VIVIAN CAMPBELL Says DEF LEPPARD Is Planning 'Initial Writing Session' For Next Album

During a recent interview with Steve King of Albany, New York's Q105.7 radio station, Vivian Campbell spoke about DEF LEPPARD's plans to record the follow-up to 2015's self-titled album.

"I think Joe [Elliott, vocals] and Phil [Collen, guitar] and Sav [Rick Savage, bass] are getting together in the next couple of weeks to start work on something," the guitarist said (hear audio below). "Unfortunately, by the time I got wind of the schedule, I was already booked to do some shows with LAST IN LINE. But it's just an initial writing session.

"Joe's always writing songs," Campbell continued. "In fact, everyone in this band is always writing songs. We always have something in our back pocket. So someone obviously has a burning desire and a song that they really believe in to get the ball rolling. Having said that, it's just an initial session, and DEF LEPPARD records take a long time to come together. So, we'll be together pretty soon to start rehearsals for the tour. In fact, we have a one-off show in Mexico on May 1st, a festival date, so we'll be rehearsing for a week or 10 days before that. And that's when we'll probably start to swap ideas and talk about a schedule. But, realistically, it'll be next year before we get in to actually make a record of any shape."

After King told Campbell that it's great that DEF LEPPARD is still making new music, Vivian said: "Well, it's important. I mean, people say, 'What's the point?' 'Cause even a band of DEF LEPPARD's stature worldwide, we don't sell an awful lot of records comparatively, when you compare it to the heydays of the '80s. I don't think anyone really does — DEF LEPPARD or any act. But that's not really the point. The point is you've gotta keep creative, you've gotta keep creative as a unit and as individuals. And, like I said, we're always writing songs, and it's important to flex that muscle. And even if we only sold a dozen copies of a record, we'd still do it because it's important for us to keep the band vital. And that vitality is incumbent upon the band writing and recording new music. We've gotta keep moving forward."

DEF LEPPARD will release a new box set, "The Early Years 79-81", on March 20 via UMC/Virgin.

"The Early Years 79-81" box set represents the band's first two albums, "On Through The Night" (1980) and "High 'N' Dry" (1981),and has been prepared in conjunction with Elliott who has acted as executive producer on the set. The mastering has been done by the band's long serving sound engineer Ronan McHugh.

Eagle Rock Entertainment will release DEF LEPPARD's "London To Vegas" on April 24. This limited edition 2Blu-ray+4CD, 2DVD+4CD, DVD/Blu-ray+2CD and digital format release features two concert films: "Hysteria At The O2" and "Hits Vegas, Live At Planet Hollywood".

DEF LEPPARD's latest greatest-hits collection, titled "The Story So Far - The Best Of", was released in November 2018.

DEF LEPPARD is preparing to hit the road this summer as part of "The Stadium Tour" with MÖTLEY CRÜE, POISON and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS. The trek will kick off on June 18 in Jacksonville, Florida and will mark CRÜE's first live dates since wrapping its 2014/2015 farewell run. The band toured with POISON back in 2011 and DEF LEPPARD teamed up with POISON for a string of road dates in 2017 — but the upcoming jaunt marks the first time all four acts have hit the road together for an extended tour.