DAVID ELLEFSON: 'I Never Saw THE LUCID Coming'

Former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson, who recently collaborated with INSANE CLOWN POSSE's Violent J on the "Saddle Up And Ride" single from his THE LUCID project, was asked in a new interview with The Travel Addict if there is anyone he would still like to collaborate or play with. He responded: "Of course. I never saw THE LUCID coming. I never saw ICP coming. I'm always open to all these things. Usually the phone rings my way and someone is asking me to do it. I would have probably never thought of it, you know? I'm always open to these things. All-star jam sessions, THE STOWAWAYS [ShipRocked cruise all-star band], METAL ALLEGIANCE, I've played for Alice Cooper's 'Christmas Pudding' a couple times [near my home] here in Arizona. All of a sudden, the phone rings and it's, like, 'Hey, you wanna join us for this thing?' And my answer is always yes. Tune your bass and go be in the room and be a part of the action. It's awesome."

In addition to Ellefson, THE LUCID features vocalist Vinnie Dombroski (SPONGE),guitarist Drew Fortier and drummer Mike Heller (RAVEN, FEAR FACTORY),

THE LUCID's new EP, "Saddle Up And Ride", will arrive on January 27.

Ellefson previously discussed how he chooses which projects to get involved with when the opportunities are presented to him during a November 2021 appearance on Rock Dance Theatre TV's YouTube livestream. At the time, he said: "Every time I made a music thing about money, there was never enough money and I certainly never liked the music. [Laughs] If you enjoy the music, if you enjoy the creative process, maybe there's not a lot of money in it, but I really don't care 'cause I'm really digging the hang. So I've learned… The bills somehow have always been paid. And it's just say yes, suit up, show up, get in a room, bring your bass, be in tune, be on time, look your best, play your best, be your best and walk in with your best attitude. Every gig is an audition for the next gig. So how you handle coming into a gig is important, and sometimes how you handle leaving a gig. 'Cause all things don't last forever, so how you depart or if there's a falling out and it doesn't work… I remember [legendary drummer] Vinny Appice saying that, 'cause he was talking about, I think, BLACK SABBATH and stuff. He said, he goes, 'You know, some people just fight their way out the door rather than just accepting, eh, that was then, and it's over.' In fact, even my friend Drew [Fortier], who's the guitar player in THE LUCID, we were talking about some stuff, and it's sort of, like, don't be sad it's over. Be glad it ever even happened. Sometimes when you look at that, it's, like, 'Yeah, that was pretty cool.' Whatever it is — whether it's a relationship, a band, a book. Be glad it even happened, man, and enjoy what was there and move on to the next one. There's gonna be more."

Ellefson was fired from MEGADETH in May 2021 after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter.

David, a Christian who launched the Mega Life Ministries worship group in 2007, studied for a year at Concordia Lutheran Seminary in St. Louis more than a decade ago.

In 2004, Ellefson filed an $18.5-million lawsuit against MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine, alleging the frontman shortchanged him on profits and backed out of a deal to turn Megadeth Inc. over to him when the band broke up in 2002. The lawsuit was eventually dismissed and Ellefson rejoined MEGADETH in 2010.

Ellefson was in MEGADETH from the band's inception in 1983 to 2002, and again from 2010 until his latest exit.