There’s this sort of fucked up thought that when musicians get sober, their musical talents wane or the standard of their music dwindles. It’s not all the time true, however I do know I’ve heard folks say shit like “man, I want they have been nonetheless ingesting” or “they have been so a lot better fucked up”. One particular person, nonetheless, that’s dropped the “medication” a part of the outdated “intercourse, medication, rock & roll” adage and continues to place out nice music is none apart from Alice In Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell.
Together with his solo tour kicking off on the finish of this month, Cantrell sat down with Leah Rose of the Damaged Report podcast (as transcribed by Blabbermouth) to speak about his profession, his latest solo effort I Need Blood, and different subjects. One space they delved into within the episode was Cantrell’s sobriety and whether or not he’s nonetheless the identical songwriter and musician as he was when he was nonetheless utilizing medication and partying as exhausting. What adopted was an introspective and sincere reply about his sobriety and the way he appears again on these instances.
“I’ve written some actually good songs each methods. So I feel each methods work. I’ve lived via a interval of my life the place it labored after which it didn’t work. [Laughs] If one thing’s not working [anymore], you’ve gotta discover a new method to do it. So, I went via that change personally about 21 years in the past. I feel I’m nonetheless writing — to me, anyway — as impactful, bizarre, fucked up music like I made after I was fucked up. So, I don’t actually assume that [being under the influence is] a requirement [for writing good music]. It’s a part of the mythos of being a musician and an artist.”
Wanting again on that point, Cantrell talked about a few of his contemporaries that managed to scrub up their lives and discover sobriety whereas nonetheless making rock music. What he mentioned he discovered was that he may, like them, proceed to place out nice music with out having to get fucked up with the intention to do it.
“Referring to among the guys that I began enjoying with proper after I bought sober — Billy Morrison, [Dave] Navarro, Matt Sorum, Billy Duffy — the blokes who’d been via partying after which gone via the opposite facet of, like, ‘Okay, this doesn’t work anymore. I gotta work out a brand new manner to do that.’ All these guys nonetheless rock, so far as I’ve final checked, and I feel I’m doing okay too so far as the music component. So you are able to do it both manner.”
As for whether or not he ever thought drug use was a glamorous a part of being a rock star, Jerry mentioned it was extra about being a younger man in a scene the place that kind of conduct was the norm. And whereas there was a time for that in his life, he mentioned, there’s no more room for it at almost 60 years outdated.
“Like I say, it’s a part of the mythos, and also you’re a younger child, so that you’re gonna do all these things that younger youngsters do. I’m not a younger child anymore, so I can’t do what younger youngsters do. It will fucking kill me. So I gotta do that model of me, which I like very a lot. I like life. I just like the consistency of life now. The ceilings usually are not as excessive, okay, however the flooring usually are not as low both. [Laughs] You realize what I imply? It’s just a little bit extra even, and I like that consistency.”
Cantrell’s first headlining tour in help of I Need Blood will kick off this Friday, with Filter because the opening act. You’ll find the complete listing of dates beneath.
Jerry Cantrell tour dates:
January 31 Niagara Falls, ON Fallsview On line casino Resort
February 1 Sayreville, NJ Starland Ballroom
February 2 Portland, ME Aura
February 4 Boston, MA Residents Home of Blues Boston
February 5 New York, NY Irving Plaza
February 7 Silver Spring, MD The Fillmore – Silver Spring
February 8 Bensalem, PA Parx Xcite Middle
February 11 Huntington, NY The Paramount
February 12 Norfolk, VA The NorVa
February 14 Raleigh, NC The Ritz
February 15 Atlanta, GA Buckhead Theatre
February 16 Louisville, KY Mercury Ballroom
February 18 Columbus, OH The Bluestone
February 19 Indianapolis, IN Murat Egyptian Room at Outdated Nationwide Centre
February 22 St. Louis, MO The Hawthorn
February 23 Chicago, IL The Vic Theatre
February 25 Tulsa, OK Tulsa Theater
February 26 Houston, TX Home of Blues Houston
February 27 San Antonio, TX The Aztec Theatre
March 1 Mesa, AZ The Nile Theater
March 2 Las Vegas, NV Home of Blues Las Vegas
March 4 Los Angeles, CA The Belasco
March 5 Ventura, CA The Majestic Ventura Theater
March 7 Spokane, WA Knitting Manufacturing unit – Spokane
March 8 Portland, OR Surprise Ballroom
March 9 Seattle, WA Moore Theatre