Guns N' Roses guitarist Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal admits he has neglected his solo career since joining Axl Rose's crew.
His last solo album was 2008’s Abnormal – with a follow-up currently in the works – and the guitar icon misses working on his own material, saying it is “everything” to him.
Bumblefoot tells UAE newspaper The National: “The solo albums are everything to me and it’s really what I do. To be honest, I really should have paid more attention to it, even when I was in Guns N’ Roses. I should have been touring more and putting out more albums than I did.
“When you are on the road you are either sleeping or playing. When you do have some free time you need to sort of step away and recharge your batteries or you burn out. For me, when I am on tour like that, I find it very hard to get into that creative zone of recording.”
He also discusses original GnR bassist Duff McKagan’s guest appearances with the band on a recent South American tour, describing his as a “sweetheart.”
“It was just nice to spend some quality time with him,” he says. “Now I know from the fans’ standpoint this is a big thing, but for me it’s like hanging out with a friend who I have such great conversations with.”
On the prospect of a new GnR album, Bumblefoot says the individual band members are so busy with their own work, it may be a while before any new material sees the light of day.
He says: “We are all on break and everyone is off touring. Richard Fortus and Dizzy Reed are off touring with The Dead Daisies. DJ Ashba is readying to release his next album. Tommy Stinson is playing with The Replacements and I am finishing up my new solo album. Axl is just kicking back and enjoying life. Well, I hope so anyway.”
