Buckcherry’s Josh Todd talks AC/DC, politics, and Val Kilmer with HRH
A few days prior to the release of their latest album “Black Butterfly” I had an opportunity to talk to Buckcherry guitarist and co-founder Keith Nelson. Now almost two months since the release of the album I had the opportunity to talk to front-man Josh Todd not only about the new album and tour but also about his acting career and his opinion about President elect Barack Obama. I went into this interview with an idea Josh was a wild and crazy front-man but when the interview was over I was left with a completely different impression, in a good way.
HRH: Josh, thank you for taking the time to talk to us today.
Josh Todd: Sure, no problem
HRH: You guys are currently on the road with Avenged Sevenfold, Shinedown, and Saving Abel, how is the tour going so far?
Josh Todd: It was going great until we ran into a blizzard and couldn’t make it to our show tonight.
HRH: You played Billings, MT last night and were supposed to play Fargo tonight?
Josh Todd: Yeah last night was awesome.
HRH: Buckcherry.com has this line up of bands together till December. Who are some of the bands you are looking at taking out on the next leg?
Josh Todd: We are trying to figure that out right now as far as what we are going to do after the new year. But when we find out we’ll let everybody know.
HRH: What are the plans going into the new year for the band?
Josh Todd: Well we have this new album “Black Butterfly” and it has a lot of great songs so we are going to be putting in alot of time and effort to make sure everyone gets to hear the depth of this record like we did with “15” we toured two years and over 300 shows and we have already done 65 shows and the album hasn’t been out for two months yet. So we are just going to be touring and getting these songs out on the radio so everyone will know what’s going on here.
HRH: How many songs off of “Black Butterfly” are you able to include in the set?
Josh Todd: Let’s see, we play Rescue Me, Don’t Go Away, Too Drunk, and Cream so about four.
HRH: You have been covering “the Stroke” by Billy Squier live. Is that something we may see you guys releasing for maybe a soundtrack or a b-side?
Josh Todd: We don’t play the whole song, we do it as part of a medley with “Crazy Bitch” and the fans seem to like it.
HRH: Do you get to play any of the songs off of “You Made Me”?
Josh Todd: No
HRH: Are there any plans for another solo album?
Josh Todd: Not at the moment.
HRH: After 4 albums “Black Butterfly” is the first one to hit the Top 10. How big is that for the band?
Josh Todd: It is huge for us you know. We have been after this for a long time and that is something you dream about hitting milestones like that. We always want to elevate our game from record to record and that is what we try to do.
HRH: Buckcherry is on the third single and video with “Rescue Me” Are there plans to release more singles or videos from the album?
Josh Todd: Yeah everybody really loves “Rose” but right now we are focused on what we got going on with “Rescue Me” and “Don’t Go Away”. We’ll probably do something with “Rose” sometime after the new year.
HRH: When you release a new album is there a set number of singles that you plan on releasing or is it more of a wait and see approach?
Josh Todd: Sometimes we are clear on it, sometimes the singles change over the course of the album’s cycle. Songs we thought were going to be the one change because more people are hearing the music and we find out what everybody is really gravitating towards.
HRH: How much say does the band have in what songs are released as singles?
Josh Todd: Oh we have final say.
HRH: What other songs do you think might have been overlooked or didn’t get as much attention as they deserve?
Josh Todd: I personally like “All of Me” I think it is a masterpiece. Hopefully that will be a song, I mean there are already a lot of people that love that song but I think it is different for everybody.
HRH: I talked to Keith a few days before “Black Butterfly” release and he mentioned “Imminent Bailout” and “Cream” as two songs that were special on the album. What was the inspiration behind the lyrics of “Cream”?
Josh Todd: Cream is just about my love for music and being a music man and all the sacrifices you have to make to do this for a living. It’s my deepest love that is what it’s about.
HRH: You and Keith started Buckcherry because of a mutual love of AC/DC. Have you had a chance to hear “Black Ice”?
Josh Todd: I did I have the record, but I thought Stiff Upper Lip was a better record. But there are a couple of songs I really like, I like the first single “Rock-n-Roll Train” and there is another song called “Anything Goes” where Brian is singing with a lot more meoldy and I thought that was cool. As a whole I didn’t think the record was a great record but it is a good rock-n-roll record.
HRH: You are 37 now, can you see Buckcherry still together and performing when you are in your late 50’s early 60’s?
Josh Todd: No I don’t know why anyone would want to see that.
HRH: You were in a band called Slamhound prior to Buckcherry and I found a demo a few years ago at a record store in San Francisco. Will there ever be an “official” release of Slamhound’s music?
Josh Todd: No probably not that band hasn’t been together for years. I really enjoyed that band when I was in it but I doubt I’ll be putting anything out.
HRH: I want to change gears here a little bit if you don’t mind. Are you a political person?
Josh Todd: Nope
HRH: Do you have an opinion about President elect Barack Obama?
Josh Todd: I really like his energy plan that is something I really like but i’m not too excited about the taxes. But as far as what this guy is made of I just don’t think we know yet you know. As a whole as far as both candidates were concerned I just wish we had more choices, because I think a lot of people were on the fence with both parties. I think it is really to soon to see what is going to happen with Obama I mean we’ll see. He has to back all of his words I mean he’s got a very difficult job. I definitely wouldn’t want to be handling it. I congratulate him for his courage to take on this incredible task and hopefully he will do it with grace and really bring something to the office.
HRH: You recently had a part in the movie Eagle Eye and you have had parts in the New Guy and Salton Sea along with a couple of t.v. shows. Do you see acting as something you would like to get more serious about as far as pursuing some bigger roles or is it more of something to do when you have down time from Buckcherry?
Josh Todd: I would love to get a bigger role because I love challenges but we are never home. We tour so much that it is really hard for me to get gigs. When I’m home I get to do stuff here and there but I would love to be challenged with acting bigger than what I’v
e done.
HRH: What was it like working with Val Kilmer on Salton Sea?
Josh Todd: Wow Val is like, he is an incredible guy to watch, he is a great great actor and he really taught me a lot. He was very nice to me at that point in time, he understood my situation that it was the first movie I had ever done. He was very instrumental and kind of pushing me along and I am very grateful to him for that. I just thought he was a joy to work with.
HRH: Is there anything else you would like to tell our readers before I let you go?
Josh Todd: I would just encourage them to go out and pick up a copy of “Black Butterfly” if they haven’t already and to check out Buckcherry.com to see where we are at and come out to the show and have a blast.
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The record You Made Me is a masterpiece! Get it at http://www.joshtodd.com.
Hi I love buckcherry i am only 7 years old,when you get this message
sent me back
I love JOSH TODD “You Made Me” CD- the best CD of the decade!!!!