FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's JASON HOOK On Songwriting: 'It's So Easy To Repeat Yourself'

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH guitarist Jason Hook was recently interviewed on MÖTLEY CRÜE and SIXX:A.M. bassist Nikki Sixx's syndicated rock radio show "Sixx Sense With Nikki Sixx". You can now watch the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH continuing to use Canadian producer Kevin Churko, who has also worked with OZZY OSBOURNE, IN THIS MOMENT, PAPA ROACH, DISTURBED and HELLYEAH:

Jason: "We found Kevin first in 2008, and the only other band that he had done that we know of is Ozzy and IN THIS MOMENT. So now I hear HELLYEAH and IN THIS MOMENT and DISTURBED [on the radio], and I go, 'This is definitely Kevin. I can hear the drums. But who is this? It's HELLYEAH. No. It's DISTURBED.' "Cause everything… He's got a template."

On whether he likes working with a producer that can write music:

Jason: "Yeah, I do. To me, the only thing that works, for me — this is my opinion — are songs; the quality of the song. For me, every song can have a rating. Does it connect with the listener? Does it have those elements? A great beat that makes you just wanna move, or the melody, or the lyric: 'Oh, it reminds me of that time…' Whatever. So if you have all those connective elements, you are closer to — this is my opinion — a hit. If you connect on all those feelings. So I'm always trying to establish those connective elements in every idea, and [Kevin] gets that. So I love working with people that get that. 'Cause I'm, like, 'The track is amazing — I love this track. I don't understand the words. I don't understand what the story is.' So he's right in tune with me on that kind of approach, and we just try to say, 'Well, what would make a better… Let's bring that section up a little bit, if it could be better.'"

On bands getting lazy when it comes to creating something new and fresh:

Jason: "It's so easy to repeat yourself. I'm, like, 'I know what works for us. I know what works when we get on stage.' Those fucking four-on-the-floor stomps, those things are… It's just easy. As a matter of fact, this is interesting, 'cause when I played with [MÖTLEY CRÜE singer] Vince [Neil], I [told] Brent [Fitz], [Vince's] drummer [at the time], I said, 'What's interesting about this catalog, this MÖTLEY catalog is it really works well live. These songs — like the beat, the style of music. And Brent, the drummer, says, 'You know why? 'Cause it's four on the floor.' I go, 'What does that mean?' And he goes, 'Listen — it's kick drum on every beat.' And I'm, like, 'Fuck! Well, let's do that then.' So most of our songs are… I shouldn't say we're stealing from MÖTLEY CRÜE, but the principle works — that driving beat, that kick on every beat, like 'Under And Over It' and things like that. So that's something I learned from being in Vince's band."

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's greatest-hits compilation, "A Decade Of Destruction", was released on December 1. The set includes two new songs, "Trouble" and a cover of THE OFFSPRING's "Gone Away".

The hits collection and an already completed new studio album are part of a deal to settle a legal dispute and close out the band's contract with Prospect Park.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's seventh full-length LP, which was finished a year ago, will follow up 2015's "Got Your Six" and will be released in spring 2018.