This marks Slash’s first new music in four years. After reuniting with Guns N’ Roses and touring the globe, Slash always wanted to get back together with Myles Kennedy And The Conspirators, in an effort to work on new music. In Living the Dream, Slash showcases his signature electrifying guitar riffs, as well as his high-octane lyrical solos.
For Slash, Living the Dream was a natural progression from their previous album, World on Fire. He also finds it more versatile and more structured, where the songs are shorter and more succinct than the previous time. He also described this CD as a snapshot and a reflection of where they are as a band in that particular moment in time.
His original plan was to finish up the “World on Fire” tour, then take a break, prior to starting the pre-production of this new album; however, that was not the case since Slash reunited with Guns N’ Roses and immediately started rehearsing with the band. At the same time, Myles Kennedy went to work with his rock group, Alter Bridge, and he started writing and recording his critically-acclaimed breakthrough solo album, Year of the Tiger.
Slash returned to Los Angeles in December of 2017, where he started writing for Slash featuring Myles Kennedy And The Conspirators. During this time, Slash penned some new songs such as “Slow Grind” and the closing track “Boulevard of Broken Hearts.”
Speaking of “Slow Grind,” Slash penned this track last year when he was on his couch while at home for the Christmas holiday. “It was a cool riff, so I brought it in after the break and we worked it up,” he said, prior to nothing that while it’s a relatively new tune, he really enjoys it a lot.
Their 12-track album closes with “Boulevard of Broken Hearts,” which was perhaps the “last thing” that Slash came up, musically, with for the album and he subsequently brought it to the band. He shared that the song’s chorus was done in a distinct way, and they went on to add the verses and the other sections. “The song actually came together very quickly, and after Myles [Kennedy] heard it, he had a vocal melody,” he said.
On his songwriting approach, Slash said, “We will be on the road and I will have my guitar with me, coming up with ideas sitting in the hotel room or in the dressing room or even sometimes on the bus.”
Slash added that whenever he has something, he would bring it to soundcheck, and he would start jamming it out with Frank Sidoris (rhythm guitar), Todd Kerns (bass guitar), and Brent Fitz (drums). Lead singer Myles Kennedy would then hum ideas into his phone, and that is how the nucleus of the songs will star.
The collection opens with “The Call of the Wild,” and it is followed by “Serve You Right,” the latter of which Slash acknowledged that it will be a great song to play live. “It is actually a unique type of song for the band since it is very straightforward,” Slash said. “The guitar riff is nothing very profound and it’s more of a rhythm than anything. Once we found the right groove for it, it started to take on a life of its own. We are really looking forward to playing this one onstage,” he added.
The virtuoso guitarist described “The Great Pretender” as the most “unorthodox” song on the album, especially from a stylistic standpoint. Although it was the most difficult song to “put together” on the album, it all came together once they found the “right groove.”
He first wrote the song “The One You Loved is Gone” originally for the hit AMC original series, The Walking Dead. Slash was close friends with several of the actors in the cast, as well as the crew. He decided to send the song to the show’s music department since he realized that the show only had a score. While they declined it, it is safe to say that the song has found its home on the Living the Dream album.
Their latest studio album, Living the Dream, is available on iTunes and on Spotify.
The band will kick off their U.S. tour on July 15 in San Francisco, California. They will also perform at the iconic Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York, on July 31, 2019.
Slash was inducted into the coveted Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Class of 2012, as a band member of the acclaimed hard rock group Guns N’ Roses.
For more information on Slash featuring Myles Kennedy And The Conspirators, their music and touring schedule, check out their official homepage.
