QUEENSRŸCHE Has Recorded 'Well Over An Hour's Worth Of Music' For Next Album

Kristyn Clark of Pop Culture Madness conducted an interview with QUEENSRŸCHE guitarist Michael Wilton and bassist Eddie Jackson at the fifth annual Monster Energy Carolina Rebellion, which took place May 2-3 at Rock City Campgrounds at Charlotte Motor Speedway just outside Charlotte, North Carolina. You can now watch the chat below.

Speaking about how the advent of the Internet has affected artists' ability to make a living from playing music, Wilton said: "I think for many bands, [the biggest change has] been people just downloading songs [illegally]. Publishing is suffering, so all the writers that write the music aren't really getting their deserved pay. And also on the Internet, they have these radio streaming sites that… You pay a very cheap subscription, right?! And what people don't realize is that the bands don't get paid… I mean, the pay is so small, you can't even buy a Starbucks coffee. But on the flipside, it's easier to advertise, it's easier to reach your fans around the world, it's easier to… I don't know… just grab a fragmented part of the industry and you can make it something viable, I think. But it's just more work."

Wilton also commented on the increased importance of touring for rock bands like QUEENSRŸCHE compared to how it was when the group first started out.

"Yeah, it's definitely happening," he said. "I mean, there's so many bands out in the summertime. And what that means is that the consumer only has so much money to spend on entertainment. So it's how you advertise and market your music to get them to come out and see you. Because, really, I mean, that's how bands are making money these days is touring. They're not making enough with the sale of CDs…"

Added Jackson: "You're seeing bands… Just what Michael was just saying that… The means of income nowadays for bands is touring. And you've noticed bands as far back from the '50s and '60s, '70s and '80s, they're all touring now to… That is what it takes to make a living now. Like Michael said, with all the free downloading, it affects bands' songwriters' publishing. But, yeah, I think that's the big difference."

Wilton also talked about QUEENSRŸCHE's upcoming studio album, which was recently recorded in part at Uberbeatz Studio in Washington with producer Chris "Zeuss" Harris (ROB ZOMBIE, HATEBREED, SOULFLY, SHADOWS FALL). He said: "In between the touring, we manage to put out recordings, and we have a new [album] that is almost finished. And we are going to, after today, go back and finish up all the overdubs and get it mixed, mastered and sent off to Century Media Records, our label."

Regarding the musical direction of the new QUEENSRŸCHE CD, Wilton said: "QUEENSRŸCHE's always been about evolving the music. We never wanna do the same thing. But what QUEENSRŸCHE does now is we respect our roots, you know, where we came from. So a lot of the music on the new album kind of… it has the flavor of, like, maybe the first six albums. And there's a lot of it. We've recorded well over an hour's worth of music, and we're talking with the record label and seeing what they wanna do. So we're really excited about this new recording, and I think QUEENSRŸCHE fans are just gonna eat it up."

On the topic of how the recording process has changed over the years, Jackson said: "Absolutely. Back in the day, you were recording on two-inch tape, reel-to-reels, cassettes. Now, with the advent of computers a few years back, it allows you to record onto a laptop or any computer, and that's been definitely an evolution. But it's the standard nowadays — anybody can record anywhere, whether in your car, to your garage… you know what I mean?! In the back of the bus… In fact, that's how we recorded this new album — on a laptop. All you need is the right recording equipment, and a lot of bands are doing this."