Sebastian Bach’s Been Waiting Years to Talk About His New Album

2024 not only marks the 35th anniversary of Skid Row’s self-titled debut, but it also will bring the release of Sebastian Bach’s first solo record in a decade.

“I’ve been working on this for years and it’s not easy for me to be quiet,” Bach told Chuck Armstrong on Thursday’s Loudwire Nights (Dec. 7). “Everybody get ready because I am back. I hope you missed me.”

Bach’s new album features the just-released track, “What Do I Got to Lose?,” a song co-written with Myles Kennedy.

“To collaborate in 2023 with a musician as respected as Myles, it’s so great,” Bach admitted. “Thank you, Myles. Thank you very much. And this isn’t the only song we wrote together. We wrote another one, but I’m not allowed to talk about it.”

A significant connection to Kennedy came courtesy of the man who produced the new album, Michael “Elvis” Baskette. In addition to producing several Alter Bridge albums, Baskette has produced solo records for Kennedy and Mark Tremonti and has worked with everyone from Mammoth WVH and Sevendust to Slash and Falling in Reverse.

Not only did Baskette prove to be the perfect producer for Bach, but he also created a space to record unlike anything he had experienced before.

“I cannot even put into words what that experience turned into and how special and rare what he does for musicians is,” Bach said about recording at Baskette’s studio, Studio Barbarosa in Orlando.

“It’s this house with an old Neve board from the ’70s and bedrooms and a nice pool in the back,” he said. “We lived in this house together for a month. Our whole focus was on this album, nothing else. Going out didn’t interest any of us. We woke up in the mornings and had coffee. I wrote lyrics all day and while the guys recorded, I’d go running and then I’d get to work with the band … And when we were done working, we would hang out in the house and have food and wine and then we’d go swimming and listen to music at night under the moon and then do it all again the next day.”

As Bach recalled the recording experience with his bandmates and Baskette, it was obvious the experience affected him in a significant way.

“It was just the most incredible experience. The closest I had to that was the first Skid Row album when we all lived at Lake Geneva, Wisc., but we didn’t live in the same house. We lived in the same hotel. I didn’t know anybody made albums like that anymore. But Elvis does.”

Why Sebastian Bach Wanted Robert Ludwig to Master His Album

Along with the old-school way of recording, Bach was ready to talk about the old-school way he hopes fans will listen to his next album thanks to the man who mastered it.

“If you collect vinyl and you’re a serious vinyl collector, the name Robert Ludwig needs no introduction,” Bach said with a big smile on his face. “He mastered Led Zeppelin II, KISS’ Alive!, the Metallica ‘Black Album’ reissue, the new Tool record, Alice In Chains‘ Dirt reissue. Jimi Hendrix — he mastered Jimi Hendrix records, okay? If you turn these records around you’ll see his name.”

Bach explained that he’s friends with Adam Jones of Tool and when he saw Ludwig’s name on Fear Inoculum, he told Jones he wanted Ludwig to be involved with his new record.

“Anything that has his name on it makes my stereo sound like butter.”

READ MORE: Duff McKagan Says He’s Already Played In his Dream Supergroup

At this point in the celebration of Ludwig, it was clear Bach was ready to jump out of his chair.

“Guess what,” he asked the Loudwire Nights audience. “We got the record mastered by the one and only Robert Ludwig. And Robert has since retired, so this album…”

When Bach mentioned Ludwig’s retirement, he paused for several moments, as if he couldn’t believe what he was about to say.

“Oh my god, my album is one of the last albums ever mastered by Robert Ludwig.”

What Else Did Sebastian Bach Discuss on Loudwire Nights?

• After collaborating with Myles Kennedy, he hinted at who he’d like to work with next: “There are some guys in Vegas that have sent me a couple of riffs that I really, really like, but I don’t want to get into that yet.”
• Why he’s excited about one particular track on the new album: “There’s one song that, to me, is the heaviest song I’ve ever been part of. Ever.”
• What it was like bringing in early Skid Row drummer Rob Affuso for the music video for “What Do I Got to Lose?”

Listen to the Full Interview in the Podcast Player Below

Sebastian Bach joined Loudwire Nights on Thursday, Dec. 7; the show replays online here, and you can tune in live every weeknight at 7PM ET or on the Loudwire app; you can also see if the show is available on your local radio station and listen to interviews on-demand. Stream “What Do I Got to Lose?” at this location and stay up-to-date with everything going on in Sebastian Bach’s world here.