JOSH TODD Says BUCKCHERRY 'Wanted To Step It Up' On New Album 'Warpaint'

In a recent interview with Spence from Minnesota radio station Rock 95, Josh Todd spoke about BUCKCHERRY's musical development on the band's new studio album, "Warpaint". The follow-up to 2015's "Rock 'N' Roll" is the first since the departures of guitarist Keith Nelson and drummer Xavier Muriel.

"We wanted to step it up and bring it into a different realm," he said (audio below). "We had grown a lot since the last one had been [released] about almost three years [ago]. We had a lot of change and lot of stuff going on in our personal and professional lives, and it always makes for great songwriting."

During the same chat, Todd discussed the new BUCKCHERRY ballad "Radio Song", which was inspired by Prince. "It's like our 'Purple Rain'," he said. "Stevie [D, guitar] and I are really big Prince fans. I actually came up with that song in the shower. I came up with all the melodies. I remember I came into writing one day and said 'Hey, let's put up a tempo. I got this song.' I sang it down just with no music on a click track. I told Stevie, 'I want this to be our 'Purple Rain', so make the music, not exactly, but similar. Make it really epic.' I came back and the music for 'Radio Song' was born. He added a bridge to it, and it came together really nicely."

He continued: "It's actually a sad song in a way. I feel 'Purple Rain' is that type song as well. When we were kids, I always had this mind, with the radio song concept, when I was a kid, the radio marked our childhood. It told the story of where we were at, at what time, the parties that were going on, the people that we were dating and the hits that were on the radio at that time. It was such a really important piece to the puzzle when we were growing up. I wanted to capture that in a song. The fact you can be in one mood and get in your car, you can be having a bad day, all of the sudden a hit comes on the radio and pulls you out of your nightmare or whatever you're going through. I love the power of song and the power of radio in that regard. That's how that concept came about."

"Warpaint" was released on March 8 via Century Media/RED Music. The 12-song disc, featuring 11 new BUCKCHERRY songs along with a cover of the NINE INCH NAILS classic "Head Like A Hole", was produced by Mike Plotnikoff, whose last collaboration with the band was the platinum-certified album "15".

BUCKCHERRY recently recruited Francis Ruiz as its new drummer. He joined the band as the replacement for Sean Winchester, who exited BUCKCHERRY after laying down the drum tracks on "Warpaint".