Here Today... Gone To Hell!

Tommy Stinson Talks Working With Axl Rose and Paul Westerberg, Possible New Guns N' Roses Album

Nov. 3 2011

Speaking from a tour stop in Mexico City and in anticipation of Guns N' Roses performing on Saturday at Gexa Energy Pavilion, Stinson talked with DC-9 about his current gig and the interesting path that led him into the waiting arms of Axl Rose.

Who is easier to work for, Axl Rose or Paul Westerberg?

Tommy Stinson: They are both about the same to work with. There are things about both of them that I admire. They are both very similar. They have their way of doing things. Sometimes, things haven't worked out so good with either of them, and that is part of the deal.

What do you think about all the criticism Axl got for starting Guns N' Roses over with the new lineup?

Here's the way it went down. He didn't start over. The other guys just kind of vacated the band. They said, "Fuck it, I don't want to work." Axl just decided to go on. He called me and asked me to do it and got the other guys to do it as well. Axl just wanted to keep working. He didn't want to start completely over after everything the band had been through. I think it was a pretty ballsy move.

When you were in the Replacements, you played in front of some big audiences, but those can't compare with some of the crowds you've seen with Guns N' Roses. Do you sometimes walk out on stage and go, "Oh shit!"?

Not really so much. I have gotten used to it. I've been doing this now for 13 years. The cool thing and the amazing thing is that the people still come. After all of these years, there's no Slash, no Duff, they still keep coming.

2008's Chinese Democracy took forever to come out. Does the band have a lot of songs in the can? Is a new album in the works?

I'm not going to say a whole lot about that, but I tell you right now that I certainly hope we do another album. I would love to get everyone back into the studio and make some more stuff happen. I think we have a good band, and each of us has something interesting to offer. I hope we get on this project sooner than later.

People might not realize that you still have a solo career going. Where did you find the time to write and record your most recent effort, One Many Mutiny?

It's been kind of tough to find the time. I take down time very seriously and I use it to work on my own stuff. It's a slow process and I am into so many things, whether it's Guns or whatever. I'm hoping that next year will help me simplify a few things and play my own music more often. I need to find a way to make more of my music.

Continue here: http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/dc9/2011/11/tommy_stinson_talks_working_wi.php

A bit disappointed that they'll probably be re-recording the tracks that are more or less finished (Atlas, The General, Soul Monster, etc.). 

At least they're still planning on putting them out eventually.  Hopefully they finish things up in the studio sooner than later.  : ok:

Well if you think about, nowhere in that interview did he say they have plans to record more. He just says he hopes to.

Yeah, good point.  No where have they said anything like "The plan is to finish things up for the next album in the spring..." Just a lot of "We're hoping to..." comments.   No offense to the band, but the fans have been 'hoping' for new music for a long time too, and that hasn't turned out so well for us yet haha.

Either way, I think whatever Axl says regarding new music/the next album during the 11/11/11 interview will be pretty indicative as to where they stand with it.  Let's hope he has some positive news.