Lance Hall of WJSC-FM's "The Silk And Steel Power Hour" recently conducted an interview with former PANTERA and DOWN bassist Rex Brown. You can listen to the full chat below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). On his first solo album, "Smoke On This": Rex: "I wouldn't say it sounds like classic rock, but I would say I was influenced by it. Yeah, I had a really good time. I had a really good friend in [Nashville-based guitarist and songwriter] Lance Harvill and we wrote a bunch of songs, starting putting a team together and created this chemistry in the studio and it started coming together. We said, 'Well, we'd better put something together.'" On writing the album in Nashville, Tennessee: Rex: "Yeah, I've been to Nashville [before]. There's always been a plethora of good players, but I never left the studio. It's all listening to old vinyl and about writing the songs. It's all about the song." On whether there are similarities between his solo work and the REBEL MEETS REBEL project that featured Rex and his PANTERA bandmates Vinnie Paul Abbott (drums) and "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott (guitar) with country singer David Allan Coe: Rex: "Not really. That was a cool thing. That was one of Dime's things he did on the side and said, 'Do you want to come down and play bass on it?' There was never any contrived notion, then Vinnie put the record out or no one would have ever known about it." On his recent PledgeMusic campaign: Rex: "I had never done that before and someone goes 'Oh, would you like to do the Pledge fund?' They got me into it and I went 'You can't beat that. At least these people can get a place to get the music and also get a place to get vinyl. That was important for me with this record. This record was meant to be listened to on vinyl." On whether he recorded "Smoke On This" using analog or digital technology: Rex: "We used both on select tracks. With the technology these days, it's virtually the same. Of course, we used all analog gear; it's just what you record on. When we were kids, the Abbott brothers, their dad, had a studio and we would always go down when we were fifteen years old and watch these cats play. We were fifteen years old going 'Oh shit.' We learned to record at a very early age. This a natural progression of what I wanted. I've said it a lot over the last couple of years, but this is where I feel comfortable right now and where this thing might potentially go… We're just getting our feet wet." On his touring plans: Rex: "Yeah, we're going to tour in the fall. We're going to hit everywhere. It's not going to be a two-year process. You'll see. Stay tuned." On who will be in his touring band: Rex: "I've got a touring band now. You'll hear about that shortly. We're trying to get the single out, get it going, then we'll get the videos next. We're just letting the wind blow, man. There are some big plans, but I ain't going to give it all away. I'm ready to do it, man." "Smoke On This" is due on July 28 via Entertainment One (eOne). The disc will be the first time in Brown's career in which he will serve as both lead vocalist and guitarist in a band.
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