Mark Tremonti Talks HardDrive Live Tour with Trivium, ‘Dust’ + Alter Bridge

2015-09-10

Story by Anne Erickson

Interview: Mark Tremonti speaks with Audio Ink Radio about his band Tremonti’s tour with Trivium

Mark Tremonti and his band Tremonti are fresh off the release of a new album, “Cauterize,” and now, they’re taking those tunes on tour. The guys just kicked off a co-headlining run on the HardDrive Live Tour with Trivium, which will run through an Oct. 23 show in Johnson City, Tennessee.

“Cauterize” offers heavier, more metal-leaning music than Tremonti’s other bands, Alter Bridge and Creed. He spoke with Audio Ink Radio about the HardDrive Live Tour, Tremonti’s upcoming “Dust” album, new Alter Bridge tracks on the way and what he can’t leave home without when going on tour.

Congratulations on the new album, “Cauterize.” Are you surprised by how fans have embraced the album?

We’re really happy with how people have responded to these songs. We worked hard on the album, and we all had the opinion that we stepped it up from the first album, and that’s what we looked to do, so we’re really happy with it.

What makes this cast of players – Eric Friedman, Wolfgang Van Halen, Garrett Whitlock and you – such a great fit? What kind of chemistry do you guys have?

I think I had the opportunity to work with great musicians and guys that can do it all. Not one-trick ponies. All the guys in the band are seasoned players and can tackle anything you throw at them.

You already have a new album called “Dust” that’s finished and ready to go. What can you tell us about the set?

Yeah, we’ll probably come out with that early next year. We recorded 20 songs total and split them into two equal albums that are evenly tasted. If there was a handful of a certain type of song, I’d just break them up into two albums evenly, so both records flowed and had dynamics.

The two albums are pretty similar. I think there might be more guitar soloing stuff going on in the “Dust” records, and that’s just by chance. We just looked at the songs as a whole and tried to make both albums evenly paced. Definitely some of my favorites made the second record, as well, so it’s not like I picked all my favorites and put them on the first record. I’m hoping people like it just as much as “Cauterize.”

Let’s talk about the HardDrive Live Tour. How did this trek come together?

We did a HardDrive tour on the first album, and we just love everybody there in that camp. We had talked about doing another tour for this album, and after we determined that we were going to do another Tremonti-HardDrive tour, we asked them about doing this with Trivium, and everyone was excited about it. Promoters liked the idea, too. So, we ran with it.

What makes a tour with Tremonti and Trivium a good fit?

I think it was the perfect fit because Trivium is crossing paths with us. They’re coming more into commercial territory, and we’re going more into metal territory, so it’s kind of the perfect storm.

What does it mean to you to take the tracks from “Cauterize” on the road?

It’s great. It’s a neat challenge. Every time you play a new song, it makes you a little nervous, because you know the cameras are out there, and you know that very first performance is going to be on YouTube. So, we make sure we rehearse them very well and make sure we play them out. It feels good to get a new song under your belt and be able to add it to the setlist permanently. Now, when we come back for this next tour, the record will be out for so long that people will be familiar with the new album even more.

You’re on tour a lot. What are the things you absolutely can’t leave at home when you hit the road?

My computer, for sure, because that’s how I store all my ideas and stay in contact with friends and family. Of course, my phone and a few good books. I have a lot of black T-shirts and black jeans! (Laughs.)

What’s new with Fret 12?

We just finished up a bunch of recording, including getting got done with the Mastodon guys’ DVDs, so I think those will be out later this year. It’s constantly going!

What’s ahead for Alter Bridge?

The plan is to record a new album in the first three months of next year. Then, after Myles (Kennedy, singer of Alter Bridge) finishes tracking, we plan to do Tremonti and Slash tours while everything is being set up, because it takes another few months once you’ve recorded the album to get all the teams in place to do the proper push for the album. Then, we’ll fly to Europe and do the press run and do the press run in the U.S. and go on tour.

Courtesy photo by Ashley Maile

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

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