DROWNING POOL Members Discuss NIKKI SIXX Collaboration

Gibson.com recently conducted an interview with DROWNING POOL. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

Gibson.com: You've done a lot of work with the USO to benefit troops. How did that become important for you?

C.J. Pierce (guitar): We were very fortunate to have been asked to go over to Iraq several years ago, and that was a really eye-opening experience. The soldiers were the most dedicated people I've met in my life. The least we could do is write a song for those guys.

Ryan McCombs (vocals): This has nothing to do with politics for us. It's not a left wing or right wing thing. It's all about those boys and girls over there who we've had the opportunity to spend time with. It's amazing — you go over there and then get e-mails from them, thanking you for spending time with them and that's just insane. They deserve all the respect in the world.

Gibson.com: You guys cover BILLY IDOL's "Rebel Yell" on "Full Circle", which isn't exactly the first thing people might think of you doing. How did you decide to take that one on?

C.J.: We grew up in the days of METALLICA "Garage Days" — where they'd take a song and make it their own, make it fun. We've played "Creeping Death" [METALLICA] and we played "Shout at the Devil" [MÖTLEY CRÜE] when we did the Jägermeister tour back in 2002. And "Rebel Yell" was one we all agreed on. I read where it's one of the most-covered songs out there, but most bands just do it like the original. We made it way heavier, way more of a DROWNING POOL song.

Mike Luce (drums): Any time you're out and see a bar band and they play "Rebel Yell", the drinks go in the air, everybody's singing "more, more, more," even the girl who just got out of the insurance seminar at seven o'clock. Plus, it just fits, we're a Southern band, it's an '80s tune, which is where our roots are. We just got back from England, and we played it there as "Hillbilly Yell", because the whole "rebel" thing means something real different over there.

Gibson.com: How did you end up working with Nikki Sixx on the new album?

Mike: It was pretty amazing. It wasn't like we had a part written out and he just came in and played it. It's like you walk out and meet an idol, break the ice, write together, and then sit on the other side of the glass while Nikki's giving you the thumbs up — wow. And again, it's something that went full circle; we were right at the cusp of doing something together when Davey passed and here we are.

C.J.: Whatever you're doing — guitar, vocals, drums — you're sitting in the booth doing your thing and you look out there and see Nikki and you think "He's gonna know if I suck." We did another song that didn't make it, one that had Gunnar Sixx on it playing didgeridoo. That might come out at some point, but it wasn't ready yet — it's like a student who needs a little more attention. If it's a C student, you help it along, and then it'll be ready to graduate.

Read the entire interview at www.gibson.com.