The veteran musician shares what it was like to work alongside Mark Tremonti and how becoming a singer/songwriter first and a guitarist second, took some getting used to.
The third segment of the excavation into the complete discography of Myles Kennedy in The Disc Dive resumes with journalist Ryan J. Downey beginning with the guitarist’s start with the band Alter Bridge.
A couple of years removed from his work in The Mayfield Four, Kennedy received a call from Mark Tremonti. After receiving some demos, Kennedy found himself in Florida recording in the studio – through he still wasn’t sure if he was officially in the band.
It wasn’t until months into the recording process that Tremonti took Kennedy for an initiation ceremony that included a 300-foot free fall, bungee jump. The figurative and literal leap of faith not only tested Kennedy’s tolerance of heights but ushered in a new era, completing the line up of Alter Bridge and making Myles an official member.
The band’s debut album, One Day Remains served as a unique introduction in that the collective members of the group had all come from other established projects, yet were building the foundation for something new. Kennedy explained that the success the band earned was the result of a ton of touring and gradual climb. Alter Bridge didn’t have the radio hit that catapulted the band into the spotlight, but with each show, they cultivated a passionate base that remains supportive to this day.
That first Alter Bridge record also functioned as a bit of an adjustment period for both Kennedy and Tremonti. Myles shared that it was different for him to not be playing on the record. He had always considered himself a guitarist first, and a singer/songwriter second. In that regard, One Day Remains took some getting used to for Kennedy. He also shared that in previous projects, he did the bulks of the heavy lifting with regards to songwriting and now, the environment was much more collaborative.
With Kennedy bringing his expertise and unique skill set to the table, the first album allowed the band to iron out the wrinkles and perfect their formula going into the second record, Blackbird.
Kennedy shared that he was pretty much living with Tremonti for a full year prior to releasing their sophomore record. During that time, the two became immersed in their craft, building the framework of the record and refining it with Brian Marshall and Scott Phillips.
There was a three year gap between the band’s debut and their second record. That extended time involved some label politics but ultimately afforded the guys the room to really drill down the details and make a record that was less rushed, more focused, and truly indicative of the combination of talented players.
Kennedy would go onto compare Alter Bridge’s debut to a shotgun wedding. In that regard, Blackbird was the creative honeymoon that really allowed the band to establish their identity and assert that the success of the first effort was no fluke.
Watch the latest segment of The Disc Dive with Ryan J. Downey and Myles Kennedy below.
Sign up for the Knotfest Email List for exclusive access to news, tours, interviews, pre-sale codes, giveaways and more.