CHRIS JERICHO On Singing FOZZY Songs That He Didn't Write: 'I Have To Figure Out What They Mean To Me To Really Deliver Them With Authority'

In a new exclusive interview with Skratch N' Sniff, FOZZY frontman Chris Jericho discussed his working relationship with FOZZY guitarist Rich Ward and longtime producer Johnny Andrews. Speaking about how a song like FOZZY's latest single, "I Know Evil", came together and the overall songwriting process in FOZZY, Chris said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's a combination of all of it, 'cause our producer Johnny Andrews contributes a lot as well. So Rich and Johnny will get together a lot of times. For this song, for 'I Know Evil', that's Rich and Johnny. And when it comes down to where they have it figured out, then I'll get it, and then I work with it a bit as well and put my kind of thoughts and feelings into it. So it's a real collaborative process, and that's how we've been doing things for the last — gosh — almost 10 years, with 'Judas' forward. Whereas prior, [my attitude was] 'I'm the singer so I must write all the lyrics.' I mean, that's a cool thought, but sometimes other people have great ideas for lyrics as well. And much like [RUSH's] Geddy Lee having to sing Neil Peart's lyrics, like 'The Trees' — what are you talking about? Why am I singing about trees? — you have to, as the singer, be the one who introduces these lyrics to the world. I have to internalize them and figure out what they mean to me to really deliver them with authority. So, some songs I write, some songs I don't. But even the ones I don't write, I'm the one who's singing it, so I have to figure out a way to incorporate that into my psyche to really deliver them with seriousness, shall we say. It has to come from commitment. I have to deliver them with commitment. So, yeah, there is a lot of that as a singer, which, if you're a singer, you understand exactly what I'm talking about, and if you're not, you're, like, 'What do you mean? You just sing the songs.' No, you have to sing them to where they mean something to you, and that's a process as well. So there's a lot that goes into recording a song, and a lot goes into releasing a song, that an average music fan might not even know."

Jericho also talked in more detail about his musical chemistry and personal relationship with Ward, with whom he launched FOZZY more than a quarter century ago. He said: "We learned a long time ago, we're both two alpha males, which I think every great band has and every great band needs. Lars [Ulrich] and James [Hetfield], Steven [Tyler] and Joe [Perry], Steve [Harris] and Bruce [Dickinson], Paul [McCartney] and John [Lennon], Keith [Richards] and Mick [Jagger]. And you gotta have that creative chemistry, and sometimes a little creative tension, but there's mutual respect. And we learned a long time ago. It's like a great football team. If I'm the quarterback, I don't try and kick the ball, and I don't try and catch the ball, and I don't try and run the ball. If Rich is a great running back, he doesn't try and be the quarterback. And it's kind of, like, I leave him to do what he does best, he leaves me to do what I do best, and we meet up with a great product and a great song and a great album and a great performance. So that's what it is, and it's mutual respect. You gotta respect each other and give each other some space and let each other do what they do best. Like I said, I don't try and write a guitar riff. That's not what I do. He doesn't try and come up with — I don't know — a great album cover. That's kind of what I do, and he has his thoughts and puts some thoughts into it, and I do as well. But you really have some creative chemistry, some respect and some knowledge of, like, he does that best, I do this best, and you combine to create two halves that creates a great whole. And that's been it 25 years. I mean, Rich and I started this band. We're still together in this band. We're the only two guys who have ever played every gig on stage with one small exception where Rich had COVID and couldn't play for two weeks. But other than that, we've played every show that FOZZY's ever done together. And once again, that's a pretty cool thing to be able to say in this day and age."

Released in April 2026, "I Know Evil" was the follow-up to "Fall In Line", which was made available in April 2025 via Madison Records. Prior to "Fall In Line"'s arrival, FOZZY released another standalone single, "Spotlight", which was made available in October 2023. All three tracks were helmed by Andrews.

In September 2025, FOZZY surprise released its cover version of the OZZY OSBOURNE classic "Crazy Train". The track arrived two months after FOZZY released the official Lawrence Hinson-directed music video for "Fall In Line". The clip was filmed at HM Studios in Las Vegas, Nevada, based on a video concept by Hinson and Mark Willis.

FOZZY's latest album, "Boombox", came out in May 2022 and featured "I Still Burn", which has more than three million views on YouTube. It also included the Top 10 singles "Nowhere To Run" and "Sane".

In January 2022, FOZZY parted ways with longtime drummer Frank Fontsere and replaced him with Grant Brooks (THROUGH FIRE).

Fontsere was a founding member of FOZZY, having formed the group in 1999 with Jericho and Ward.

When FOZZY announced Fontsere's departure, the band said that he was "stepping down to focus on his family and other projects."

FOZZY is Jericho, Ward, Brooks, Billy Grey (guitar) and P.J. Farley (bass).