JOHN 5: 'Whenever I Have A Guitar In My Hands, It's A Good Day'

Australia's Heavy magazine recently conducted an interview with former MARILYN MANSON and current ROB ZOMBIE guitarist John 5. You can listen to the entire chat below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On the reception to his latest solo album, "Invasion":

John: "It's been incredible. Everything has been going really well. We've been playing shows; people have been going crazy. I couldn't be happier. Everything is going really, really well. So, it's just been a dream come true. An absolute dream. I couldn't be happier. [Laughs] I just can't explain it. It's just a real dream come true."

On the diversity of sounds found on "Invasion":

John: "I just am a fan of music. It doesn't matter what style it is; I just love music in general. And, I love country, bluegrass, western swing, rock, metal, anything, anything that's done really well I respect and I study and I learn and I play it."

On the importance of choosing a proper opening song on an album:

John: "Well, I just will take a song and I'll work on it and work on it and work on it for a very long time until I really have it down. And then, I just will take it from there and go into a studio with it and start to work on it because when I go into a studio, I want to be able to knock it out, like, in a couple of takes because I'm so rehearsed. It's like training for a sporting event or something like that. That's what I do before I go into the studio. If it sounds good and it comes out really good, then I'll keep it on the record."

On why he prefers to record strictly all-instrumental solo albums:

John: "I have a vocalist already and it's Rob Zombie. [Laughs] This is my chance just to do what I do and play guitar and go crazy. It really is the best of both worlds. Because when Rob is working on movies, I get to go and play some guitar in places other than my living room. I always have the guitar around. I just love to play in front of people — it doesn't matter where. You can put me anywhere that has electricity and I'll play."

On whether it's difficult to write songs without lyrics and still convey emotion:

John: "I think it is, because it's kind of like writing little symphonies. There's so much information going on. You have to keep the listener interested and keep it hooky and keep it flashy and keep it exciting. It is pretty difficult to write instrumental songs — I think, at least."

On his early days as a guitarist trying to make it in the music industry:

John: "I was actually winging it and hoping for the best. What my plan was, was I was going to work half the price than anybody else. If they were a thousand dollars, I'd do fiv -hundred, or if it was five hundred, I'd do two fifty and get my name out there that way and do my best, and really try hard and work hard and be so focused. That's what I did. Luckily, everything worked out. Like, what happened in my life, I couldn't have dreamt in a million years. I'm so lucky and so thankful."

On whether being a "gun for hire" has made it difficult for him to establish himself as a solo artist:

John: "I think everything, to me, I don't really have a plan. If I get a job playing on a commercial or a TV show or a tour or a record, I'm happy because I have the guitar in my hands. Whenever I have a guitar in my hands, it's a good day."

JOHN 5 AND THE CREATURES — comprised of John 5, bassist Ian Ross and drummer Logan Miles Nix — released "Invasion" in July. Just like his previous solo outing "Season Of The Witch", the album — produced and mixed by Barry Pointer — was released via a series of music videos.