Former Ozzy Osbourne and Badlands guitarist Jake E Lee might never be seen again after his new band Red Dragon Cartel complete their current touring duties.
He says he’s already resisting pressure to make a follow-up to this year’s debut album – unless he can do it on his own terms. And he’s vowed he’ll shut down the project if the moment feels right, adding that he doesn’t believe he’ll be missed.
Lee returned with Red Dragon Cartel after more than two decades away from the music business. Right now he’s enjoying every minute, but he knows how he’ll react if the situation changes.
He tells Sea Of Tranquility: “There’s an abundance of song ideas – but I’m not guaranteeing that there will be another album. I know the record company hopes there is and the band hopes there is. I just did this as a last hurrah, to see what it felt like to be back out.
“I’ve had a lot of fun doing it. I miss my home life, though. I don’t need this; as long as it’s not tiresome or becomes too much of a job, I can see it going on.
“Right now I don’t know. If making another record makes me happy then I’ll do it. If it becomes gruelling, I’ll just stop – and feel reassured in knowing that there’s really not going to be a whole big world that’ll miss me. Some fans will, and if that’s what happens, I apologise to them.”
Lee admits he believed his days on the road were long behind him. “I don’t need the spotlight; I don’t need to be in the public eye,” he says. “My only reason for doing this at all is for the love of music and if this all goes away tomorrow. I’ll be okay.”
And while he’s enjoying Red Dragon Cartel’s current run of European shows – including a rescheduled set of UK dates – he states: “If it taxes me too much I can easily go back into retirement.”
