Myles Kennedy is the lead singer/rhythm guitar player for the hard rock band Slash and Alter Bridge. The groups 4 album titled “Fortress” was recently released to rave reviews and the group is currently touring Europe in support of its release. Media Mikes had the chance recently to ask Myles a few questions about the album and what it’s like splitting time between two successful projects.
Adam Lawton: Can you give us some background on the new album?
Myles Kennedy: Mark Tremonti and I started the writing process for “Fortress” last year while we were touring with our various projects. We both agreed to meet in Florida starting in January to begin the arrangement process. Things went pretty quickly from there because we didn’t allow ourselves to over think. With that said we certainly tried to challenge ourselves and venture into new musical territory as much as we could.
AL: What do you feel was the most difficult part of working on this record as compared to the previous 3?
MK: Our fall tour and record release date had already been set so it was challenging knowing we had a finite amount of time to get the record done. Another challenge was not allowing ourselves to utilize the same arrangement approaches we had used in the past. It was very important to push ourselves as a band and continue to evolve.
AL: Does having multiple projects and larger time gaps between releases affect your creative process at all?
MK: It liberates us. I feel like our various projects keep the creative juices flowing all the time and benefit the songs at the end of the day. I’ve learned a lot about myself as a writer, singer, guitarist and performer in the last few years.
AL: Can you tell us about the “Addicted to Pain” video which was released recently?
MK: We teamed up with Dan Catullo for this video. He directed our live DVDs which we recorded at Wembley Stadium and Amsterdam. We were definitely on the same page regarding the overall vibe and visual concepts which made the process go quickly.
AL: Can you tell us about the upcoming Alter Bridge tour?
MK: We are currently touring Europe getting the set refined. At this point we are trying to mix up the set-list more than we have in the past. We have a lot of diehard fans that travel all over to see us. Often times they come out and see us more than once on a tour cycle so we are trying to keep them in mind by switching tunes out from the new record in order to keep it interesting. The hard part is when you find a set that has a great flow you have to be careful how much you alter it or the show will suffer. It’s a delicate balance.
AL: Do you have any other projects in the works that you would like to mention?
MK: At this point we are focused on Alter Bridge. I am working with Slash and the guys on new material for the next record and I am sure Mark is chipping away on songs for next Tremonti record as well. We are lucky to have so many musical outlets to keep us busy and it’s definitely something we don’t take for granted.