Guitarist/vocalist Richie Kotzen will release a new solo single, “Raise The Cain”, on Wednesday, September 23. The track, which can be previewed below, features an as-yet-undisclosed “very special guest” on drums.
Kotzen‘s 22nd solo album, “50 For 50”, came out in February via his own custom label, Headroom-Inc. The three-disc collection is just what the title implies: a collection of 50 previously unreleased compositions produced, performed and written by Kotzen in honor of his birthday. It’s the follow-up to his critically acclaimed “Salting Earth” album, which was released in April 2017 via Headroom-Inc.
In an interview with KMUW.org, Kotzen spoke about his songwriting process: “What happens with me is one of two things. I’ll get an idea for a song and I’ll go to record it, because I don’t want to forget it. I’ll either finish it or I’ll hit a wall. If I hit the wall, I move away from it. It could be any reason. The lyrics could be finished but maybe I wasn’t sure where I was going with the production. I might get the track done and not have a lyric idea. I don’t believe in writers block. Once you get to a point where you don’t have an idea, nothing’s left to be written… There are weeks that go by when I don’t even touch the guitar. I don’t look at it or get near the piano. When I tour, I’ll take a mini-recording system with me. It’s so easy to do these days.”
Kotzen went on to say that he still had “more unfinished material” from the sessions for “50 For 50”. He said: “I was joking with someone, saying, ‘I’m going to put out a record in June called ’10 From 50′. Ten bonus tracks that didn’t make this album. I’m not saying that I’ll do that but I was joking about it. I’m not sure I’m always going to make records, but I am sure that as long as I’m around I’m always going to write a song of some kind.”
Kotzen is rumored to have recently completed a full-length album as a collaboration with IRON MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith.
