EXTREME's NUNO BETTENCOURT Explains The 'Funk' Influence In His Guitar Playing

In a new interview with Australian Musician, EXTREME guitarist Nuno Bettencourt spoke about the "funk" influence in his playing. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think it's kind of just an attraction. I'm the youngest of 10 kids, so I grew up around a lot of different genres and different music going from bedroom to bedroom. But I think being Portuguese, there was always a rhythmic thing in my DNA and being around Portuguese music and the percussiveness of it. But I think early on listening to James Brown and TOWER OF POWER and… But then the rock bands that I loved, that a lot of people consider some of the greatest rock bands, I was always attracted to the funkier side of what they did. It wasn't always a lot. But AEROSMITH, to me, was funky. There was times when [LED] ZEPPELIN was as well, with songs like 'The Crunge' and things that were just really like interesting that way. And then VAN HALEN as well — 'Outta Love [Again]', 'Mean Street', things that felt like rock funk; it's not traditional funk. I was always into QUEEN as well. I used to really be into songs like 'Dragon Attack' and things that just had a little bit more of a groove to it, even though I love rock and roll all the way around. But as a composer, that always attracted me. And I think that had a lot to do with the fact that I played drums first as well. And I always found kind of the beauty not in the drumming that's complex, but the drumming that's really simplified, that's a pocket. There was something always attractive to me about that.

EXTREME's headlining "Thicker Than Blood" world tour kicked off on August 2 and will see the band appear across the U.S., Australia, Japan and Europe, including special guests LIVING COLOUR (U.S., Australia and U.K. only) and THE LAST INTERNATIONALE (Europe only).

EXTREME's new album, "Six", which came out on June 9 via earMUSIC, landed at position No. 10 on Billboard's Top Album Sales chart with first-week sales of 12,500 copies. The set marked the band's first studio album since 2008. The act was last in the Top 10 with "III Sides To Every Story", which debuted and peaked at No. 10 back in October 1992.

EXTREME has sold 10 million records, topped the Billboard Hot 100, packed major venues on multiple continents, memorably performed at the Freddie Mercury tribute concert in London, and regularly averages over five million monthly listeners on Spotify. Along the way, everyone from Tom Morello of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and Brian May of QUEEN to John Mayer publicly sung their praises. Plus, they played to a sold-out crowd at Fenway Park opening for AEROSMITH. On top of that, Gary Cherone was lead singer for VAN HALEN ("Van Halen III") and has recorded and performed with Joe Perry, while Nuno has recorded and performed with Steven Tyler and Rihanna.