It’s been quite a year for musicians the world over as album releases and touring plans were put on hold indefinitely due to the emergence of the coronavirus.
For U.K. rockers BUSH, who had initially postponed their eighth and admittedly "angrier" album, The Kingdom, in May for a July release the brakes had to be slammed on once again as citywide lockdowns and venue closures stood in their way.
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Singer Gavin Rossdale joined RADIO.COM’s Ryan Castle for a special RADIO.COM LIVE Check In today to fill us in on the band’s future plans and what they’re up to during these days of quarantine.
“It was a horrific time,” Gavin admits. “The weirdest thing about it was that, obviously I was very worried about our techs and tour manager and so forth, all the people who work with us that make it all possible. There was a big concern for them. But on a personal level, the world was ending. I thought there was corona on the stairs. My knee hurt, ‘did I get it?’ So, there was no time to navel-gaze about my not being able to perform… I really didn’t.”
“It was more like a commando effort,” he explains. “I mean, I was getting the groceries and having them outside on the stoop, and cleaning everything before we came in the house. We didn’t know where and how and what was going on. I have young children… everything was like this commando, special forces mission to go get milk. That was really my focus.”
Many of us, Ryan included, have become hyper-aware of germs over the past few months. For an international star like Gavin, it’s always been on his and his bandmates minds – some definitely more than others.
“To be honest, I was always slightly confused. I love meeting people, I do these meet & greets… but just shaking so many people’s hands. I was always like, it’s such a funny thing, isn’t it? A custom of having to touch each other. Why can’t we say, ‘hey?’ Why do we have to touch the whole time? I don’t have issues, and I’m not weird about it… but you meet 150 people at a meet & greet every night. That’s a lot of people, a lot of traffic, a lot of hands.”
“I’m not a germaphobe, but there’s someone in my band who’s a super-germaphobe,” Gavin continued. “He was always really worried about it and was always fist-bumping. I don’t really shake people’s hands anyway, because I always get one person who’s overly-enthusiastic and crushes your hand. So I go, ‘I’m not a germaphobe, but the hand crush,’” as he reaches out with his fist. “Which is perfectly healthy.”
With the new album now on shelves, Gavin spoke about the decision to postpone the release, saying it was the label who chose to put it on pause.
“I don’t get involved in that stuff. I don’t understand it, I don’t choose the songs. I’m just sort of a slave to the rhythm, just trying to make songs. Everyone else seems to decide what will be the single and stuff like that. So, I’m in the same position as everyone else.” In fact, Gavin found out the album was postponed during an interview.
Before the new record officially dropped, BUSH released two singles, "Bullet Holes" which was featured in the latest John Wick flick, and "Flowers on a Grave." Their latest, the title track, has just been given the acoustic treatment.
While it was a few years in the making, having young children and a hectic touring schedule doesn’t exactly leave a “clear run of two years to go sit in a monastery and wait ‘til the lightning strikes.” The process that has worked for him since Sixteen Stone comes from “stolen moments, and stolen sessions” says Gavin.
He has certainly found it challenging to get into the right headspace to write new songs, while at the same time tending to the children. Although he’s got a studio in his home, anytime he pops in to “nick away” at something, one of the brood always needs his fatherly help.
It’s been 26 years since BUSH released their first album, and Gavin has had plenty of projects in-between. With all of the promotion and touring he’s done over the years, he realizes now is the first time he’s had absolutely zero travel plans on the horizon. “It’s quite liberating, and I didn’t mind that side of it. I thought, well Jesus Christ, if variety is the spice of life then this is a different shape and I embraced it.” However, he says he does miss hotel rooms and travel, “and sitting there drinking red wine, you know, terrible cold red wine on a plane that perfectly well does the job,” but staying healthy is now the main focus.
Understanding the toll the pandemic has had on touring crews and the venues, Gavin admits that for himself, not much has changed besides the income stemming from not having to be on the road. In the past, he and his BUSH bandmates would have slight panic attacks from being away from their children for long stints. “But then I come back and they’re fine, and still want sushi which apparently isn’t free,” and all the “gizmos.”
He admits he explained and tried to change his lifestyle for his children, looking for ways to branch out in his career. He attempted to get a job at his publishing company which didn’t go over well. Gavin even wrote and shot two pilot episodes for a cooking show based on him making dinner for someone. After two years, “everyone is incredible impressed by it,” he says, “except apparently anyone who wants to make it.”
Now with four children, Gavin says they push him to create things that they would be proud of. “I always maintain this idea that they inspire me enough that I just would be horrified if I sucked, or made a record that they could go to their friend’s house and feel some sense of pride in… They up the ante. You don’t want to be bringing in a dud record.”
Watch the full interview above to find out about the upcoming David Bowie tribute that Gavin will be a part of in January, and stay tuned for more exclusive chats with your favorite artists right here on RADIO.COM LIVE.
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