John 5 Dives Into New Album, Reflects on Motley Crue in Vegas

“I do music just to put out new music — I don’t do it for big record sales or anything like that.”

John 5 joined Loudwire Nights on Tuesday (Nov. 4) and opened up about his latest solo album, Ghost. Listen to the full conversation in the player near the end of this article.

“I’m really proud of it,” he said.

“I put a lot of time into it. I would do a song and I would go over it and over it and over it and then go into the studio and record it. If I made a mistake, I would start from the very top.”

John 5 said that the album took a distinct effort to create because he approached it as if it were a live performance.

“It is a lot of work to get to the point of writing and completing a song,” he explained to Loudwire Nights host Chuck Armstrong.

“It is a process for each song … I look at it as like when people were recording songs in the ’30s and ’40s. They would go into the studio and they would play and they’d have this huge, big band in there. If someone messed up, they’d have to start all over. That’s how I kind of looked at it. This album is kind of like a live album.”

Why John 5 Loved Motley Crue’s Residency In Las Vegas

When Chuck asked John 5 about Motley Crue‘s recent residency in Las Vegas, the guitarist was quick to share his elation over the experience.

“It was magical, I’ll never forget it for the rest of my life,” he said.

“I really won’t. I’ll never forget it.”

He explained this was the first time he was part of a residency and he was excited to set up shop and not have to worry about traveling. But that wasn’t the only thing that made his time in Vegas magical.

READ MORE: Slash Explains Why He Loves Live Albums, Recalls Introducing Axl Rose to Ozzy For the First Time

“Vince had his strokes and I’m telling you, it was magical to see this guy and hear this guy and hear how well he sang,” John 5 shared.

“I was just so proud of him. It was an incredible moment for me and an even more incredible moment for Vince.”

What Else Did John 5 Discuss on Loudwire Nights?

• What’s on the horizon for Motley Crue: “I don’t know. I’m waiting to hear. I’m really, really excited, so if you hear, let me know.”
• The moment he knew he’d start collecting KISS memorabilia: “The very first piece of merchandise [was] the KISS dolls. I can’t say dolls, I’ve got to say action figures. I just worshipped them and loved these action figures. So then I started getting everything you could get. I’ve been collecting since I was a kid.”
• What it was like choosing special guests for his new solo album, Ghost: “All these guys were picked very, very carefully for these songs. It’s wonderful, it’s such a cool thing … I really analyzed and said, ‘Who would be wonderful for this?'”

Listen to the Full Interview in the Podcast Player Below

John 5 joined Loudwire Nights on Tuesday, Nov. 4; the show replays online here, and you can tune in live every weeknight at 7PM ET or on the Loudwire app; you can also see if the show is available on your local radio station and listen to interviews on-demand.