STEPHEN PEARCY Talks Solo Album, Upcoming Book, Next RATT CD

Jay Nanda of the San Antonio Metal Music Examiner recently conducted an interview with RATT singer Stephen Pearcy. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

San Antonio Metal Music Examiner: When can we expect "Sucker Punch" to be released, and how does it differ from your other solo records?

Pearcy: Well, there's some really good songs on there. Probably the best I've done in a bit. So I'm wanting to take my time. I put out a few songs on iTunes to get feedback from people, then I went back in and made some changes. I'm hoping it will be done by the end of this month.

San Antonio Metal Music Examiner: RATT had a lot of momentum going last year in support of "Infestation", headlining and opening for the SCORPIONS. Why did you opt to go the solo route after that?

Pearcy: That's another question. Well, there were some internal happenings. Not with the band or anything, just business. We wanted to take ourselves off the road. Bob [Blotzer, drums] does his thing, and so I decided to do some solo stuff. But we'll get back on it as soon as we can. We'll get Carlos [Cavazo, guitar] and everyone into the mix and start it up again.

San Antonio Metal Music Examiner: When you first started your solo music years ago, what did you set out to do as far as making it sound different than RATT?

Pearcy: Just to play different kinds of music. But it's kind of irrelevant years later. Anything I write, people are going to think RATT. So I just go with it and write the best stuff I can and get out of the box a little bit. My solo stuff is filled with two-and-a-half-minute in-your-face, kick-your-ass songs. It's not meant to be commercial.

San Antonio Metal Music Examiner: You have Top Fuel Records, and a song and video for "Drive With Me" that has auto racing footage. Is it true that you wanted to be a racer when you were younger but changed to music after you were struck by a car?

Pearcy: Yeah, actually, I'm writing a book right now that's been in the works for two years. There's lots of tales in there that people need to know or haven't known. You know, to get the real opinion. And that's one of them. There's many. It's a real honest book. The kitchen sink is in there. It's time to share because nobody knows what we're about or how you got there or what you went through. I got into music by accident realistically by accident (laughs).

San Antonio Metal Music Examiner: Will your book be a rebuttal to Bobby's or more autobiographical?

Pearcy: Both. Because when I started that band, people got the wrong perspective on so many things. That's why we're on the level we don't wish to be on, by default and admission. But everything I say is going to be honest. Bob took his own side on his book. But it's his own. It's like when I read the Keith Richards' and [Steven] Tyler books, I thought, "That's how I want my book to read."

San Antonio Metal Music Examiner: After your solo tour, what can we expect from RATT?

Pearcy: Well, we're definitely going to deliver a new record. Hopefully, we'll get on it sooner than later. Just doing my solo tour now, then the book. I'm staying positive about everything, trying to get things aligned. And when we do, we'll be doing it again.

Read the entire interview at the San Antonio Metal Music Examiner.