NIKKI SIXX Discusses 'This Is Gonna Hurt' Book In New Interview

Ed Masley of The Arizona Republic recently conducted an interview with MÖTLEY CRÜE/SIXX: A.M. bassist Nikki Sixx. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

The Arizona Republic: In [Sixx's new book, "This Is Gonna Hurt: Music, Photography And Life Through The Distorted Lens Of Nikki Sixx"], you talk about getting into photography in 1989 while looking for a hobby to replace the drugs you'd given up, and I was wondering what it was about photography that led you there?

Sixx: I think anything that's creative really takes my mind off whatever it is that I'm going through in my life. If you're going through heartbreak and you can write a song, it's a wonderful win-win, because it takes your mind off the heartbreak and you get to vent. And photography is like that. You get to capture. You get to vent. You get to create.

The Arizona Republic: Is there overlap at all between what you find beautiful and what we're taught to think is beautiful? Or does a picture of Kate Winslet in a pretty dress just leave you cold?

Sixx: It doesn't leave me cold. But here's the deal — I've always been supportive of the underdog because I was sort of forced into the underdog's position. That's like a gift that was given. So when I had the opportunity to photograph people who have been through really harsh times and come out the other side, doing all this great stuff, and they're able to tell their story, it inspires those of us that haven't had anything near that life experience to raise our standard, raise the quality of our life.

The Arizona Republic: How did the writing of this book compare with the writing of "The Heroin Diaries"?

Sixx: "The Heroin Diaries" was a lot easier because they were diaries. And I had a great partner, Ian Gittins. I would sit down with him and say, "Look, I need interviews. I don't want to interview my mom and my grandfather and my band members because they're not gonna be totally honest with me." So Ian got to do that and then he would come back with the stuff, and I was able to go through it and edit it, and maybe have him go back and push more. So the writing wasn't near what I did this time, and I had no help. I wrote the whole book myself then worked with an editor to sort of control the chaos, which for me, was fantastic because it allowed me complete freedom. There was really no outline for what I was doing other than trying to explain what my photography was about because it was gonna be 200 pages of photography and a few pages of description. And it obviously turned into a whole different animal.

Read the entire interview from The Arizona Republic.