SKID ROW's RACHEL BOLAN Names Two 'Perfectly Crafted' Songs From Other Artists

In a new interview with "Mistress Carrie" Sarao of The Mistress Carrie Podcast, SKID ROW bassist Rachel Bolan was asked to name a song from any other artist that he thinks is "perfectly crafted". He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "There's a couple. 'Lido Shuffle' [by] Boz Scaggs. There's nothing that isn't amazing about that song as a body of work. Every time I listen to it, I'm, like, 'Wow, where did this come from?' I don't know if I would be able to create something like that. And then the other is 'Breakdown' by TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS. That's just one of those songs, even though it has that false start which kind of makes it even more amazing and beautiful — the structure of that song is so bizarre. It's almost like it's unfinished. But it's such an incredible song 'cause from the minute it starts, it's like, 'Yep, breakdown. Cool.' And then, before you know it, it's gone. But that's one of those songs that I wish I wrote. Simplicity."

After Mistress Carrie noted that the hardest songs to write are usually the simplest ones, Rachel concurred. "I agree," he said. "I write simple. And I guess that's just the stuff I listen to. Most of the stuff I listened to was three-chord rock: KISS, AC/DC, RAMONES, SEX PISTOLS, for the most part. And so that is kind of in my wiring to write like that, I guess. And that's the only thing I know. But when I try — like, I'll sit down with songwriters, especially when I was in Nashville, and when they give you guidelines… I wrote, or I got in a couple of country writes. And, 'Okay, this is what's popular now.' 'These are the chords we don't use.' 'This is what we don't say.' 'This catchphrase is hot.' And I'm, like, 'This is songwriting? This isn't songwriting.' 'You have to be clever when you say this, but you also have to be literal. You can't get too poetic.' And I'm, like, 'Wow.' I did it. Nothing did anything, but I did it, and I learned a lot. [But] it was very weird. It's, like, 'Oh, whiskey isn't a big thing anymore. It's this.' 'And trucks, we don't sing about pickups anymore. We sing about' blah, blah, blah, and this. And I'm, like, 'Wow, this is really happening.' At first I thought they were joking. And I'm, like, 'Wow, no, you're serious. Okay, cool. Gotcha.' And you say something that's too — there's no metaphors. So I always write — there's a metaphor somewhere that could be interpreted whatever. But that's the beauty of music to me. There's some stuff that is literal, but… I didn't realize how many drug references were in RAMONES songs until I got older. I was, like, 'All right. That's what they're talking about.' So, who is the man that Lou Reed is waiting on? Oh, okay, I get it now."

Rachel will release his debut solo album, "Gargoyle Of The Garden State", on June 12 via earMUSIC. The LP, which will be made available under the BOLAN banner, was produced by Nick Raskulinecz, who previously worked on SKID ROW's 2022 album "The Gang's All Here", and it will feature guest appearances by Rachel's SKID ROW bandmates Dave "Snake" Sabo (guitar),Scotti Hill (guitar) and Rob Hammersmith (drums),along with Corey Taylor (SLIPKNOT, STONE SOUR),Nuno Bettencourt (EXTREME),Danko Jones, Steve Conte (NEW YORK DOLLS) and Damon Johnson (BROTHER CANE, LYNYRD SKYNYRD).

According to a press release, "Gargoyle Of The Garden State" is "a bold, deeply personal debut rooted in the grit, attitude, and storytelling spirit of his New Jersey upbringing."

Musically, the album delivers hook-driven, anthemic songs that fuse punk energy with melodic sensibility, wrapped in swagger and raw edge what early listeners have already called "quintessentially New Jersey." Among its standout moments is a surprising cover of OASIS's "Rock And Roll Star", reimagined through Bolan's distinctive lens.

Expanding beyond his role as a bassist, Bolan performs the majority of instruments, shaping the record from the ground up. Drawing on influences from Britpop and glam to punk rock and new wave, the album represents a lifetime in music.

SKID ROW is currently looking for a new singer following the departure of Erik Grönwall in March 2024.

Photo credit: Anabel DFlux (courtesy of earMUSIC)