BUSH's GAVIN ROSSDALE On 'I Beat Loneliness': 'This Is Probably The Most Personal Record I Ever Made'

In a new interview with Australia's Today, BUSH frontman Gavin Rossdale spoke about the lyrical inspiration for the band's latest album, "I Beat Loneliness", which came out on July 18 via earMUSIC. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, I thought for the tenth record I had to make sure there was a point to making one. So, yeah, I think this is probably the most personal record I ever made in terms of the lyrics, 'cause I just thought it's good to make a record for people to… In this modern world, everyone's, like, 'You've gotta be better, you've gotta be successful, you've gotta be better than…' — everyone looks at social media and feels a little bit insecure about their life. And so I thought it was important to make a record where people will see that it is a struggle, there are things that happen, but there's always a way through, and it's often by kind of connecting with each other that we find that strength. So it's a record that makes people not feel alone."

Speaking specifically about BUSH's recently released single "The Land Of Milk And Honey", which appears on "I Beat Loneliness", Gavin said: "That's aspirational. I just sort of see it as… this land of milk and honey, I see that as a prosperous life, as a life fulfilled and just a life that's well lived. And that's what we've gotta aim for. I believe in really kind of considering other people, but yet really just sort of finding the joy in things, because things can get hard enough pretty quick, usually when you least expect them to. So I just savor the good bits."

This past April, BUSH released a new single, "60 Ways To Forget People", a raw and emotionally charged taste from "I Beat Loneliness". The track explored the complexities of heartbreak, personal transformation, and the painful process of letting go.

Produced by Rossdale and Erik Ron (PANIC! AT THE DISCO, SET IT OFF, BAD OMEN),"I Beat Loneliness" marks BUSH's tenth studio album — a powerful testament to the band's enduring legacy and continued evolution. The record blends their grunge-rooted intensity with fresh textures and themes exploring mental health, solitude, and resilience.

Rossdale previously spoke about the lyrical inspiration for "I Beat Loneliness" in a separate interview with Baltimore's 98 Rock radio station.  He said at the time: "Well, I think it's like a snapshot of my life. I'm at a point in my life where I can look far enough back and remember when I first made records. I had no horizon, you know what I mean? And I didn't know what was happening, and the road was just infinite and open. And then, obviously, as you mature, you get older and you see what the lay of the land is and your time around, you gotta go, 'Okay, I can see the horizon.' So it kind of presents a different thing about making sure there's a reason to write. I call it making sure you improve the silence. And so I just went inside and found some things, just sort of experimented with myself musically and lyrically and just went inside and tried to be as clear as possible. Anytime I thought about an idea, I questioned myself if I was being clear enough about it. And I try to get right down to the kind of the really basic cell structure of people."

BUSH is on tour in North America from July 19 to August 30, before heading overseas to join VOLBEAT for a series of dates across Europe from September 18 through November 13.

2024 marked the 30th anniversary of the release of BUSH's six-times-platinum debut album, "Sixteen Stone".

Last summer, BUSH celebrated its 30th anniversary with an extensive North American headline tour.

BUSH released "Loaded: The Greatest Hits 1994-2023" in November 2023 via Round Hill Records. The set included a new song called "Nowhere To Go But Everywhere", which was written by Gavin and produced by Rossdale and Corey Britz.

BUSH's current lineup consists of Rossdale, Chris Traynor (guitar),Corey Britz (bass) and Nik Hughes (drums).

BUSH broke up in 2002 but reformed in 2010, and has since released six albums: "The Sea of Memories" (2011),"Man On The Run" (2014),"Black And White Rainbows" (2017),"The Kingdom" (2020),"The Art Of Survival" (2022) and "I Beat Loneliness" (2025).

"Black And White Rainbows" was crafted after Rossdale went through a divorce with pop star/reality TV judge Gwen Stefani in 2015.