RICHIE KOTZEN Says 'Now Would Have Been The Perfect Time' For THE WINERY DOGS To Regroup

January 31, 2018

During an appearance on the "Trunk Nation" show on SiriusXM channel Volume, guitarist/vocalist Richie Kotzen was asked if he has had any recent discussions with drummer Mike Portnoy and bassist Billy Sheehan about a possible new album from their THE WINERY DOGS project. "We didn't literally talk about, 'On this date, we're gonna do this or that.' But I think we all know at some point that we're all gonna do something together again," he said. "We didn't put anything on ice per se."

According to Richie, it was his desire to return to recording albums and touring as a solo artist that caused THE WINERY DOGS to go on hiatus. "I wanted to go back to what I was doing my whole life, which is making my music and my records," he said. "Ideally, I would have thought now would have been the perfect time to be in a WINERY DOGS cycle. 'Cause last year I did my [solo] record. But they have a new band," referring to SONS OF APOLLO, which features Portnoy and Sheehan alongside ex-DREAM THEATER keyboardist Derek Sherinian, guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (ex-GUNS N' ROSES) and vocalist Jeff Scott Soto (W.E.T., TALISMAN).

In 2016, THE WINERY DOGS completed a tour in support of their second album, "Hot Streak", which was released in October 2015 in North America via Loud & Proud Records.

"Hot Streak" debuted at No. 30 on The Billboard 200 chart, having shifted 13,000 equivalent album units in the week ending October 8, 2015.

THE WINERY DOGS' May 27, 2016 performance at Teatro Cariola in Santiago, Chile was professionally filmed and recorded for a DVD and Blu-ray, "Dog Years: Live In Santiago & Beyond 2013-2016", which was released last August via Loud & Proud.

THE WINERY DOGS reunited for its first live performance in almost a year in August 2017 during the "Ultimate Jam Night" at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California. The event honored ADRENALINE MOB bassist David "Z" Zablidowsky, who died in a tour accident.

Kotzen's 21st solo album, "Salting Earth", was released in April 2017 via his own custom label, Headroom-Inc.

SONS OF APOLLO's debut album, "Psychotic Symphony", was released last October by InsideOut Music.

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