Richie Kotzen: "The idea of creating music, something that didn't exist before, is what really brought the awe"

Familiar to many for his work with The Winery Dogs, Poison and Mr. Big, Pennsylvania born axe-man Richie Kotzen has built up a reputation for being a real guitarist’s guitarist over the years.

He’s had a prolific solo career too, averaging about an album a year since the late ‘80s. It might come as a surprise then, considering the enviable breadth of his work, that the virtuoso’s creative approach is apparently nonchalant.

“I have months that go by where I don't think about music, when I don't even pick up a guitar,” he says. “If it becomes a struggle there's nothing wrong with turning off the control room and going outside and cutting the grass, raking some leaves and then going down to your favourite pub.”

2024 is set to be fruitful period for the rocker. After dropping his single ‘Cheap Shots’ back in May, he says that there’s also plans for an album later this year. He’ll be on the road a lot too, with a busy summer schedule leading him to Dublin and Belfast next month.

On stage, he’s known for almost always operating with a three piece. The current iteration of his band sees him team up with long-time pal and bass wizard Dylan Wilson, as well as drummer Kyle Hughes.

“I guess there is something about that set up, it’s a real comfortable place to be” he reveals. “I've been in that format for so long that I don't really think about it any other way.

“The sound of an electric guitar can be annoying sometimes, so I like the idea of being the annoying guy. There’s a lot of room for freedom and improvisation, a lot of places you can go with the right with the right bass player and drummer, which I feel like I have at the moment.”

 

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Kotzen joined glam rock gods Poison in 1993, swiftly becoming a strong influence on their fourth studio LP Native Tongue. How did he approach the challenge of bringing his ideas to a band with an already established sonic blueprint?

“That's a great question,” he says. “They were looking for someone who was creative. They could have had anybody as far as a great guitar players were concerned, but in the end they wanted someone who could write a song because that's what the band was about, their songs and their attitude.

“When I auditioned, to be honest, I didn’t play their stuff that well. But when they asked if I had any songs of my own, I played them one which later became ‘Until You Suffer Some’.”

Brett Michaels and co. are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the collaborations on Kotzen’s C.V. It was, I’m told, his time with Grammy-winning bassist Stanley Clarke in their jazz-fusion outfit Vertù which he credits with helping expand his musical repertoire.

“I hadn’t dabbled with the fusion-y stuff, that was a different animal for me,” he says. “I learned a lot from that, it was something really outside of my wheelhouse, I had to really adapt and catch on.”

Closer to home, Kotzen is married to Julia Lage. As well as being the bassist for the current iteration of all-woman ‘80s outfit Vixen, she held down the low end for Smith-Kotzen (a joint venture between Richie and Iron Maiden’s Adrian Smith) during their live shows.

“Not to sound overly transactional,” he laughs. “But the relationship benefits my existence. Julia is a great bass player and is well-versed stylistically, but she's got great ear for music and harmony too. We do bounce things off each other, if I get stuck with an idea it's a great luxury to have.”

Finally, as someone who’s seen and done it all, what’s Kotzen’s advice for young musicians looking to master their craft?

“When it becomes a source of stress and anxiety, you need to revaluate what you're doing. I went through many channels before figuring out what the real purpose of doing this was. Initially, it was learning the instrument. Then it was trying to emulate some of my heroes and get as good as I could possibly be.

“Eventually it turned into, ‘Ok I understand how this thing works now, what am I going to use it for?’ The idea of creating music, something that didn't exist before, is what really brought the awe. That’s why I learned the guitar, not to test my dexterity or to see how many chords I can play over.

“That's where I started putting my focus, never ignoring the instrument and never assuming that there wasn't anything else to learn, because there always is, but moreover, finding a place within the world of music in which it made sense to be.”

• Richie Kotzen plays Opium, Dublin on July 11. Tickets start from €39.20. For more information click here.