2007.03.31 - Q Magazine - In The Studio (Duff)

IN THE STUDIO

Having sold more than two million copies of their debut album Contraband, Velvet Revolver - the hard rock supergroup featuring ex-members of Guns N' Roses and Stone Temple Pilots - are bullish about the follow-up.

"We wanted to make a record that stands up against the greats, such as Exile On Main St.," says frontman Scott Weiland, relaxing at Hollywood's Henson Studios. "And I absolutely think we've done it."

Six months ago, he'd have been telling a different story. Heavy touring had taken its toll on the band, with some members - they won't say which - falling into old drink and drug habits. When Rick Rubin (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Johnny Cash) signed up for the project last summer, it seemed like they'd been thrown a lifeline, but the in-demand producer failed to give them the guidance they needed.

"He came to our studio a few times and just told us to write more songs," says bassist Duff McKagan. "By November we had 50 songs, but we'd lost direction."

At the lith hour, they hired Pearl Jam and Bruce Springsteen producer Brendan O'Brien and things finally clicked. Of the 12 tracks on the new album, Get Out The Door has a feel-good dance groove. Spay is a vitriolic punk number that attacks the Paris Hiltons of the world and Messages is a lush ballad sung from the perspective of a passenger on one of the hijacked 9/11 planes.

Lyrically, it's a major departure from Contraband, which largely dealt with Weiland's ongoing battle with heroin. Though he's clean now, the effects of drugs still cast a shadow over the album - Weiland's brother Michael died of an overdose during its production, and one song, Pills, Demons, Etc, deals with the subject explicitly. "Michael's death played a big part in the writing of this record," says the singer. "But the way I see it, he's finally free from pain. He's achieved final liberty."

The album will be mixed over the next two weeks at O'Brien's Atlanta studio under the watchful eye of Weiland and guitarist Slash. After that, expect some concentrated touring before a June release.

"The album is head and shoulders above Contraband," says Weiland. "It has more texture. And it still rocks like a motherfucker."

SLEEVE NOTES

Working title: Libertad
Due: June 2007
Completed Tracks: Messages, Grave Dancers, She Builds Quick Machines, Gas And A Dollar Laugh, Pills, Demons, Etc., Get Out The Door, This Fight Could Be The Last Fight, Spay
Producer: Brendan O'Brien
Recorded at: Henson Studios, Hollywood