AEROSMITH's BRAD WHITFORD: 'The Music Has Got To Be Honest'

Robert Cavuoto of Guitar International recently conducted an interview with AEROSMITH guitarist Brad Whitford. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Guitar Inernational: With fans being such nostalgia hounds, how important is it for AEROSMITH to spend months writing and recording new material?

Brad Whitford: We've been around for a long time, and I think anybody in this situation, whatever it is that makes you special, just shines so bright. There's a certain period in your career where there is no denying what you're doing. It's something that comes out of you. I just think we all have our day in the sun early on in our careers. You can't always maintain that level of creativity and spark; part of it dries up. The part that doesn't dry up is the passion and the musical abilities — the part of you that wants to entertain and just get up and do it. We were just in Europe and we saw THE ROLLING STONES in Berlin. It was just so fabulous, but they did a couple of their newer hits which I hadn't heard. [Laughs] I don't run out and buy the new STONES album, because I think we all go through that same thing. We get to a certain place where our music doesn't have the impact anymore. In the case of the STONES and their new music, they did an excellent job of making it sound like it came from the fucking '60s. I was just blown away. It was like, "Wow, that's a new song?" I just couldn't believe it. It really sounded like something they had written way back. That's really hard to do. But, leave it to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards to make that happen.

Guitar Inernational: When you are going to work on your next CD, what direction would you like to see that CD take? Would it be similar to the last one, or would it be in a completely different direction?

Brad Whitford: We all have thoughts about what it should be. If I was going to produce the record, or be the musical director, I would try and get everybody to let go of any preconceived ideas. The best music just comes out with whatever you're feeling on that particular hour or day. To leave all ideas at the door, we're going to do it like we used to do it. Sit down, pick up your instrument and just start making some noise and then we're just going to go with that. The music has got to be honest. And once you get into that place, people can tell. People know if you're trying too hard to do something. Any sort of preconceived stuff does not work for me, musically. I've got to be honest; it's about being in the moment and making music. The moment of what you feel right then and there. Then it will work.

Read the entire interview from Guitar International.