Music/Kotzen: Richie Kotzen talks to RS about 2nd album with Adrian Smith, Brazilian musicians and more member of Iron Maiden and virtuous of six strings in search of blues -oriented sound and classic Hard Rock of the 1970s writing

Richie Kotzen admits: I didn’t even consider that it would have a chance to record an album with Adrian Smith. The two guitarists, together in the Smith/KotzenThey formed an unlikely friendship for living closely in Los Angeles, United States.

The first, 55 -year -old American, stood out as a virtuous of the instrument in the late 1980s, joined bands as Poison and Mr. Big In the following decades, it was in charge of the The Winery Dogs and released dozens (!) Solo albums. The second, English of 68, is a member of the Iron Maiden and one of the most celebrated names in the history of heavy metal.

The junction yielded not only an album, but two. Four years after the homonymous debut, the duo unites to launch Black Light/White Noisewhich arrives on Friday, 4, on streaming platforms. In an interview with Rolling Stone BrazilRichie highlights: “We were happy with the first album. I never thought we would be in the position of making a record. And now, we are here with the second, so I’m very happy”.

This second work follows the first guidelines of the first, in order to sound very inclined to classic rock and rock blues of the 1970s. It also repeats the method: guitarists also take vocals and most of the bass and drums. When they are not in charge of the last two instruments, they have Brazilians: Julia LageRichie’s wife on the four strings; Bruno Valverdemember of Angrawith the drumsticks in hand. Lage and Valverde are also part of the duo’s support band in the rare shows held so far.

In this chat, Richie Kotzen discusses the partnership with Adrian Smith in different layers: process of creation, sound guidance and highlights of the repertoire of Black Light/White Noise. Also tells a little about his solo plans and quickly talks about The Winery Dogs, project with Billy Sheehan (Baixo, Mr. Big) and Mike Portnoy (battery, Dream Theater) Currently in a state of hibernation. Check it out!

The new album and the context of the partnership

Rolling Stone Brazil: You have already released many albums, especially as a solo artist. But is there a different feeling when it is an album with a band or such a collaboration?
Richie Kotzen:“It’s different. A solo album is more personal and I’ve been doing solo albums since 1989, it’s natural to me. But the collaborations are also great. I think with this album, Adrian and I really had some amazing connections in the exchange of guitar soils and our musical affinity. It doesn’t have much, just as it has influences that I don’t have.

RS: When we talked in 2021, near the time of the first album, you told me that working with Adrian was one of the coolest things you had ever done throughout your career. Were you waiting to release a second album or thought of a unique collaboration?
RK:“I just just stay the moment I am. Initially, the idea was to make an album with Adrian we liked. We wanted to tour, but at the time it was not possible because of the pandemic. Then we gathered, we created some things and suddenly we had ideas of songs. Everything happened spontaneously.”

Lol I know that you and Adrian share some influences, as you mentioned before, such as 1970s hard rock bands. But you come from different origins, as you also mentioned before, as well as different countries, different cultures and especially distinct careers, as it has a strong connection with a band, while you developed a long solo career, with bands occasionally entering your trajectory. With these differences, what do you think made your partnership with it work so well?
RK:“It’s interesting. I believe that we apply the same approach to my solo albums when we work together, as in composition or recording. The studio is already configured and ready to record any instrument, whether drums, guitar or vocal. This allows us to alternate between instruments and record continuously. This means that this week I can have an almost finished song, but then I did not like the second battery turn Verse ‘and then, a week later, I can go back and change it. ”

RS: In most of your albums, and even when you worked with bands, this sound idea is looser. You don’t care much about genres, like sounding exactly like blues rock, hard rock or jazz fusion. But this album, like the previous one, has a more specific direction. Was it challenging to have to fit in this classic hard rock sound with blues influence?
RK:“You raised a good point. In fact, it was not challenging, because these were the songs we created. When you are one person, you have a lot of ideas, so you record and together. In this situation, we have not created anything that is not in the style you just described. We never stop to keep it in that direction.”

Talking about the partner (s)

RS: And how would you describe Adrian’s style as a guitarist, whether in riffs or soils? We fans have a preconceived idea about him as a guitarist because of Iron Maiden, but I want to know his perspective as he could work closely with him.
RK:“It is exactly what you think: very melodic, very bound to blues, has soul and is completely connected to what it does. It is not a mystery. Verbalizing this is much harder than listening to the musician, but I would say he is a very full of soul and very melodic guitarist.”

RS: What about Adrian’s vocals? I know he’s not a first -time singer, of course, but this is a side that many fans don’t know so well yet. What is it like to work with this side of him as a singer?
RK:“He’s a great singer to have a great voice tone. This is something hard to teach: you have or not. And he has a very natural and captivating tone in the voice. I think that’s very important. Besides, just like on guitar, there’s an element of soul in his voice that shows.”

RS: How did the participation of Julia Lage, his wife, on this album? I know she played in “White Noise” and four other tracks, at least according to the press release.
RK:“I don’t remember the other songs, but it’s really five and she’s a great bassist, adds to the equation. There were some songs in which I or Adrian had made the bass as a guide, but I wanted a different personality, so I asked her to play. She added a dimension to the music. In addition, she is a great singer and an excellent composer. The dynamics. I am very happy to have her involved in the project. ”

RS: I also need to ask about another Brazilian, Bruno Valverde. He is in the music video of “White Noise” and “Black Light”, but he really plays in some track on the album?
RK:“Interestingly, I am the one who touch drums in “White Noise” and “Black Light”but he is in the video. On the album, he plays the songs “Dark Side” and “Wraith”. And just like Julia, he’s our live drummer. Live he is an amazing drummer. We have this kind of Brazilian rhythmic section, which I find very cool. ”

Next Plans: Smith/Kotzen, Solo and The Winery Dogs

RS: You said there are no plans to play live with Adrian this year, although you and Maiden have no shows announced for the last months of 2025. Is there any reason?
RK:“Agenda. We’re trying to schedule to play next year. I think it would be great, but this year we have previous commitments. I would like to play more live, but I think this is later.”

RS: You have some solo shows scheduled in the United States and Japan between May and June, but there are other tour plans, right?
RK:“Yes, it will have a major tour in North America, in the fall [primavera no hemisfério sul]with my trio. ”

RS: So I need to ask you: What about Brazil?
RK:“I love to play in Brazil. As soon as I can go, I will go. I hadn’t been in a long time. I think the last time was at the Summer Breeze festival [hoje Bangers Open Air] With The Winery Dogs. So, it’s just a matter of time until you return. ”

RK: You said in another interview that Winery Dogs entered hibernation again after Mike Portnoy’s return to Dream Theater. I know it’s still early, but do you see Winery Dogs having a future at some point? Or do you think the band may have ended up once and for all?
RK:“This is a difficult question to answer. I want to say, ‘forever’ is very complicated. I see nothing happening in the immediate future. I think the vibe of the band, when we played the show, was friendly, but at the moment I see nothing happening in the short term.”

Comments on prominent tracks from the new album

Black Light | Richie Kotzen:“We almost discarded her. I thought there was something special about her, but we couldn’t take her to the right place. So one day, I silenced the chorus, who was with vocals with a different title. I kept the verse and the pre-frill.

“Muddy Water” | RK:“It was practically finished at first. I complimed it, it was just missing Adrian. He heard and liked it a lot. He created the introduction, but the body of the song was already well recorded before we joined.

“White Noise” | RK:“This came from Adrian, a riff of him, but had a different title. I worked in the chorus, created the melody, but the riff is his. Our process is like this: one brings a riff, the other listens and says, ‘Ah, that’s good, let’s work on it.’

“Dark Side” | RK:“This is from Adrian. I remember I really liked her. I made up the pre-rhillus and the bridge, while the chorus and the verse came from Adrian. When I heard, I thought, ‘We need to record, because we have nothing like it.’ Bruno had played because he had already touched enough drums. This came more to the end of the process.

“Beyond the Pale” | RK:“It started with the idea of ​​that introduction with the guitar, something Adrian had on the computer. I don’t know how long he had it. He had the introduction and the verse, and then I composed the chorus and the end.

*Listen to Black Light/White Noise on streaming platforms.

Rolling Stone Brazil Special: Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden on the cover: A Rolling Stone Brazil He launched an edition of unpublished collector for fans of the Heavy Metal band. The biggest albums, the list of shows in Brazil, the power of the group’s market and even a tour of the band’s plane you can see in the printed special, for sale at Profile store.

+++ Read more: Pod: Sonny Sandoval talks to RS about single with Argentine, Brazil and career
+++ Read more: Beat in Brazil: Adrian Belew talks to RS about show, supergroup and 80’s King Crimson
+++ Read more: Steven Wilson talks to RS about The Overview, Human Insignificance, Prog and Brazil
+++ Follow Rolling Stone Brasil @rollingstonebrasil on Instagram
+++ Follow journalist Igor Miranda @igormirandasite on Instagram