Joining host Taryn Daly for an Audacy Check In today is Sully Erna of Godsmack giving up some details about the band's brand new album, Lighting Up The Sky, what's next for the group, and his thoughts on a possible Rock Hall nomination.
LISTEN NOW: Audacy Check In with Sully Erna of Godsmack
“I can honestly say, in my entire career, I have never once said in any interview, in any magazine, that this is my best album, this is my best work of all time," Sully told us back in September of 2022 when Godsmack announced their eighth studio album Lighting Up The Sky. "It’s a high-voltage, high-energy, hard rock album, packed with melodies, packed with good hooks, big grooves, great guitar solos. It is a true hard rock record and we are really, really proud of this body of work," he added. "I really think it may be the last piece of Godsmack music you’re ever gonna hear. This could be the last one for us.”
Check out the brand new music video (and the behind-the-scenes clip) for Godsmack's "Soul On Fire," their follow-up single to last year's Lighting Up The Sky album teases, "Surrender," and "You and I."
With the new album now officially on shelves, Sully accepts that the band has, "accomplished a lot in our careers," adding, "we still have some life left into us, and I think it's important for people to kind of know when they've arrived, when they've set goals for themselves. Some people just want the house with the white picket fence, and a dog, and a truck -- and then they get that, and they're like, 'oh, it'd be nice to have a car too, and what if we had a bigger house?' It never stops."
"For us," he continues, "it was like, '[we] just want a record deal one day,' and then you get it and you go, 'but it's gonna be really good when we sell out clubs everywhere.' And you get it, and you go, 'but wait 'til we get to theaters, we can use more production.' Then you get to theaters and you're like, 'oh tour busses and arenas!' At what point do you just stop and go, 'you know, I have everything that I need in my life?' I've been able to do this for a living and be able to provide for my family, and the people that I love the most."
"When we reflected back on our career, and I say this with zero ego, we've arrived," Sully admits. "We have twenty-six Top 10 singles right now, we have twelve number ones. We pull three or four off this new album, which is very possible because it's a big record, we're gonna be at thirty Top 10 singles. That means we could play back-to-back nights in any arena, do 15 songs a night and never play the same single twice, let alone the deep cuts. So, I just think it's time now that we close that chapter in our lives but let the people know that this isn't a break-up. This is just us opening a new chapter in our lives to create this greatest hits show and enjoy our sunset years without the pressure of always having to deliver another record for the label and missing another year of our lives to write and record and mix and master an album."
“We're really looking forward to everyone hearing this record," Sully adds. "I truly feel that it's going to satisfy old and new fans. We put a lot of work and a lot of attention into it, and we had the luxury of time because COVID, so we were able to really hand-select the best of the best… I hope everyone enjoys it.”
WATCH NOW: Audacy Check In with Sully Erna of Godsmack
Host Taryn also touched on the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame, as nominees are traditionally tapped when their debut work reaches the twenty-five years milestone, and Godsmack is gearing up to celebrate just that, which means next year they could potentially be contenders.
“Well. I mean, it would feel great, I know that,” Sully admits. “To know that you're acknowledged in the industry. I've always felt like we were kind of the band that flew under a lot of the radar because we were never a part of the MTV clique, or the things that were blowing up during the times when the band was first coming out with our first album. So we always considered ourselves like the little engine that could. We came out and just chugged along and we did what we did every album. These other big bands, big steam engines would come blowing by us and sell 15 million records, and we're always like, ‘Man, what are we doing wrong?’ But up the road, we would see those bands break down and go away, and here comes the little engine that could…"
"It's hard these days to be able to continue to sell records in this digital world that's been created," says Erna. "If we were acknowledged in the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame at some point, which by the way, ‘98 was our first record release. So, this is our 25th year since the first record came out, but 28 years since we started the band. I don't know if they judge by the first record coming out or when the band was created, but either way, I guess we're there. And if that happened? Amazing. I mean, we would be so grateful."
Pick up the new Godsmack album Lighting Up The Sky now, listen to Taryn Daly's full Check In with Sully Erna above, and stay tuned for even more conversations with your favorite artists right here on Audacy.
Godsmack's Lighting Up The Sky track listing:
You And I
Red White & Blue
Surrender
What About Me
Truth
Hell's Not Dead
Soul On Fire
Let's Go
Best of Times
Growing Old
Lighting Up The Sky
Godsmack also recently announced a run of spring U.S. tour dates with special guests I PREVAIL kicking off in Denver, CO on May 4. Tickets are available now via Live Nation. See the full list of scheduled concerts below.
Godsmack’s Spring 2023 U.S. Tour Dates with I Prevail:
05/04 – Denver, CO @ KBPI at Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
05/06 – Phoenix, AZ @ KUPD at Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
05/07 – Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta Amphitheater
05/09 – Rogers, AR @ Walmart AMP
05/10 – Bonner Springs, KS @ Azura Amphitheater
05/12 – Oklahoma City, OK @ KATT at The Zoo Amphitheatre
05/13 – The Woodlands, TX @ The Buzz at The CWM Pavilion
05/14 – Dallas, TX @ Dos Equis Pavilion
05/17 – Birmingham, AL @ Oak Mountain Amphitheatre
05/18 – Atlanta, GA @ Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
05/20 – Daytona Beach, FL @ Welcome to Rockville ^
05/21 – Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion
05/23 – Franklin, TN @ Firstbank Amphitheater
05/25 – Columbus, OH @ Sonic Temple Art + Music Festival
05/26 – Mount Pleasant, MI @ Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort *
05/28 – Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena *
^ = I Prevail play Welcome to Rockville on 5/19
* = no I Prevail
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