ERIC SINGER Discusses Possibility Of New KISS Studio Album, Future Touring

Dave's On Tour recently conducted an interview with KISS/ALICE COOPER drummer Eric Singer. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

Dave's On Tour: It's not as important to U.S. history as the John F. Kennedy conspiracy, but for the sake of rock and roll history, I've got to ask you this. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced its 2006 inductees. It's some kind of conspiracy when bands like KISS and ALICE COOPER are not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and bands like PARLIAMENT-FUNKEDELIC and THE PRETENDERS are. Your comments?

Eric: Music is a generational thing. We all have that music from our teen years that really influenced and impacted us in a time period when you cared about it the most. Music becomes the soundtrack to our lives during those young and impressionable years. So each generation has its favorites, those bands and records that you can still play today that bring us back to a special place in time. The bottom line though with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is that it's a political thing. Voting is all about opinions. Sometimes the writers and critics think they know more than everybody else, and they voice that opinion with their vote. If a band sells a bunch of records and a lot of people attend its shows, it shouldn't matter if a voter doesn't think that band is critically relative. The bottom line should be if the music fans like it. KISS is a huge band and they're influential. They are part of Americana whether people like them or not. Here's an example of politics: Jann Wenner, the owner of Rolling Stone, doesn't like KISS, and they've never EVER made the cover of his magazine. ALICE COOPER has been very influential and belongs in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He even influenced DAVID BOWIE, who switched his direction once ALICE COOPER came out.

Dave's On Tour: I've seen you quoted, and it obviously speaks for most KISS fans, that you'd love to see new studio material recorded. How important and how necessary is it for KISS to add new material from the 21st century to their legacy?

Eric: I think that's an artist's choice. Using ALICE as an example, it's great that he keeps recording new records despite not having any big hit songs. He wants to keep making music because that's what he does. He has so much energy. With KISS in mind, it would be a good thing to do a new record. It certainly wouldn't hurt. If Gene and Paul can do solo records, they can do a new KISS record. I don't make those decisions, and I wish I had more say and input in those things. If it were up to me, I'd say let's do a new record. But you know what? Somebody's got to pay for the record and somebody's got to write the songs. Those guys are the songwriters. They could put everything down and walk away any time they want. They don't need the money, and they don't HAVE to do anything. It becomes all about what they WANT to do.

Dave's On Tour: Does KISS have touring plans for 2007?

Eric: I hear the same rumors and rumblings, and I usually hear it from fans and through people like yourself in the business before I hear it from Gene or Paul. I would imagine that at some point, something's going to happen. Exactly when, I don't know. We all take things one day at a time, so after Paul and Gene do their individual things, they'll have a look around to see if going out again to tour is a good idea. It may just be the random, one-off shows that they did the last two years. My impression, based upon the talk I hear when I'm around them and the sense of their vibe, is that they don't have any interest in a full-scale tour. But that could change at any given time. I don't think we'll hear anything until spring 2007 at the earliest.

Read the entire interview at www.davesontour.com.