AIRBOURNE is announcing their new self-titled album in a truly original manner. See below the band’s heartfelt letter to Lemmy, sharing their journey through this album’s process and paying homage to their mentor and friend.
The announcement is accompanied by the album’s first single, “Alive After Death (Last Plane Out).” The track’s new music video is also out now!
Watch the Music Video for “Alive After Death (Last Plane Out)” HERE
Dear Lemmy,
Well, mate, it’s been a long time since we’ve said “g’day” or shared a stage together.
We’ve never forgotten one of the things you said to us, which was: “No matter what,
stay true to yourselves. Don’t worry about all the other bullshit in the music industry.
Make music that your roadies will like. Because they’ve heard your shit more than
anyone else, if they like it, everyone will love it.”
Mate, we did it.
Six years ago, we shut the roller doors to everyone and got to work writing songs for
this record, spending many, many hours, many, many days, weeks, months, and years
writing and writing, throwing things out, starting again, and always sifting for gold.
After about five years of this, we felt that we had a solid bunch of Rock’n’Roll songs
happening. Then, Mutt Lange and Bryan Adams brought in their big guns, and a couple
of those songs we wrote with them have made the record. We wrote a lot with Bryan,
and he was incredibly inspiring, and we learned a lot from him – a true rock ‘n’ roll
gentleman. At that point, a long-time mate of ours, Vick Wright, flew out to Australia,
and we wrote and wrote and wrote some more with him. He’s a rock ‘n’ roll street
poet, and he taught us a lot as well. We ended up with some real good rockers with
him.
We sent everything to Brian Howes, and he said we have a solid record now, and he
was pumped to work his magic.
Dante from Spinefarm, who has been a real champion all along the way on this record,
gave us the green light to make ‘Airbourne.’
We shipped out a ton of gear from our Manchester compound and from all over the
world, loaded it into a semi-tonne truck, and drove it up the Eastern guts of Australia
from Melbourne to Music Farm Studios, hidden in a jungle on the surf coast of
Australia. This place is surrounded by snakes, Sydney funnel-web spiders, rats, and
cane toads—plenty of stuff that can kill ya. We know you would have loved it there
because that which doesn’t kill you only makes you louder!
We coped with hurricane weather, flash flooding rains, and palm trees that were torn out of the ground. One of them almost killed Streety, our bass player. That was a very near
miss.
The tape machine was a fucker. It wouldn’t stop blowing up, but she sounded great, so
she was worth dealing with and waiting on.
Every day we would wake up, jump over a brown snake or python, feed the pigs, say
“g’day” to the goats, watch the one male rooster with a harem of hens swooning
around him whilst he’s strutting around the place like he was King Dick. Who knew
that fowl could be so inspiring?
We’d make our way down the hill to the studio, jumping over “old mate,” the resident
snake that lived at the front doors of the studio. When we entered the studio, we’d
make some heart-starting coffees, put some pies in the pie warmer, VB’s on ice, then
Brian Howes, Mike Fraser, and Karl Dicaire would show up. A few cigarettes, laughs,
and caffeine later, we’d talk some bullshit, and then we’d get rocking. For about 12-16
hours, we would go. Time ceased to exist for us, and it was the best fun we’ve ever
had making an album.
The last batch of songs we wrote with Brian around the Studio Kitchen table, often
whilst hurricanes had killed the power. While they were smashing the Studio together,
we brought this album home.
The main console was the original Neve desk from Albert Studios 1 here in Australia,
(AC/DC, Rose Tattoo, The Angels, Billy Thorpe and more), there’s an unmistakable
Raw Oz rock tone in this desk, and you’d love it.
We didn’t finish the record in time, as we had to go back out on tour, which actually
worked out really well because lyrics that weren’t written in that studio needed to
come from being on the road, and that’s exactly what happened with the song “Alive
After Death.”
We came back after the tour to our Melbourne studio home, down in St Kilda, the
famous Hothouse Studios, where we recorded our first EP. We’ve always had a love
affair with Hothouse—it has the Neve console from Albert’s Studio 2, so it was gutsy
to go back there and finish this record off.
Craig Harnath, who we’ve been mates with forever, joined the team, and after another
tour, and another few months and trips down to Hothouse, we finally finished the
record.
Zakk Cervini joined the team and mixed up a Rock’n’Roll storm of a record. He’s a
real weapon! Ted Jensen—aka “the great one”— gave Zakk’s atomic mixes a real
supercharged spit and polish and brought it all home with his classic trademark Sterling
master print that only he can do.
So, we finally ripped off the Band-Aid and mustered up the balls to play it to the
roadies…. And guess what? They love this one! Thank fuck! Only took us 20 years!
Thanks again for all of your words back then, mate. We’ve never forgotten them, and
we wouldn’t be here without ya. We’ll always keep you “Alive After Death.”
Rock on, Lem.
Much Love,
Joel O’Keeffe
‘Airbourne’ Track List:
1. Gutsy
2. Alive After Death (Last Plane Out)
3. Here She Comes
4. Kid In A Candy Store
5. Sky High
6. Who Put The Rhythm In You?
7. Christmas Bonus
8. Last Man Standing
9. Rock ‘N’ Roll Ya
10. Bogotá
11. Hells Got No Vacancy
12. Send Me To Rock ‘N’ Roll Heaven
More information and tour dates can be found HERE
About Spinefarm:
Spinefarm represents some of the biggest and most important rock acts in the world. Founded in Finland in 1990, the label established itself as an independent powerhouse for successful European metal acts from Nightwish to Children Of Bodom. Acquired by UMG in 2002, Spinefarm Music Group is now home to a host of artists that reach millions of fans across the globe and showcases the very best in rock, punk, and metal. From massive metal names such as Bullet For My Valentine (with over 3 billion streams to their name) to alt-rock legends Killing Joke and genre-benders Sleep Token, Spinefarm’s artists are – and always have been – true leaders in their chosen field. The roster also includes renowned names like Atreyu, Airbourne, Saint Asonia, and While She Sleeps as well as fast-rising young artists like Dayseeker, Dead Poet Society, Kid Kapichi, BRKN LOVE, and Creeper. Spinefarm, now flanked by associated SMG labels Candlelight (Emperor, Ihsahn, Urne) and Snakefarm (Marty Stuart, Austin Meade, The White Buffalo), has grown from its independent origins into a true global rock powerhouse.
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