Simon Rushworth
Frontman Jack Russell has experienced his fair share of highs and lows as the lead singer of US blues rock stars Great White. But the band famous for the tragic Station Nightclub fire is enjoying a well earned swansong on the back of recent studio albums Back To The Rhythm and 2009’s outstanding Rising – with a US tour in full swing this summer.
We caught up with one of the most amiable men in rock and discovered he can’t wait to hit UK venues again – once he’s kicked back with a couple of Newcastle Brown Ales by the side of his Palm Springs pool.
rushonrock: It seems like a long time sionce the Back To The Rythm tour blazed a trail across the UK. When will we see you again?
Jack Russell: The last tour to the UK was great and we can’t wait to get back. We hadn’t been to Britain in a long, long time and we didn’t know what to expect. It was way better than we could have hoped for and we’re looking forward to doing it again sometime soon. We definitely intend to be back in the UK before the end of the year.
rushonrock: New record Rising is already in the running to claim our album of the year gong. How come it’s so cool?
JR: I truly believe that if you do something for long enough then you get better at it and I think that’s reflected in the new record. We don’t want to write the same songs over and over again – if we’re producing new music we want it to be just that. It’s hard to maintain a certain level of songwriting and we don’t want to stray too far from what our fans know and love. But we do want to move forward.
rushonrock: Are you more confident songwriters 20 years on?
JR: I think our writing is getting better. You look at a lot of great bands and their best work comes later on in their careers. People often like the early albums but as artists they grow and we’re no different. Bands often reach their creative peak long after their heyday or their commercial peak. For us it’s a simple enough ethos – we write for ourselves and write music we love. That’s why we’re still going strong. I write songs I would like to listen to and that way I stay true to myself as a musician.
rushonrock: Does it concern you that not enough people are being exposed to the best work of your career?
JR: It can be a bit of a frustration when you don’t enjoy that same level of commercial success. I’ve written so many hits that haven’t been hits! If Rising had come out in 1989 we would have ruled the world – no kidding. Will we be big again? You never know. I wish there was that scenario on the horizon but it’s all about timing. We’d all be millionaires if we timed things just right!
rushonrock: What does the future hold for Great White?
JR: If you ask me what my ambition for Great White is in 2009 it’s just to keep the band together and writing good music for as long as possible. For the last five years things have been getting better and better for us as a band and it’s a new beginning. I’m not sure what the end result is going to be but these are exciting times. I don’t think rock and roll will ever be as big as it was in the 80s but that was when MTV was new and there were new opportunities. MTV gave rock music a massive a shot in the arm but then it killed it.
rushonrock: What is the biggest challenge facing the band right now?
JR: These days you have the download situation which doesn’t help. Back in the day everyone was copying music onto their C90 cassettes but it was often bought in the first place by somebody, somewhere. And copying music wasn’t so prevalent as it is today. But it’s not a big deal. Bootlegging’s always been there and will that will never change. What can you do about it? Just forget about it.
rushonrock: You’re on tour back home right now and what’s the rock vibe like in the US?
JR: The live scene in the US is getting better and better. We’re seeing a new regime in terms of people running venues, organising shows and coming to gigs. We often get three generations of families coming to our shows and that’s special. We get eight-year-olds wearing T-shirts around their ankles and that’s a really cool thing to see.
rushonrock: What’s the secret to attracting new fans and old?
JR: It’s no surprise that classic rock and blues rock is making a big comeback again. I think people are finally realising that the 90s were a musical no-man’s land. And now bands like Great White are perceived as classic rock bands. The music we love is getting played by kids with Guitar Hero and that’s been a real plus.
rushonrock: Have you thrown yourself back into the rock and roll lifestyle full time?
JR: I don’t party like I did in the 80s. We’ve had to tone it down. Mentally I want to do it but physically I can’t. We’re not 25 anymore. I can still do the whole after-show party thing and have a few drinks but it just pisses off everyone around me. It’s not worth it. I can still hang out with the best of them – the only difference these days is that I choose to opt out. These days I prefer to lie in the sun, hit the pool and sink a couple of Newcastle Brown Ales. Mark lives nearby and Audie and me live pretty close. We love having barbeques and just chilling out. I’m just a normal guy off stage, believe me.
rushonrock: With the club fire tragedy you’ve been through more than most and emerged from the other end. Do you feel happy with the hand life has dealt you?
JR: I’m very blessed in so many ways. I have no complaints in life and why should I? I’ve lived my dreams twice over. It’s been great. There have been highs and lows, some great times and some tragedies and nobody needs to tell me that. But without one you can’t appreciate or understand the other. I’m a rollercoaster kind of guy. I’ll take the highs and roll with the lows but I feel very lucky to be where I am today.