L.A. GUNS Frontman PHIL LEWIS Offers Advice To Young Musicians: 'You Should Have Some Kind Of A Backup'

In a new interview with Rev. Tom Brice of Sportzwire Radio, L.A. GUNS frontman Phil Lewis was asked what piece of advice he would give to musicians who are starting out and are looking to break into the business. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "Well, in a creative environment, the advice that I never took myself — you should have some kind of a backup. I never had a backup. But in hindsight, there were some times when things weren't that consistent. Just be aware that when you're starting out it's gonna be sporadic. You're gonna be really busy, and then you're gonna go sit through fucking excruciating length of time between shows, and you'll go crazy. You'll think, 'That's it. What am I doing? Why am I doing it?' And a lot of self-doubt. But stick with it. And it's really important to remember the joy that each gig gives you, each profound communion, if you will. You are with your band, you are in another city, you are playing your music to people [who enjoy it]… And that's just such a great feeling. And never forget that. And I never did, I've never forgotten what a charge I get from it.

"I'm nervous — I'm so nervous before I go on," Phil admitted. "I still get it. And Steven Tyler's [AEROSMITH] famous for saying, 'Embrace the butterflies.' But I'll tell you, when I'm on stage, a minute or two into the first song, I'm more relaxed, I'm more calm, I'm more focused than… It's like a zen thing for me to be in that position. And then I come off stage afterwards and I was, like, 'What the fuck was I worried about?' And I'm always doing that. And I won't change it. It's always gonna be that way. But, yeah, enjoy the aspects of it and don't forget what your main, your soul objective [is]. If your objective is, 'Well, I wanna be a rock star and make lots of money,' there's not much I can tell you. But if you wanna embrace a bohemian lifestyle and alternative way of life and be an artist, I can talk about that for hours. But yeah, just stay true to the craft."

L.A. GUNS' latest album, "Leopard Skin", was released in April. It marked the first fruit of L.A. GUNS' reunion with Cleopatra Records, a label known for its diverse roster and innovative approach to music production.

Hot on the heels of 2023's "Black Diamonds" album, "Leopard Skin" is L.A. GUNS' fifth studio effort in seven years, since the core team of Lewis and guitarist and band founder Tracii Guns reunited in 2017. "Leopard Skin", like the last few L.A. GUNS records, reconvenes the tight-knit lineup of Guns, Lewis, bassist Johnny Martin, guitarist Ace Von Johnson and studio drummer Adam Hamilton.

"Black Diamonds" came out in April 2023. It was the fourth studio album since the much-welcome reunion of the band's core foundation of Lewis and Guns. It followed the well-received studio albums "The Missing Peace", "The Devil You Know" and "Checkered Past", plus the live release "Made In Milan", and a covers EP "Another Xmas In Hell".

In April 2021, a settlement was reached between drummer Steve Riley and Guns and Lewis over the rights to the L.A. GUNS name. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Guns and Lewis continue to operate under the L.A. GUNS trademark, while Riley and his bandmates from the other version of L.A. GUNS were allowed to perform and record under the new name RILEY'S L.A. GUNS. Riley died in October 2023 at the age of 67.

L.A. GUNS was formed in 1983 and have sold over six million records, including 1988's "L.A. Guns" and 1990's "Cocked And Loaded", both of which were certified gold. "Cocked And Loaded" contained the hit single "The Ballad Of Jayne" that went to No. 33 on Billboard's Hot 100 and No. 25 on the Mainstream Rock charts. From the mid-'90s to the mid 2000s, L.A. GUNS continued to tour and release new music. Following their successful performance at SiriusXM's Hair Nation festival in September 2016, L.A. GUNS went into the studio to record the critically acclaimed "The Missing Peace", which was the highest-selling release for Frontiers Music Srl in 2017. Their 12th album, "The Devil You Know", was released in 2019 to the same critical acclaim.