TESLA To Release Covers Album; Box Set On the Way

Debby Rao of KNAC.COM recently conducted an interview with TESLA frontman Jeff Keith. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

KNAC.COM: TESLA has a huge following in New England. The band has given so much to their fans. I can remember how supportive TESLA was, when the Station fire tragedy occurred, the band met with survivors of the fire. Now you actually wrote, "Miles Away", song on "Into The Now", for a friend of yours. Is that correct?

Keith: Yes, he died in that fire. He was like my personal assistant, and helped with the merchandise. He had met this girl, when we were out on the road. He went back to visit her, and they went to see GREAT WHITE. He got out of the fire, and realized the girl didn't go out, so he went back in. He was helping direct people out. He realized she was still inside. He went back in and he perished right next to her. We were in the process of writing a song and talking about how fans just think it is all fun and glory. We didn't want to complain in the song, we just wanted to let people know there is a whole another side to it. We were right in the middle of the song, and when our friend perished in the fire, we started incorporating that into the song. We kind of dedicated the song to him. His name was Jeff Rader.

KNAC.COM: What are TESLA's future recording plans?

Keith: We are doing this covers record that we plan on releasing next April. We are planning on putting a box set together with some DVD things. We have a ton of DVDs that we have in the archives. So we plan on going through that. It will be a three-disc that will include DVD footage, TESLA's songs that revisited acoustically and maybe some covers.

KNAC.COM: Any Jeff Keith solo projects in the works?

Keith: Myself, I am working on a country music record. But that is a whole different thing. So when people think about Jeff Keith solo record, it is not rock and roll, it is country. So some people that might think Jeff Keith has a solo record are going to be very disappointed. It is not like me, doing my version of rock and roll. It is pure country.

KNAC.COM: What do you attribute to TESLA's longevity?

Keith: I think the fan base has a lot to do with it. They just loved us. I think when the grunge movement came along, I think because of the fact we were out of the box. Back in the day, we were not a glam band; we use to catch a little flack from the guys in MÖTLEY CRÜE. They use to tease us and say we were a bunch of tomato farmers from Sacramento. POISON used to say when we were in tour with them, "You guys need to doll it up. Everyone else is doing it, you need to do it." We said, "It is alright man; it is all about the music." So when the grunge movement came along, I think they say, "Hey, TESLA can stick around because they never were about image."

KNAC.COM: Do you see a resurgence of '80s music more than ever this summer?

Keith: Yes, I think so more and more it is coming back. We have been playing a couple of shows with SKID ROW and it is great playing with those guys. Music with melody is coming back.

KNAC.COM: What does the future hold for TESLA?

Keith: I wish I could look in that crystal ball and tell you. I think the way I see it, we are going to do this covers record. We are going to put out this box set. In November, we are going go hole up somewhere in the studio, with no distractions and write music like we do, back in the day.

Read the entire interview at KNAC.COM.