SLASH On Solo Album: 'I Just Needed To Do Something Where I Was Calling My Own Shots'

Erin Broadley of LA Weekly recently conducted an interview with legendary guitarist Slash (VELVET REVOLVER, GUNS N' ROSES). The chat can now be viewed below. An excerpt from the chat follows.

LA Weekly: You have a solo record coming out in April, "Slash", and it's being described as your first true solo record. But you've done stuff before on your own, so why would this be the definitive solo record for you at this point?

Slash: I think when it comes down to it, inside of the first year I picked up a guitar I've always been in a band. Even when I had SNAKEPIT, which was a band that originated with me, it was still treated as a band. It was five different guys who had equal input so it was a group situation, that sort of democracy that makes up a hopefully functional group [laughs]. After years of doing that and then the whole thing with VELVET REVOLVER and Scott [Weiland] and revisiting difficult lead singers again, I just needed to do something where I was calling my own shots. I needed to be able to do whatever music I wanted to do without having to worry about the other guys nitpicking it to death or rejecting it entirely.

LA Weekly: Speaking of difficult singers, you definitely have worked with two of the more difficult in the industry — Axl and Scott. On this solo album, now you've got a ton of singers you've worked with. You've got Iggy Pop, Ozzy, Fergie...

Slash: Rocco DeLuca. From Kid Rock to Ozzy, Iggy Pop, Lemmy — those old school guys — and then Andrew Stockdale from WOLFMOTHER and M. Shadows from AVENGED SEVENFOLD, it's a real eclectic mix of vocal performances. But they were all great. Every single one of them was really professional, obviously really talented, but none of them gave me the impression of being highly volatile. It was a cool situation because it was only one song. It wasn't like it was their next big hit for their record that they had to worry about. It's just a song for Slash; no big deal.

LA Weekly: Well, as long as it wasn't trading the difficulties of working with one singer for the difficulties of working with 12. You just like to up the ante don't you?

Slash: [Laughs] It was actually a very satisfying and worthwhile effort because it gave me a new lease on the whole lead singer reality. It's not as dramatic and hectic as my experience has been prior to this. It's given me a new attitude towards working with frontmen, with all due respect to Scott and Axl. Those guys are two of the most amazing singers and part of what makes them so great is their volatility. So I can't say anything negative. For this record, not knowing what I was getting into, it was really painless and easy — the creative part of it.

Read the entire interview at LA Weekly.