Canada's The Metal Voice recently interviews Tesla's guitarist and Co-Founder Frank Hannon
TESLA the band have returned with their brand new single “TIME TO ROCK!” and proving they are still a credible force creating high energy music both live on tour and in the studio.
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When asked about tesla releasing a song and going on Tour instead of an album
"You know we've made a lot of albums we're pushing a lot of years and we've done a lot at this chapter of our career. It's much more rewarding to get together and focus just on one song without the pressure of trying to fabricate 10 songs to create an album. If you rewind back to our first album and the first six albums that we made, that was a different time. I mean we spent years writing that first album in the clubs and had a lot of time. These days it's just more productive for us just to kind of focus on one song without any pressure and we're really enjoying that. We're living more in the moment.The process of making a full-length album would force us like we've done before, to lock ourselves in a room and try to force them out (songs). Whereas right now with the way we're doing it it's more in the moment and we get to enjoy the songs as they're relevant in the moment when we write them going on with what's going on in the world and what we're being inspired by."
When asked about if they were offered a spot on the Stadium Tour
"Well as you know the stadium tour got off to a rocky start just like everything did with the covid. When that stadium tour was booked years ago and was just able to get going. I don't know what happened there you know, yes the answer is yes. We've been friends with Def Leppard forever we've done shows with Motley Crue and Poison and Tesla would have definitely been a great choice and I think would have rounded off that package nicely. Obviously we would want to play in that arena or stadium so to speak but for some reason it didn't work out. I really don't know those are reasons that are beyond my control I'm more of the music guy, I'm not really the business guy, so there was some other business politics maybe taking place that i have no idea about."
When ask if there is any news about Troy Luccketta Hiatus
"Troy is on a hiatus. We're just allowing the time for things to work themselves out. He's got things that he's dealing with. Touring is not an easy life it's a very difficult thing. Being out there on a bus with everybody crammed in that tight situation and when you got stuff going on at home those things need to be taken care. But hey man he's a long-standing member of the band and we'll work it out, time will work things out. He's a brother. The founding members of the band are together and Steve Brown is playing drums for us at the moment and really doing a great job and we're just happy to be able to keep on working."
Tell us about your experience in Montreal Canada, meeting your guitar hero Frank Marino of Mahogany Rush
"That was a dream come true man Frank has always been like one of my biggest guitar heroes from the 70s and as a kid growing up. I met his nephew Mike (Marino) and what a nice guy, what a great family. Mike found out that I was a huge fan of Frank Marino and Frank invited me over for pizza and Coca-Cola. I got to spend two wonderful evenings hanging out with Frank in his studio and listening to him talk and tell stories and we just laughed and had a great time. It's really awesome when you meet one of your musical heroes and they turned out to be such a great guy with a lot of heart and especially a guy who's been through so many ups and downs like frank has. It was very rewarding and very refreshing to meet one of my heroes and have them be so down to earth and cool. He is not only down to earth but also otherworldly in his musicianship and his creativity of electronics and the things that he does and has done. I mean that DVD he did recently, the four-hour show that he worked on so meticulously, it's just mind-blowing. So to meet a guy who's got that much talent but also be so cool and inviting into his home was very rewarding and refreshing experience."
When asked about meeting the Rhoads family at Musonia a few years back
"Kelle Rhoads, his brother was very hospitable and Dolores was an angel, she has since passed away, rest in peace. I have not had a chance to visit the school again but they were very gracious to me and obviously Randy Rhodes is the founding father of neoclassical killer guitar playing. I mean those first two Ozzy albums really influenced me 1982. I was 16 years old in high school and just unbelievable influence. That was a moment ti'll treasure if you people want to see it they can find it on youtube Frank Hannon visits Musonia, There's a documentary video that I made."
When asked if they will be working on a new Tesla studio album soon or any other music
"I have a lot of ideas and stuff for solo albums that are filled on my hard drives. I did some music with Brian Tichy, an amazing drummer. He and I recorded three songs last year that have never been released, i've got some instrumentals that are out of this world crazy experimental stuff as a solo artist. I may put that stuff out but i'm not in a hurry to do it. I've just archived it right now because i'm focusing all my energy on Tesla and Jeff Keith and I being the fundamental writers for the band we have another ballad that we're working on it's called, All about love' and it's really like a segway from 'love song' and that side of our band. We did put out the singles 'Cold Blue Steel' and 'Time to rock' then we got that ballad and we're just gonna keep cranking them out in the moment. Then the album will come at the end of that creative run and I can't can't give you a timeline but we will put them all together on a collection.
Frank Hannon - guitar
Brian Wheat - bass
Jeff Keith - lead vocals
Dave Rude - guitar
Steve Brown - drums
TESLA will be on the road thru all of 2022 and kicking off 2023 by headlining the famous “Monsters of Rock Cruise”. The new song TIME TO ROCK! serves as an anthem for a band who originated in the mid-1980s yet continue to sell out theaters and Arenas today with an “active” and modern sound. Self Produced by lead guitarist Frank Hannon and co written with lead singer Jeff Keith, the song is raw and edgy, with lyrics that are a tip of the hat to the genre of music that brings joy and escape to the sometimes harsh realities of todays world. Stemming from a simple phrase they use to signal showtime.. TIME TO ROCK! will take you there
Tesla- Time to Rock
Tesla- Cold Blue Steel