
You have to know all that shit. Otherwise... What is the story? I will let you go. What is the story? Because if you look at, take some of the titles, nihilist, for example, somebody who basically believes that life is meaningless and doesn't conform to any moral or religious value, has none of that. Where are you in that? Is this you?
no, I I don't live my life that way. So mean, sometimes I have to adopt some of that attitude in certain situations. Otherwise you would be driven to madness by people. But, know, that song in particular, it's about a situation that where someone has just worn you to a point where you just like, you throw your hands up, you just, yeah, What do I know? I mean, it's like,
What do I care? No, you're bringing this out of me. You've brought me down to a level where there's no more gas in the tank. Whatever will be will bloody be. You know what I mean? that. Yeah, I do. You've got me down to the bottom level and doesn't matter.
TC
Nomad. The album title you've given it the title of somebody that is
constantly traveling, moving from one place to the next, new pastures, et cetera again, is this your life journey or is this your musical journey?
RK
Well, it's not necessarily my musical journey. It's more about, you know, the motion of life. know, the worst, scare, a very scary thing is just, you know, everything just remains the same day after day after day after day after day.
And I suppose there's a beauty in that. Maybe I'll find that. But I've always had this element of, now what? OK, now what are we going to do? OK, that's done. What's next? Yeah,
TC
That's actually a good point, because when you look at your career to date and all of the achievements that you've had, is there something that you would like to still
accomplish something that has eluded you in the music business?
Well, you know, the more shallow thing I could say would be like the the what comes along with like a real hit record, you know? Yeah. Like, you know, OK, well, the record is being played oall these radio stations and the late night television shows all want you to play this song. I've never, well, I had a taste of that with Poison. I mean, we did all the, we did the. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I know and Arsenio and that that stuff. And the song was on the radio and it was number four on MTV I mean, I had a taste of that at a very, very, very, very young age, which I think.
is probably the best time to have a taste of that if you're to have a taste of all. When you're young, got your energy, you got your looks, you got it all. So that's beautiful. So having now that I talk about all this, I did experience a bit of that. I don't really know how to answer your question. don't know. I mean, 90 appearances later, I don't know. It's pretty blurred, I guess.
I don't know how to answer that.
TC
And lastly, then, is there somebody that you would love to collaborate with that doesn't know that you would love to collaborate with them? might be something that you've never said to anybody. I've asked this question to many people, you do get some bizarre answers. I Michael Schenker was desperate to do something with Rod Stewart.
RK
wow.
TC
And Camine Appice wanted to drum with the Police.
RK
there's people that I know that I think it would be fun to work with, you know, I mean, I'm good friends with Jerry Cantrell and he and I have talked over the years casually, yeah, we got to do something, we got to write a song. And, we never, never, we never did. So, I mean, that's something that would be interesting. know, Sonanda Maitreya, who you know is Terence Trent D'arby
We were talking earlier. He obviously changed his name 20 years ago. He and I have become friends. He does his own thing and I do my own thing, but down the line, be interesting to do something. I don't know what it would be, but there are people that, Justin Hawkins from the Darkness sent me a song last year that was incredible. mean, this song, I was like,
How the hell did you write this? I mean, it was really brilliant. And he wanted a guitar solo on it. And I did this crazy guitar solo with a hollow body and a clean sound because he had these chord changes that were really kind of angular and just brilliant that he'd weaved a melody through it. that was fun. So there are people, they exist. I just don't sit around and think about it too much.
Thanks to Richie for talking to me a few weeks back and if you want to watch the video of the interview feature then go back to the home page or here is a link to You Tube
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