Collective Soul Bassist Will Turpin on New Music + More – Interview

2017-06-01

Story by Anne Erickson

Will Turpin says Collective Soul is more than half finished with a new album

Collective Soul is one of the definitive rock bands of the ’90s. When it comes to airplay, the band rivaled Metallica and Nirvana for spins throughout the flannel-heavy decade.

But Collective Soul’s story doesn’t end there. The guys have never stopped touring and making music. This summer, Collective Soul is on a North American tour that includes a mix of headlining shows and dates with Our Lady Peace and Tonic. Then, come September, Collective Soul will hit the road to support Sammy Hagar & the Circle on a handful of tour dates.

With a busy few months ahead, Collective Soul bass player Will Turpin spoke with Anne about the summer tour and new music on the way. They also talked about the recent, tragic death of Chris Cornell, and you can read Turpin’s thoughts on that loss in this story.

For more on Collective Soul, visit CollectiveSoul.com.

Collective Soul is touring with Our Lady Peace and Tonic this summer. That fits really well. What brings you guys together?

All of these bands are our peers, and we have a lot of respect for them. The main idea is to put really good artists on the same stage. We want to do something special for our crowds, and Tonic does that, and Our Lady Peace does that, as well. We’ve known Our Lady Peace since 1997 when we went across Canada together, so we go way back. It’s a quality bill of musicianship.

What should fans expect from the summer shows?

For us, after all these years and albums, there are so many songs we can choose from. So, we’ll play the familiar songs, but we’re trying to pick a handful of songs we haven’t played live in a while. We’re going to have fun with the other guys on tour and on the stage together, too.

How would you say music has changed since you guys broke out in the ’90s?

You know, the stuff I listen to is still good rock music. I always look at everything from the big picture, and to me, rock ‘n’ roll is that huge sound and experience. I don’t really think it looks that different today. For me, we’re all creators and artists, and I see a lot of bands that I love out there today.

What’s the status on new Collective Soul music?

We’re more than half done with the new album! We’re going to tour this summer and wrap up some loose ends on the record in the fall, and then we’re looking at March or April– early Spring 2018 — for the release. When we get together, we still have songs that come right out, so it still feels good, as far as the creative.

Photo by Joseph Guay

Anne Erickson
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Posted by Anne Erickson | Alternative, Features, Interviews, Music, Rock

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