TESLA's FRANK HANNON: 'We're Not Rich; We Never Became Millionaires'

In a new interview with Robert Cavuoto of Sonic Perspectives, TESLA guitarist Frank Hannon was asked about the band's decision to focus on releasing standalone singes in recent years — "All About Love" in November 2024, "Time To Rock!" in August 2022 and "Cold Blue Steel" in August 2021 — as opposed to putting out full-length albums, as he and his bandmates have done in the past. Frank said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, the world has changed. I mean, it's actually gone full circle. Back in the '50s, when rock and roll was first born, Hank Williams and Johnny Cash and Chuck Berry and all of them, they would always just put out singles that they recorded live at a radio station, and it wasn't until the '70s or the late '60 that full-length, long LPs came into existence. But besides the world changing, we have changed too. We're a lot older now and we have to tour a lot to make a living. I mean, we're not rich. We never became millionaires. We still have to pay our bills, and so it makes more sense, the philosophy of going out on tour and writing a song and while that song is fresh, putting it out and enjoying it at the time, like we've been doing with 'All About Love' or those other ones."

Hannon continued: "The days of taking a year off and arguing in a studio over 10 songs that aren't gonna really get their full due… Because, really, the best way to create songs is to let them live for a while and to try 'em out at the shows and stuff, and it takes a lot of time. So, if you notice, a lot of bands, including ourselves, the albums, all 10 songs aren't as good anymore because the process of spending all that time trying to make every song great, it's just not realistic anymore. So, it works much better for us just to put all of our eggs into one song or maybe two and really make them as best as we can be and go out on the road and play 'em while they're fresh."

Circling back to TESLA's need to stay on the road to make ends meet, Frank added: "We took such a huge loss being grounded for two years [during the pandemic] that we're still barely pulling ourselves out of that hole financially. But that being said, the blessing to it is that when we focus on a song like 'All About Love' or 'Time To Rock!' and just focus on that and then go out and play it live while it's hot, it just tastes better. It's like eating a meal as soon as you get it off the stove and you put it on your plate, man — that's when it tastes good. So, for us, we can write a song and make it happen and then hit the road and play it. And I like it better, honestly."

TESLA released a new six-song EP, "All About Love", last month. The effort includes four versions of the "All About Love" title track (acoustic, electric, hybrid, live); a live version of "Walk Away", a concert favorite from "Reel To Real, Vol. 1"; and another new song, "From The Heart", an instrumental track by Hannon.

Some fans criticized TESLA for adopting a 1980s-style polished production for its latest album, 2019's "Shock". The follow-up to June 2014's "Simplicity" was helmed by DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen, whose own group is no stranger to slicked-up, glossy-sounding recordings.

In September 2023, TESLA released the official music video for its cover of AEROSMITH's "S.O.S. (Too Bad)". The song is a bonus track on TESLA's live album, "Full Throttle Live!", which arrived in May 2023. The LP includes the band's "Time To Rock!" single, plus other songs, all recorded in August 2022 at Full Throttle Saloon in Sturgis, South Dakota.

In September 2021, original TESLA drummer Troy Luccketta announced that he would "take a little time from the road" to spend with family and friends. He has since been replaced at TESLA's gigs and in the recording studio by Steve Brown, the younger brother of former DOKKEN drummer Mick Brown.

TESLA's debut album, 1986's "Mechanical Resonance", went platinum on the strength of the hits "Modern Day Cowboy" and "Little Suzi". The 1989 follow-up album, "The Great Radio Controversy", produced five hits, including "Heaven's Trail (No Way Out)" and "Love Song", which hit the pop Top Ten.