Muse’s Dominic Howard Says “It'll Be a Couple of Years” Until Next Album
Even though it’s only been about three months since Muse released their Grammy-nominated sixth studio album, The 2nd Law, the band is already in talks to create their seventh. Drummer Dominic Howard says while he and frontman Matt Bellamy have begun discussing concepts for the next album, fans shouldn’t expect to get their hands on it anytime soon.
"We've been kind of having those conversations, but really we've just literally started touring,” he tells Billboard. “We tend to feel like we need to finish touring one album before we start anything else rather than starting an album on the road. We like to finish a chapter and start afresh, so it'll be a couple of years, probably."
Howard adds that while Muse has scored nominations at next weekend’s Grammy Awards for Best Rock Album for The 2nd Law and Best Rock Song for "Madness," he’s not expecting the guys to take home any trophies.
"It's amazing to be nominated again and certainly a surprise,” he notes. “But it's stiff competition this year in our categories. Fingers crossed, but I've got no idea, really."
The Grammy telecast, which will feature performances from The Black Keys, fun., The Lumineers and Mumford & Sons, airs February 10 on CBS.
Dave Grohl Recounts Recording “Cut Me Some Slack" with Paul McCartney for Sound City
In his new documentary, Sound City, Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl created an environment where a wide variety of musicians could get together and spontaneously create new music. Speaking to movie critic Peter Travers on ABC’sPopcorn, Grohl says that one of the biggest highlights of that process was getting legendary singer/songwriter Paul McCartney to jam with the surviving members ofNirvana.
“The day that Paul McCartney came to the studio, [bassist] Krist Novoselic and [guitarist] Pat [Smear] who played with me in Nirvana, they didn't know Paul and we didn't have a song,” he explains. “By the end of the day, we had this thing that, had no one ever heard it, it still would have been the coolest f**king song I'd ever recorded because it was that moment. Capturing those moments, whether it's just to tape or whether it's on film, that's the challenge.”
Grohl notes he feels that the film’s message is best explained in the opening monologue, because it’s one that every artist in the film can identify with. “The intro where I say, ‘We were just kids but we had these songs and we had these dreams and we just threw it into the back of an old van and started driving,'” he explains. “That can apply to every single musician in the film and it's exactly that that ties all of us together in the story ofSound City; that we're just kids that grew up loving music and, you know, look at us now.” Sound City is now available at all digital retailers. The film’s soundtrack, Sound City -- Real to Reel, will arrive at all the usual outlets on March 12.
Pearl Jam Bassist Ament Hopes New Album Will Be Released This Year
Bassist Jeff Ament is hopeful that Pearl Jam will deliver their follow-up to 2009’sBackspacer this year.
"There's a lot of ideas kind of floating around right now," Ament tells Rolling Stone. "I mean, the cool thing about taking a year away from [Pearl Jam] is, you know, we could almost start from scratch and it wouldn't really be that big of a deal.”
Ament adds that he has a back-up plan to stay busy making new music with his side project, RNDM, if things with Pearl Jam’s new album don’t work out. “I hope [the new PJ album] comes out this year at some point,” he notes. “But, if it doesn't, we have another RNDM record ready. If RNDM's my band for the next year, I'm stoked."
Pearl Jam recently announced that they'll be playing concerts at Budweiser Gardens in London, Ontario, Canada on July 16 and at Wrigley Field -- the home of the Chicago Cubs -- on July 19. Tickets for both events will go on sale on February 9 at 10 a.m. local time.
Shinedown's Brent Smith Promises "Absolute Rock Fury" on Tour with Three Days Grace; Talks New Material
Shinedown returns to the road on Friday when they kick off the next leg of their co-headlining tour with Three Days Grace. Frontman Brent Smith says that while the band has added some spectacular surprises to their stage show, his first priority is still the music.
“We always go above and beyond, because we want it to be electrifying and exciting, and we want it to be intense and have fire and it be absolute rock fury, because that’s what we do,’’ Smith tells the Green Bay Press Gazette. “But at the end of the day, with all the bells and whistles, that’s all fine and good to have, but if the songs have no substance and no one cares, then it doesn’t matter.’’
Smith adds that while the guys have about two albums worth of material written up and ready to be recorded, fans shouldn’t expect the band to hit the studio any time in the near future. “We really do consider ourselves a living, breathing piece of art, so we take our time when we’re writing songs, and ultimately, when we’re putting that together to produce a record and make an album.
