Ratt was one of the most successful bands to come out of the L.A. Sunset Strip scene of the early '80s. Their first five albums were massive successes, with many gold and platinum awards. When the '90s dawned, grunge took over the music landscape, and Ratt disbanded for a few years. They returned with 1999's Ratt, after which vocalist Stephen Pearcy left the band. Pearcy returned a few years ago, and Ratt is back with a great new CD Infestation. I spoke with Pearcy about the new record, new guitarist Carlos Cavazo, their tour plans and other topics.
Chad Bowar: Why was this the right time to finally do another Ratt studio album?
Stephen Pearcy: It just happened to work out that way. Roadrunner stepped up. They came to a show, and the next thing you know, we're in pre-production working on what turned into Infestation. It didn't happen overnight, but it worked. We hooked up with a great producer, Michael Baskette, who was a fan and not just the producer of the record. I actually co-wrote a song with him.
Was the songwriting process the same as it has always been?
We pretty much went back to basics, and that was really important for this record. We tried to get back to the principles of how we wrote back in '84 or '85, living together and spending time together. That's all you think about 24/7. The thing that helped was getting us all under one roof, like Ratt Mansion West, the one bedroom apartment we lived in back in the day.
Read the complete Ratt interview
Ratt - Infestation Review
(photo courtesy Roadrunner Records)
Comments