SLASH On VELVET REVOLVER Singer Search: 'A Decision Hasn't Totally Been Made Yet'

Soundspike recently conducted an interview with legendary guitarist Slash (VELVET REVOLVER, GUNS N' ROSES). A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Soundspike: That's amazing that you chose Myles Kennedy of ALTER BRIDGE to be [the] singer [of your solo band].

Slash: Yeah, well, Myles is somebody that I just was not real aware of when I was making the record. I got to the end of the record — I had recorded 90 percent of it — and I had two songs left over. I couldn't figure out who would sing them. I had just become familiar with Myles but I didn't know his voice that well. I just heard a lot about him. I just took a shot in the dark and said, "Let's see what this guy Myles Kennedy is like." I sent him some music and he came back with the lyrics and the melodies and I was like, "This is fucking great." It was an exciting discovery for me, personally.

Soundspike: What does he bring to your music, particularly on the songs he doesn't sing on the album?

Slash: It's a really tall order to adapt your voice to this many different types of songs: GUNS N' ROSES to any number of songs off my records, VELVET REVOLVER to [SLASH'S] SNAKEPIT. It's all different styles. And he just manages to do it. It's nothing short of miraculous, without sounding too dramatic. He does it so that the song is totally recognizable, but he still has his own sort of style.

Soundspike: Yesterday, I was reading NME and it said there's a movement to erect a statue of you at Stoke-on-Trent, England?

Slash: Stoke-on-Trent is where I'm from. I think that's very cool. I think it's a statue of Lemmy and myself. They're petitioning it. It's very flattering. It's nice to be in the company of Lemmy, who's a longtime hero of mine and good friend and everything. I don't know if it's actually going to see the light of day, and we'll see.

Soundspike: How's it coming along with the new VELVET REVOLVER singer?

Slash: Well, there's been a lot of talk about that, and a decision hasn't totally been made yet. I don't want to say it's a state of limbo, but it's just sort of hovering there right now.

Soundspike: What are you doing for the rest of the year?

Slash: I'm touring. I'm touring with Ozzy, then we go out to Asia and Australia and South America. Then, I'll come back, work on some new material for a new record that I plan on doing with Myles. Then, go back out in the summer with this band and Myles, and tour some more. And any number of things could happen between now and then.

Read the entire interview from Soundspike.