Watch: MICK MARS Shows Off His Guitar Collection In AXS TV Music Series 'Life In Six Strings With Kylie Olsson'

MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist Mick Mars is featured in an episode of AXS TV's original music series "Life In Six Strings With Kylie Olsson". In the episode, Mick shows award-winning music journalist, author, presenter and director Kylie Olsson around his house and she gets to play and look at his incredible collection.

The full episode is currently airing on AXS TV.

"Life In Six Strings With Kylie Olsson" is the brainchild of Olsson, an accomplished personality who has interviewed and worked with industry trailblazers such as KISS, THE ROLLING STONES, DEF LEPPARD, and more; and has notably served as host of the Download festival's virtual event during lockdown; produced celebrated rock docs for the BBC; and penned "The Art Of Metal" and "Rock, A Life Story". She is also on the voting committee for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

Originally conceived during the lockdown, "Life In Six Strings" began as a popular YouTube series capturing Olsson's journey to make her lifelong dream of learning the guitar a reality. Talking to some of rock's top pickers, she gleaned invaluable tips and tricks while digging deep into the guitar's incredible influence and impact on their lives and careers. Now, on AXS TV, the series finds the aspiring guitarist continuing her journey to learn the instrument, as she travels across the United States to meet a slate of axe-wielding icons at their homes and haunting grounds — touring through childhood towns, beloved shops, and more; providing an intimate glimpse into each artists' origins, both sonically and geographically, and shedding a light on the people behind the larger-than-life rock personas.

"This series is deeply personal for me," Olsson said. "What started as a portrait of my own quest to learn the guitar has transformed into something far bigger. It's a celebration — not just of this incredible instrument, but also its unique impact on the lives of some of rock's most influential musicians. This is their story as much as it is mine, and I am so proud to be able to share it with AXS TV's audience of fellow music enthusiasts."

AXS TV is a leading multi-platform music and entertainment digital platform and television company owned and operated by Anthem Sports & Entertainment, Inc.

Mick's debut solo album, "The Other Side Of Mars", will be released on February 23, 2024. The effort will be made available via Mick's own label 1313, LLC, in partnership with MRI.

Birmingham, Alabama rocker Jacob Bunton collaborated extensively with Mars on "The Other Side Of Mars".

Bunton had previously worked with former GUNS N' ROSES drummer Steven Adler and CINDERELLA frontman Tom Keifer, and has songwriting credits with Mariah Carey, Steven Tyler and Smokey Robinson, among others.

Bunton sings lead on all but two of the 12 songs on "The Other Side Of Mars".

Other guests on the LP include WINGER/ALICE COOPER keyboardist Paul Taylor, KORN drummer Ray Luzier, and Brion Gamboa, who handled lead vocals on the songs "Undone" and "Killing Breed".

Bunton previously fronted the Alabama bands MARS ELECTRIC and LYNAM.

Mick Mars has released two songs from "The Other Side Of Mars" so far: "Loyal To The Lie" and "Right Side Of Wrong".

In a recent interview with Chris Akin Presents, Mars was asked if he intentionally tried to incorporate fresh elements into the sound of "The Other Side Of Mars" that he didn't pursue during his four-decade career with MÖTLEY CRÜE. He responded: "You're exactly right. You hit the nail on the head when you said it was way different from MÖTLEY, which is what I wanted to do. The part that was the scariest part about doing that stuff is because my guitar tone is associated with MÖTLEY's sound. I was kind of concerned about that, so I just played around a little more. I mean, it turned out well for me."

He continued: "I know that a lot of people were expecting probably more of a blues-oriented thing or kind of an extension of MÖTLEY or something like that. And I wanted to go a whole different route and leaning more towards the left instead of the beaten path, I guess. I wanted to go somewhere with it. I didn't know if it would work or not. I just did the stuff and got acquainted with different people, like [fellow musicians and collaborators] Paul Taylor and Jacob Bunton and Brion Gamboa and Ray Luzier, of course."

Discussing the title behind the upcoming album, the 72-year-old explained that it refers to the two different sides of his playing style: "the MÖTLEY side and the Mars side."

"I always have a very clear vision of what I want to do," he said, revealing that he plans to release more music beyond the debut album. "There's a lot of ideas that I have that. I don't want to call them 'left,' but they are, you know what I mean? My feeling has always been, I might gain some fans, I might lose some fans. But what they're hearing, it's all me."

Regarding his motivation to pursue a solo project, Mick said: "I'm trying to keep growing. Because if you stop learning new things, if you stop playing new things, if you close your mind, you're done. You have to keep moving and creating. Next!"

When Mars announced his retirement from touring with MÖTLEY CRÜE in October 2022 as a result of worsening health issues, he maintained that he would remain a member of the band, with John 5 taking his place on the road. However, he has since filed a lawsuit against MÖTLEY CRÜE in Los Angeles County's Superior Court, claiming that, after his announcement, the rest of CRÜE tried to remove him as a significant stakeholder in the group's corporation and business holdings via a shareholders' meeting.

Mars — whose real name is Robert Alan Deal — served as MÖTLEY CRÜE's lead guitarist since the band's inception in 1981.