American rock stalwarts Tesla have readied their eighth studio album, Shock, and a glance at the diary shows a meaty supporting tour schedule for 2019.
"The cycle has begun again," bassist Brian Wheat says. "We will probably play close to 80 shows this year, and that's a lot, It goes anywhere between 60 and 100 depending what's going on, Eighty is the target."
And the California rockers who have been making waves for 35 years, are currently riding the waves too, with a headlining appearance at the annual Monsters of Rock Cruise.
Music fans are sailing to Jamaica, before returning to Miami on a five-day festival of rock. Others plugging in while sailing the seas include Extreme, Kings X and the Quireboys.
Music fans can soak up music 10 hours a day, every day if they so wish, but there is little chance of bumping into Brian away from their planned shows and appearances.
And it turns out he doesn't 'do' all that many shows as a punter these days either: "I'm 56 years old and I've been doing this for 35 years. I don't go to concerts and see bands play anymore. It's what I do for a living, so when I do that for seven or eight months a year, the last thing I want to do is go to some concert and hangout backstage," he says with a frankness.
There are exceptions: "If Aerosmith is playing, I'll go see Aerosmith play.
"I won't go and see six concerts on a tour, but I might go and see one every other tour.
“If McCartney is playing I try to go and see him. I've seen McCartney maybe 50 or 60 times. That to me is like going to church.”
And he caught up with pal Brian May when Queen played Vegas last year: "I didn't have the luxury of seeing them with Freddie, and I didn't know that I wanted to see them with Adam Lambert, because I was such a Freddie freak.
"But I went, and after two songs I absolutely loved it. Adam Lambert drilled it, god bless him."
But Brian won't even dash to see his pals at play: "If Def Leppard is playing, I would probably end up seeing them the night before and have dinner with them, rather than go to their concert, because I don't want to go to their concert. I've been on tour with them half my life..."
That DL connection stretches back to the start of the Tesla journey, and the mutual appreciation between the Stateside hard rock mob, and Sheffield's finest runs deep.
"Those guys are like our brothers, and we have a very special relationship with them, more so than any other band out there."
Leppard guitarist Phil Collen has collaborated with Tesla before now, and he is one of the few people whose opinion matters to the band: "We will listen to Phil because we respect him. A lot of people we don't listen to, but we have a lot of admiration for Phil."
But putting Collen in the producer role for the new album was a surprise. Not least because there wasn't going to be a new album.
“When 2014s Simplicity 'didn't really turn out,' Brian said there were no plans for another record, but working with Phil on Save That Goodness (a track included on the 30th anniversary of Mechanical Resonance - Live) invigorated the band.
"I think I even said 'Let's do a record with Phil' and everyone said 'Yeah, sure, great.'
“Phil wrote all the songs with us. If I had an idea I'd send it to Phil and then we'd work on that idea. If Frank or Dave had an idea they would send it and work on that song.
"Jeff hasn't really had a lot of ideas lately, and it's ok, he doesn't have to. He did write two or three sets of the lyrics on this album, but other than that it was Phil and me, or Phil and Frank or Phil and Dave."
It sounds like Collen became Tesla's sixth member for the process.
"Yeah, basically on this album he joined the band. He was in there, he played a little guitar, and sang on a lot of the background harmonies with us. He produced and co-wrote every song. He truly produced in the fashion of Mutt Lange, because that's what they knew."
The album is set for worldwide release on March 8, but those who have been privy to the 12-tracker are firmly in one camp or another. It looks set to be a divisive release.
"I've heard from people that they love it or they hate it, and that's where I want them,” Brian says.
“I want them to say 'I love that, that's great, or I hate that.'
“The criticism is that it sounds like Def Leppard. Well, I've got a newsflash for you, so does Mechanical Resonance, so does Great Radio Controversy and so does Psychotic Supper - Ez Come, Ez Go, Too Late For Love, Comin' Atcha Live, The Great Radio Controversy - so influenced by Def Leppard - we'd just spent 18 month on tour with Hysteria! Song and Emotion could be Def Leppard - put Joe's vocal on it and it's Def Leppard.
And he's a couple of quick words for anyone who has a problem with this new release.
"For someone to say this new record sounds like Def Leppard and Phil fucked up the band?
"Fuck you is my attitude.
“We've always been influenced by Def Leppard, by The Beatles, by Aerosmith, AC/DC and a little bit of Queen.
"People say there are electronic drums on Shock, well there were electronic drums on Heaven 911 and Into The Now. It's not the first time we ever did it. It's called making a record and experimenting..."
Recording took place at Brian's own J Street Recorders studio in Sacramento.
"It's a really nice studio, with an old classic 8158 Neve desk, which sounds great. I love it.."
He lets out a laugh: "You've got to be nuts to want to build a studio though. I guess I was nuts and I did it! But they are not money makers these things, and they are hard work."
Away from Tesla, Brian oversees his own record label and management company, and his other musical concern Soulmotor are active, with a record on the way. There is a book coming soon too, and these days Brian has another creative outlet - fusing his passion for photography with traditional art.
The spark was ignited during a vacation with his friend Ross Halfin, the world-famous rock 'n' roll photographer who knows a good image when he sees one.
"He gave me a point and shoot one day, and I started playing with it. Ross said 'You've got a pretty good eye, Brian,' and I developed from that."
Now, Brian enhances his images with paint, and the resulting fine art has been picked up by Wentworth Gallery, whose artistic roster also numbers Paul Stanley from Kiss, Rick Allen from Def Leppard and The Cars' Ric Ocasek.
Brian hosted his first show in October and just as his playing lures music fans, his art work is striking chords too.
“The cool thing is when people buy it and they don't know anything about Tesla. It is turning into another thing that I do. I love it and have lots of fun with it...”
> Tesla will play the main stage at the Download Festival on Friday, June 14, 2019.
Interview: Sammy Jones (twitter: @sammyjonespress)
Band images: Ross Halfin
