Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith and Richie Kotzen (Ex-Poison, Ex-Mr. Big) released the first song of their new album “Smith/Kotzen project”. The full record will be out March 26 via BMG. It was recorded in Turks & Caicos Islands in February 2020, produced by Richie and Adrian, and mixed by Kevin “Caveman” Shirley.
Hear the new Adrian Smith and Richie Kotzen song “Taking My Chances”:
The musicians talked about the project in a press-release:
Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith said: “Richie and I started working together a couple of years ago. We’d been jamming as we’d been friends for a few years before that. We both share a love for classic rock and bluesy rock, so we decided to get together and start writing some songs and it went from there.
“Pretty much everything on the album is handled between Richie and myself, including the production. We had developed a really strong idea of how we wanted it to sound, and I’m very pleased with how it turned out. There’s a lot of cool songs on there that we are really happy with.”
Richie Kotzen completed:
“We had a very fluid process in writing. Sometimes Adrian would send me a riff and I would immediately hear some kind of melody or a vocal idea. And sometimes it was the other way round, so it was a kind of circular motion.
“We’d get together whenever we could and throw some ideas around and it just evolved, which was great because there was no pressure and nothing other than just a natural course and I think the record really speaks for that.”
Smith/Kotzen project tracklist:
1. Taking My Chances
2. Running
3. Scars
4. Some People
5. Glory Road
6. Solar Fire
7. You Don’t Know Me
8. I Wanna Stay
9. ‘Til Tomorrow