At the bottom of the bull run, the Bush leader (and former coach in The voice) Gavin Rossdale picks up the phone to speak NME about the ever-changing landscape in which grunge veterans are about to release their eighth album, ‘The Kingdom’. Not only is the fabric of society questioned (a prophetic theme from the album), but Rossdale feels that the band is enjoying a rebirth, capable of reaching thousands of new fans through Spotify, without context or what the critical.
Bush got a lot of shit in the 90s (“Yeah, mostly from the NME! “Laughter Rossdale) when they sold over 20 million records in the post-Nirvana era. They were massive in the United States, but they were often viewed with suspicion by the media for catching the grunge wave.” We really broke many rules and angered lots of people, “says Rossdale.” Steve Albini [legendary producer of ‘In Utero’] wrote an amazing piece about us for the reissue of ‘Razorblade Suitcase’ [Bush’s second album from 1996]. He said that one of the most annoying things about us for most people was the lack of anointing. I was looking for a champion. Every time I met a journalist he said to me: ‘Are you the one?’ They always said, ‘No, buddy, we’ll have a great time, then I’ll drop a bomb on your house.’ “
He continues: “The reviews only started to get really good once we stopped selling records. As soon as we weren’t selling millions, the reviews got better because they weren’t so upset that we had a hell of a success. It brought equality to things. This is life.
These things don’t seem to bother him as much now, and he’s just enjoying the ride. We called Rossdale to talk about changing trends, look for hope, hate the term “90s gang” and how he feels now about the “experiment” of appearing on The voice.
How does it feel to release a new album at a time like this?
“It is strange because the album is called ‘The Kingdom’. He was so tired of being fair, judging people. They are just annoying. I imagined this utopia of like-minded people where they can be free to express themselves, be cool, be fun, be interesting. It is a refuge. We are moving from limbo to the following form. We are really seeing the most heroic people we know. They are not the assholes on the billionaire ships, they are the cashiers and the people who go to work. Everything is upside down. It is strange that the world has fallen into this paradigm. We’re living in something more surreal than any movie you’ve ever seen. “
What is the log message?
“Of all the records we have made, they all have elements of struggle, challenges and overcoming things. He experiences different sounds and inspiration, but composers are said to write the same song over and over again, they are different variations of a theme. I wonder if that’s my thing; believing in a better place to be. It is strange how much it aligns with the spirit of the time.
How do you balance zeitgeist with being a ‘legacy’ rock act?
“It’s strange. On the one hand, rock music is dead. On the other hand, rock bands still play for many people. Sonically, I wanted to do something really broad and deep. If you play guitar music, it is very liberating to play riffs on big stages with very personal themes. Music without melody is difficult for me, so the alchemy of a melody with words that matter and the strength of each song are what make up the sound of the album. “
It has a hint of the most panoramic elements from his 1999 album, ‘The Science Of Things’
“That album sounds like it’s written on a drab, drab guitar, so it’s like ‘The Science Of Things’ after it worked. Like a really strong version of that record that you shouldn’t screw around with. ”
Aren’t you a fan of that album these days?
“It is not like a feeling of regret, it is about being self-conscious and self-critical. Each record is a snapshot of time. If I worked harder or were smarter, I would have repeated the first album [the multi-million-selling ‘Sixteen Stone’] In a different order for about four or five records and I’d be playing in stadiums! ‘The Science Of Things’ was an album about being in London, being surrounded by Massive Attack, Blur and Primal Scream, and wanting to recover a bit of London in our sound. We had made such straight rock records with ‘Sixteen Stone’ and ‘Razorblade Suitcase’. ”
Do you regret not following that path?
“I think it’s better to be off the radar in some way. It’s fun for people to discover the band. My dream would be for people to discover us through this album, and then look in the mirror at what we have done before. You have to make records that stand alone, especially with bands that have been around forever. There is nothing worse than obtaining the registration of an established band and it seems like nothing compared to the reason why you first fell in love with them. I’ve always seen the reality of us, not the context or the hyperbole. “
So you enjoy being a band in the streaming era?
“I came the other day and my children were listening to ‘Back In Black’. I don’t even know how they found it. Then Meshugga, Juice WRLD and Billie Eilish played, which is incredibly good. Music must be timeless. We are often referred to as a ’90s band, which is really annoying because everyone has to start somewhere. No one refers to Iggy Pop as a 70s artist. He is just Iggy. Right now, days, weeks, months, and time don’t seem to mean anything. Time just doesn’t matter. Clocks don’t make sense. That is incredible.”
How about showing up on The voice Was it an attempt to reach a new audience?
“I loved it because I became very friendly to Tom Jones. That is the best gift you can receive! I mean, I have to go to the Savoy Grill with Tom Jones. That completed my life. I loved spending 16 hours a day with Tom and Will.i.am. I came up with Will.i.am on Interscope Records with Jimmy Iovine. Jennifer Hudson was also amazing. Set Voice It was an interesting experience. I really wanted to take it seriously and focus on the singers. I’ve never had a job like this before and I enjoyed the process. I didn’t do the second series because it was too much of a trip and I couldn’t get it to work. I have to write songs to live. “
Would you call it a happy experiment?
“I don’t think it worked as an ‘experiment’ for my career because it just confused people. All my rock fans said, “What the hell is he doing?” while everyone who was watching on television said: “Who is this guy?” So I fell through the cracks. It didn’t do my career any good, but take these opportunities to see what will happen. ”
Did the exhibition impact your music?
“When I did ‘Rainbows in black and white’ [previous album, 2017] They were watching me so I didn’t want to do something that was so heavy. I thought everything would go together, but the dots did not connect. This is life. From there I went on tour, then I got a new manager and then I made a new album. It’s like Liza Minnelli said: A race is just a series of comebacks. Some work and some don’t, but the important thing is to keep doing things. “
Bush released ‘The Kingdom’ on July 17.
