Self Therapy Through Verse According To GAVIN ROSSDALE From BUSH

Interview by Kris Peters
English alternative rock band Bush initially gained popularity in
the mid-1990s, particularly in the United States, with their debut
album Sixteen Stone. While initially labelled as grunge or
post-grunge, Bush carved out their own space with a blend of heavy
riffs, catchy melodies, and frontman Gavin Rossdale's distinctive
vocals. After a hiatus, the band reunited in 2010 and continues to
release music and tour successfully, with a loyal fan base that
feels connected with the band due to their honest and decisive
lyrics.
Bush's sound has been described as a mix of grunge, post-grunge,
alternative rock, and hard rock, and while some critics initially
dismissed them as grunge imitators, particularly of Nirvana, Bush
developed their own unique style, characterized by powerful guitar
riffs, memorable hooks, and Rossdale's vocals, which ranged from
aggressive to melodic.
This is perhaps never more evident than on Bush's latest album, I
Beat Loneliness, a deeply personal release highlighting a sense of
vulnerability coupled with other serious issues such as men's
mental health and dealing with associated problems.
With I Beat Loneliness having been out for almost one month now,
HEAVY took the time to speak with Rossdale to dive even deeper,
starting by asking how the early reception has been for the new
album.
"It's been fantastic, really amazing across the board," he smiled.
"It's a great reception to a record that is finding its way
connecting with people, and this has been a really fun time. It
feels like a body of work, as opposed to like cracking on one song
for like six months, you know?"
We ask Rossdale to go into greater detail about I Beat Loneliness
musically and what he was going for with it.
"For me, music is still an experiment," he began, "and I'm still
25% I don't understand about it, or probably even more. And so
every song I write is a form of experimentation for me, and just
diving into these different worlds. I'm finding a lot in the
detuned world, and then a lot in the soft sense you can have. I can
create these worlds to write in, because I have a weird, weird
skill set. I go into banks of sound, and I can do it really fast.
I've done it for years where I had to listen to other people going
through them slowly, but now I've got my own studio, I can go
through things really quick. You find these great moments that
create these atmospheres with keyboards, and so I just write in
those worlds."
In the full interview, Gavin described his creative process as an
experimental journey through various sonic landscapes, using sound
banks to create unique atmospheres. He emphasized the album's
themes of hope and authenticity, aiming to resonate with listeners'
vulnerabilities and address mental health issues, sharing a
poignant experience where a fan credited his music with saving
their life, prompting him to reflect on his own past and the
importance of kindness in the world.
We spoke about his approach to music and finding the best in
himself, not just as a songwriter, but as a person. Gavin explained
the reasons for starting the album with the song Scars and how it
introduces the listener to the heavy content to come. We spoke
about the importance of music in moments of stress and the healing
qualities it can provide, possible Australian tour plans and
more.


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