STEPHEN PEARCY On RATT's Classic Lineup: 'Maybe We Were Only Supposed To Be Around 10 Years'

In a new interview with "Whiplash", the KLOS radio show hosted by Full Metal Jackie, RATT frontman Stephen Pearcy spoke about how the lack of new music from RATT affects his songwriting approach when working on material for his solo albums. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm in the studio right now mastering and mixing a record of mine called 'Legacy' which is a montage of [my pre-RATT band] MICKEY RATT, the day I started writing my first song, to the last song I wrote with [RATT guitarist] Warren DeMartini and [late RATT guitarist] Robbin Crosby. It's taken a while.

"It's better that things go down this way, as far as I'm concerned," he continued, referencing RATT's inability to stay together. "Because I tend to put my eggs in the RATT basket, so to speak, and it just flounders; it's not developed. It's not the same guys 40 years later. I get it — some wanna do it, some don't want to, and some just don't care. I don't know. But me, I always care.

"Anything I do, anything I write, it's gonna sound like me, which sounds like RATT. I can't get away from that, and that's a blessing too — kind of. But I enjoy doing what I do. Because I tend to take a step back, and it's not good for the brand RATT. I get moving doing my thing and then, okay, there's something that has to do with RATT. Well, I don't make that left and right turn anymore. I mean, we've done what we did. I'm happy with it. Maybe we were only supposed to be around 10 years, you know, when that's the timeline. It was an important decade, so I can deal with it. I think it's great."

Pearcy added: "I can get away with a lot more when I'm writing and recording and doing my [solo stuff]. I get more out of it personally — a lot more satisfaction. Because without Robbin, the band is really steered towards another direction with the original guys. If we were to get in a room and try to write with the original guys — we have done it, and it doesn't guarantee hits, because we wrote our own songs that were the hits. And I'd rather just leave that alone. It just goes back to Robbin and what we really created and had that is the strength of this [recently released 'The Atlantic Years: 1984-1991'] box set. It's right there — I mean, wow, five albums, all platinum in a row. We're very fortunate.

"So when I go out there and I'm running into all these RATT fans who are taking me back to the '80s and they're looking like they're from the '80s, it's quite a trip. They're having a good time, and I make sure they have a good time."

Pearcy is currently promoting "The Atlantic Years: 1984-1991", a new limited-edition box set from BMG, in partnership with Rhino Entertainment, celebrating RATT's massively successful period where all five of their studio albums were certified gold, platinum or multi-platinum. Released on June 9, the LP set features all five albums remastered on 180g black vinyl, rare "Nobody Rides For Free" seven-inch single, 12-page replica tour book (featuring rare and never-before-seen photos from RATT's personal archives),11"x17" "Wanted" poster, bumper sticker, replica backstage pass, and guitar pick in a custom lift top box. The CD set features all five of the studio albums in a side loading box.

As the founder, lead singer, and songwriter of RATT, Pearcy led his creation to mega multi-platinum success year after year from 1984 to 1991. RATT climbed up the charts with "Out Of The Cellar", which generated Top 10 singles followed by sold-out tours throughout the world. Throughout RATT's nearly four decades of success with Pearcy at its helm, they released eight albums and played thousands of shows worldwide all the while selling over 20 million records.

Pearcy has released five solo albums so far: "Social Intercourse" (2002),"Fueler" (2004),"Under My Skin" (2008),"Smash" (2017) and "View To A Thrill" (2018).

Pearcy and bassist Juan Croucier are the sole remaining original members in RATT's most recent lineup, which made its live debut in July 2018 in Mulvane, Kansas. Joining them in the band were drummer Pete Holmes (BLACK 'N BLUE, RATT'S JUAN CROUCIER) and guitarists Jordan Ziff (RAZER) and Frankie Lindia.

In January 2021, Pearcy told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that he was open to the idea of making a new RATT album with all the surviving members of the band's classic lineup.

RATT hasn't released any new music since 2010's "Infestation" LP.